Conclusion

[nfotxn]

I've been thinking about this for a while. People say their journal is their own and they can write whatever they'd like in it. Sure, granted you can say whatever you'd like, but as soon as somebody has a contradictory oppinion in their comments they use their right to free speech as a rebuttal. Now this has been jiving me for a while, it doesn't seem just. There has to be another factor at work here. I think it's comments. As soon as you open your journal to commenting you loose it being wholely your own. It's public property at that point, you just co-ordinate the topic of discussion.

Think of it without the pretense of being on the internet. If it were a piece of paper in a notebook and you allowed people to write comments on your work would you say that it's your piece of expression at that point? It's that simplistic notion of ownership of what you sanction as a public space. If you don't want people in your back yard, don't let 'em in. Of course, I think a lot of people are more casual about their journal and aren't specifically sure what they want.

Comments

i do agree

[fyve.livejournal.com]

there are those two extremes, no comments at all, and posting to attract 40 comments to each post. depends on the owner's purpose. i think everyone varies on how private eveything is. that's why i kinda liked blogging before all the commenting came along... it was somewhat more private, and any remarks, be it positive or negative, had no bearing on your private journal because you never heard them.

of course, the flip-side is you miss all the sarcasm, bitching, and behind your back stabbing that could embarass one greatly the next time he makes it out to the "local haunt".

then again, guess it's not much of a flip-side. heh.

whoa, i went off on a tangent there.

*cracks whip*

owee. k, i gotta go get tied up now *g*

Re: i do agree

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

Yup, people have to understand what they're writing for. To express themselves, get laid, be popular, deal with issues,get input, start discussion and to waste idle and lonely time. I see it that as soon as somebody tries to imply that they're never about some of these things at any time is when they look like simplistic and manipulative fools.

Now that's a tangent.

[plaidninja.livejournal.com]

I think I agree with you but... thinking about this outside of the box...

"If it were a piece of paper in a notebook and you allowed people to write comments on your work would you say that it's your piece of expression at that point? It's that simplistic notion of ownership of what you sanction as a public space."

Imagine you were my editor and you made the above quote about a book I wrote. In that case NOPE. It's my book. I may be paying you to edit for me and you'd get credited for it, and a good editor can save even the best of writers from themselves. But creatively, a comentator is still not the driving force behind any piece of writing.

I guess it depends on point of view.

go brodie.

[emotony.livejournal.com]

you're a smart dude Brodie. be proud.

[verucabear.livejournal.com]

I agree with your ideas to a certain extent. By leaving one's journal open to comments, you do lose the privacy and the sense of total ownership you might have with an actual "diary". My main issue with this whole topic is that first and foremost LJ is used by me as a place to record what's going on in my life...a place to write down feelings and thoughts that I wish to keep a record of or get new perspectives on. I can handle constructive criticism with the best...and your line about an LJ journal being public property where you get to direct the topic....even that I can agree with to a point. BUT....I'll be damned if someone is gonna tell me what I can or can't write in MY OWN JOURNAL. If someone gets bored with a joke or my journal in general...they don't have to read it. I write what I wanna write and I do it for myself, not to keep the rest of the LJ world entertained.

Wow, that response was WAY longer than I meant it to be. I really hope I didn't offend you by my comments....I'm just dealing with some of this crud myself over in MY journal....

And yeah, I'm still horny...:)