Age - How old are you now?
38
When you started your online diary?
June 2000
Marital Status?
Happily married
Occupation - What kind of work do you do?
Web designer
Hobbies - What do you like to do,
besides keep this diary?
Write (not just online stuff), watch and critique films and scripts, I love history and art, and not coincidentally, art history. I am addicted to my digital camera and to my computer, and I'm continually making digital art or taking digital photographs.
Location - Where are you from? Where are
you now?
I was born in New York, New York, and then proceeded to live all over the United States and in Europe, as my father was a career military man and we moved frequently. I now live very happily in Melbourne, Australia.
Why did you start writing your diary online?
For my own entertainment, mostly. I like to write.
Do you communicate with readers of your
diary?
Sure I do. Not all of them directly, of course, but I do accept feedback and I frequently (usually, in fact) answer emails of that sort.
How much email feedback do you recieve
from your diary? Is it mainly positive or negative?
I regularly get feedback, and 99% is positive.
Have you met any new friends because of
the diary?
Not exactly... I've become closer friends with people who read my diary but who I already knew. Certainly I've become acquainted with lots of people I didn't know before, though.
Has your motivation changed over time?
Not really. I still mostly write to entertain myself, so that's still valid.
How has the diary changed your life?
I don't know that it necessarily has, other than giving me a slightly higher profile in some circles and giving me a means of expressing myself without having to email all my friends all the time.
Do your friends and family know you keep this
journal/read it? If
so have
you had any really negative experiences as a result?
If not why?
Yes, of course. No one has said anything negative. My family and/or friends know what I'm about. Nothing I write is going to really surprise anyone who knows me.
How has the diary benefited you? Your friends? Or total strangers?
It's nice to have a personal soapbox. No idea what my friends or total strangers gain from it, other than maybe getting some interesting advice or ideas now and then or enjoying some of the links I post.
Has your diary ever gotten you in trouble? If so, how? Scenerio: If you were wronged by a person that you know reads your diary, would you bash them anyway? What about family? What about co-workers?
I don't bash people I know. I sometimes will refer to situations in an oblique way, but I deliberately avoid saying things that will get me into trouble with specific persons.
If you had to do it over again from the beginning, what
would you change?
Not very much, other than maybe censoring some of my more angry rants a bit more carefully and being slightly less negative about a few things.
Do you have any favorite entries?
Can't think of anything just offhand, actually.
What do you look for in an online journal, as a reader?
I like sites that are personable and readable (doesn't have to have perfect grammar and spelling, but tons of bad writing really bugs me). I like to see the person behind the writing, and get a picture of their life.
Do you use your real name in your diary?
Yes. I use my real name for everything. I chose my own name, so I'm quite partial to it.
Do you censor yourself in your diary?
Yes. I keep the strong language to a minimum and I stay away from really intimate topics. I like to keep my pages PG-13 (or G rated) because while I do personally swear strongly and regularly, I don't think everyone wants to read that sort of thing and I can write without having to resort to foul language or writing about really strong topics. And while I like to be honest and candid, there's only so much I'm willing to show the world. The metaphor I use is that it's like knowing people can see into my house through my windows. I don't mind people seeing me, but I don't walk around naked (although I would if I wanted people to be able to see that).
