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From my Profile:
Jul. 20th, 2003 02:04 amI just put this on my profile, but people might have some ideas about it. So:
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Statement up front: I think one of the biggest tactical errors made when LJ was being designed was labelling journals one frequently reads, "friends". Because a lot of people seem to take that term literally when there's no practical or functional reason to do so.
My own view: LJ is basically like a newsstand. It's a public place, with journals -- magazines, periodicals -- publicly available. When I add you as a "friend", what I'm really saying is that I find your writing or photography interesting enough that I would like to read or view your journal on a regular basis, and I want the convenience of having it on my friends' page. That's it.
The more LJs I see, the more I think "Friends Only" journals are not just inconvenient, they're actively destructive to LJ as a culture. Because LJ is a community, first and foremost. A "Friends Only" journal is like a walled, gated development with a "keep out" sign out front. The Internet is a Big Place. Pretending it's your private back garden leads only to frustration for everybody.
Your Mileage May Vary, obviously. But if you're looking at this page because I just added you and you have no idea who I am... That's why. I go through LJ communities, I go through the random links, I look at friends-of-friends-of-friends... I'm just looking for bright, funny, interesting LJs to read or view (the last because I like photography).
*^*^*^*^*
Statement up front: I think one of the biggest tactical errors made when LJ was being designed was labelling journals one frequently reads, "friends". Because a lot of people seem to take that term literally when there's no practical or functional reason to do so.
My own view: LJ is basically like a newsstand. It's a public place, with journals -- magazines, periodicals -- publicly available. When I add you as a "friend", what I'm really saying is that I find your writing or photography interesting enough that I would like to read or view your journal on a regular basis, and I want the convenience of having it on my friends' page. That's it.
The more LJs I see, the more I think "Friends Only" journals are not just inconvenient, they're actively destructive to LJ as a culture. Because LJ is a community, first and foremost. A "Friends Only" journal is like a walled, gated development with a "keep out" sign out front. The Internet is a Big Place. Pretending it's your private back garden leads only to frustration for everybody.
Your Mileage May Vary, obviously. But if you're looking at this page because I just added you and you have no idea who I am... That's why. I go through LJ communities, I go through the random links, I look at friends-of-friends-of-friends... I'm just looking for bright, funny, interesting LJs to read or view (the last because I like photography).
