For the sake of clarity

[andrewducker]

I realised that people were taking my poll two different ways. Here they are, separated out, for your clicky satisfaction.

[Poll #363531]

Seeing as my name _is_ my LJ name, I think you know how I feel. I do make work posts friends-only (not that there are many), but other than that I'm happy for what I say to be public knowledge.

Comments

[catamorphism.livejournal.com]

Well, I guess I need to clarify again: real people knowing I have an LJ doesn't make me *unhappy*, it's just that I don't particularly want or need them to know. But since I can't keep people from finding it, I don't worry about it too much.

[catamorphism.livejournal.com]

And yes, ANYONE with an LJ account is UNREAL.

[andrewducker]

I'm certainly not real. I have to pay real people to go to LJ meets and pretend to be me.

[darkoshi]

oy, all this time i've been reading the posts of an unreal cyber-bot! argh!@

no but really. most real-life people (well, except for stalker-type people), i'd be ok with reading my LJ. it might make me a bit uncomfortable at first, but overall i don't think it's a big deal... but the thing is, most people I know, even if they knew I had an LJ page, wouldn't read it. and so then i'd be wondering if they were reading it, and perhaps getting uncomfortable at the thought. and the thought of them reading my posts would also affect my postings, perhaps making me censor certain things, or perhaps making me feel like posting more than usual. But it would all be for nothing, since they wouldn't actually be reading it. so better that they don't know about it in the first place and then I don't have to wonder. nor get sad about them not wanting to read it.

[lilitufire.livejournal.com]

I tend to be quite selective about telling certain groups of people - for example I wouldn't divulge my LJ identity to my work colleagues.

I also like to know who is reading my journal (as well as you ever can) which is why my LJ is mostly friends only.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

Key word 'mostly'. There are exceptions in both cases (and in general I'm a lot more careful about what I write than I once was). But mostly, yes to both.

[rollick.livejournal.com]

I repeat: Sometimes. It's more complicated than that by far.

[rainstorm.livejournal.com]

I don't mind people knowing I have an LJ, but don't necessarily want them reading it. I don't want my parents reading it, and I can't quite say why..

[blackmanxy.livejournal.com]

I already censor myself constantly. Doesn't make a damn bit of difference at this point who reads my journal.

[davidcook.livejournal.com]

It should be pretty obvious where I stand, too, being in the "same-LJ-name-as-RL-name" camp.
I've given my LJ address to friends, relatives and some of my ex-co-workers. Sometimes I friend-lock things that I don't really want to broadcast or have Googled, but in general I'm visible to the world.

(as an aside, there's no johndoe LJ, but there are janedoe and johnsmith, thinking of anonymous-but-real names that might be used for LJs)

[kimberly-a.livejournal.com]

I'm only hesitant about people like potential employers, or maybe any of my in-laws, or my mom. I rant about my mom way too much for that to be comfortable. I'd just have to start filtering more posts.

But when it comes to just general people out there in the world, I'm perfectly happy for them to know who I am and that I have a LiveJournal.

Actually, I'm also hesitant to mention my LJ around people I really don't like but who are creepily friendly toward me. Keep away from me, you weirdo stalkers!

[stillcarl.livejournal.com]

The problem with your poll is the use of "mostly". I'm happy for some people I know in real-life to know I have an LJ and for some of my LJ "friends" (it's such a lose term with regards to LJ) to know my real identity - whatever that means. (My real name and where I live, I assume.)

Basically, I don't want strangers to turn up on my doorstep thinking they known me when they don't and I don't want acquaintances who think they know me to see what I write on the Net and realize they don't. ;-)

It's just a case of preserving a certain amount of privacy. I don't want everybody to know everything about me and everything I think - or at least write.

That said, I know this is completely public, as is 90% or more of my LJ. Anyone boring enough to stalk me could find out who I really are without too much difficulty I suspect.

[moniqueleigh]

Exactly.