Reply to comment

     I agree that the internet is a beautiful thing, that its vast assortment of information is nothing short of incredible.  But I see online diaries as something very intrusive.  The intentions of those who paint a picture of their private lives for all to see are, at least, questionable.  And if you're going to put all of your personal information up online, if you're going to take the time to turn on your computer, think about what you're going to write, and click that "submit" button, why write under a false name?  Anonymity serves to cover up the identity of whoever is posting, but it takes whatever ideas that person had and engulfs them until they're lost in the black hole that is the internet.  If your ideas don't belong to a name, they belong to a machine--and nothing as personal as a diary should ever belong to something as mechanical as a computer.  The act of writing a diary is a selfish one (after all, you are writing solely for yourself with no regard for others' opinions or feelings and assuming that your writing will be read by only you), but it is normal to want and have one purely selfish outlet in which to pour out your soul.  So can an online diary even be called a "diary?"  What about those who tailor their blogging and diaries to the desires of their readers?  Writing is not made to be a self-conscious thing.  It is meant to be something beautiful that you can be proud of, something that makes you feel so satisfied that you want and need to put your name on it.