Linked here from muccamukk. I originally started my LJ from a link via a friend in an IRC chat, I think. I started using it primarily for fandom - to follow fic communities and to have a place to post my own. As I got more into fandom, I got really heavy into fests and exchanges and my LJ was probably 75-80% about that.
Over the years and after moving to DW, my fandom participation has dropped (partially due to fests not moving over - Harry Potter fandom is a very small part of DW in comparison to LJ). I've become more of a life/links blogger. I've been willing to post a lot more personal entries than fandom based.
I think a large part of that willingness is due to DW's separation of the subscribe/access concepts. Without the baggage of the word 'friend', I'm actually more friendly. When I can divide "give access" and "get access", I'm far more likely to subscribe to someone new. I might post a locked entry once every couple of years - my journal is completely public for almost all purposes - so I don't grant access. (My two test journals and my two best friends, neither of whom actually use DW. XD )
Since the concepts are separated here, I don't feel ... hmmm. Not guilty exactly, but in that vein, if someone gives me access and I don't reciprocate. It grants me more freedom to be open in public posts. And that in turn lets me be more friendly. I'm not susceptible to the old LJ feeling of "they won't friend me, what's wrong with me". (Or the reverse of "why did this stranger friend me?!") Here it's "oh, there are public posts I like to read, subscribing!" instead. And that's much more comfortable to me.
no subject
Over the years and after moving to DW, my fandom participation has dropped (partially due to fests not moving over - Harry Potter fandom is a very small part of DW in comparison to LJ). I've become more of a life/links blogger. I've been willing to post a lot more personal entries than fandom based.
I think a large part of that willingness is due to DW's separation of the subscribe/access concepts. Without the baggage of the word 'friend', I'm actually more friendly. When I can divide "give access" and "get access", I'm far more likely to subscribe to someone new. I might post a locked entry once every couple of years - my journal is completely public for almost all purposes - so I don't grant access. (My two test journals and my two best friends, neither of whom actually use DW. XD )
Since the concepts are separated here, I don't feel ... hmmm. Not guilty exactly, but in that vein, if someone gives me access and I don't reciprocate. It grants me more freedom to be open in public posts. And that in turn lets me be more friendly. I'm not susceptible to the old LJ feeling of "they won't friend me, what's wrong with me". (Or the reverse of "why did this stranger friend me?!") Here it's "oh, there are public posts I like to read, subscribing!" instead. And that's much more comfortable to me.