Well... I suppose I should ask for your thoughts on this whole quitting thing.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

Answers

do it. you think you're houlden caulfield, and he was always a quitter, so sure, quit. everyone's sick of hearing your bitching and you are SO trying to be exactly like him. how silly. he's ficticious, m'dear. you need to get that big chip off your shoulder. you need to be you. maybe you need to go.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

Obviously you need to ignore the above message, Katie. I mean, the girl can't even spell "Holden".

Hmmm. I've been reading this for about a year now, I think. I love Digital Ink, so yeah, I could encourage you to keep it going because of my own reasons (ie., almost-daily entertainment, hurray!), but you need to do it for YOUR reasons, not other peoples'. Don't let anyone influence the way you really feel about quitting.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

Noooooooooo! Not you as well! I can't take it! I need a bridge to throw myself off! Helen, back me up here!

Seriously (an odd thing for me to say), I know only too well how frustrating it is to not be able to talk about certain issues in your journal, especially when there once was a point where you felt you could discuss everything. For the first eight months, my journal was v. well hidden from my family and friends; now everyone knows about it, which means certain issues are Off Limits.

Buuuuuuuut... wouldn't it be even more frustrating to not be able to write about ANYTHING, by not having a journal? That's what I found when I tried quitting; the process of putting my thoughts online had become addictive, not to mention a useful way of letting multiple people know what was going on in my life. If you generally enjoy journalling, you should keep doing it.

But, echoing the previous sentiment, it's entirely up to you. As long as you send your readers several boxes of Kleenex if you decide to stop.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

The choice is yours, but may I suggest continuing, but anonyomously? (yes I know I spelled that wrong. I just woke up).

You would be very very missed. But I totally understand your thinking.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

Zed, yesyesyes I'm backing you up!!! PLEASE don't go, Katie - you have no idea how much everyone will miss you. I know this is a sad thing to say, but I've been inspired by you so much - definitely part of the reason for my starting my journal site was because of you. And it really upsets me to see so many people quitting. Tim, of course, who I'm really going to miss. And Greg and Laurie, who you say are stopping or thinking of stopping? - I don't read their journals regularly, but I like to know they're 'there' for an occasional catch up.

But, like I said in Tim's guestbook, I'm in two minds about the whole thing. For myself, from a purely selfish point of view, of course I don't want you to stop because I enjoy reading your journal so much. On the other hand, I don't think anyone would want you to carry on doing something you don't enjoy any more. I agree that it's sad that you don't feel you can talk about things openly any more, and if you really feel that your journal isn't making you happy then I guess the only intelligent thing to do is to stop. And if that's what you decide, then I'll be sorry, but I'll understand (like it makes a difference whether I do or not).

I think it should be a huge confidence boost to you, though, that so many people care about, and read, your journal.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

Do you really want to stop journalling? I don't think you should care about what anyone thinks of what you say in your writing. It's personal, your thoughts, your desires. And no one should have the audasity to question that. You don't have to censor anything you don't want to. Your words would still be prolific.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

I just read The Letter & I thought that in itself was disturbing. Anyway, that kind of stuff shouldn't bother you. I mean, it came from someone that couldn't even sign their own name & someone you don't even know. It seems that your journal kind of helps you 'vent' & think about things (right?) more. Isn't that what they're for?? I dunno... but at either rate, good luck with your decision.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

I guess it's really up to you what you want to do. I guess the thing is that for a while there, it was "trendy" to have a journal, with some people (like yourself), having a journal for a couple of years now, as someone "to look up to". What I mean is that people with longer history gives motivation to some, like myself, to continue to my own journal site. But then now, it seems like it's "trendy" to get rid of journal sites, or at least put them on hiatus. If all you who's had their site for so long get rid of your site, who is the "new generation" going to "look up to" now?

Gosh I'm rambling.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

I think there must be some sort of disease going around causing people to realize that what was once so important is now too important to be healthy. I'm waiting for it to hit me, and I won't be too surprised if it does.

No, really Katie, this is a decision that you're going to have to make on your own. On one hand you have readers like me who want to tell you to keep writing regardless, some might even go as far as to plead with you to not deprive them, but it's really not our place. This is your stand and I think that if you're unhappy with it and unsatisfied with what you're limited to, then eventually it will only frustrate you more and you'll turn against your readers and end up despising online journaling and journalers in the long run. If you think you can deal with it though, I say by all means, enjoy your journal.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

"She can't even spell Holden"

That cracked me up.

Anyways...

No, I wouldn't want you to leave Katie, but then again, it's not up to me now is it?

Nope.

I really understand what you (and Greg) mean when it's getting a bit out of control when people start bugging into your real offline life.

But, I would really think about quitting. Don't just do it because everyone else is suddenly up and leaving and you feel like an idiot standing there alone.. (Heh, you probably weren't even thinking that) Anyways don't quit unless you really want to.. See what I mean... kinda?

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

I would be sad to see you go, most definitely. It's ultimately your choice, but hey, I can tell you not to quit. I understand your point of view, but like one other reader said, if that security thing is really bothering you, then just continue the journal anonymously.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

Do what you have to do. Our entertainment is not worth the possibility of your life getting fucked up, if you think it isn't. If you think it is, well, then keep journaling.

-dan

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

It's completely your choice what you want to do.

There will be a collective howling to the high heavens if you decide to quit of course ( ;-) ) but seriously, this is still *your* journal, no matter if it's online or off.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

Katie, I would definitely be sad to see you go, especially since I was excited to hear about how college goes for you. But, like many people have said ahead of me, it is your choice. I don't want your life to get fucked up because of something you say, your opinion or how you feel. However, college is a different life and maybe you'd decide you couldn't/didn't want to journal anymore, anyway. I'm rambling and not making sense..but whatever, I wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

I don't want you to go! Stay! Password protect your journal, or something, but for the love of God, Katie, don't leave!!

Whoa... That was a little dramatic. Anyway.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

Katie, I completely know where you're coming from when you say that you can't have a separate life outside your journal. I've had the same problem with going nuts trying to keep something private. I got so used to *wanting* to tell everything to my online journal that now I don't know how to stop. In the past year, though, I've been uneasy about telling everybody everything. Instead of wanting to tell my life to the world, I've taken on more of a "why-do-these-people- CARE?" attitude.

As for quitting, though, I'll join the masses and say that it's completely your choice. Since you've never taken an "official" hiatus, you could always try that for a while and see how it feels to not write any entries.

If you do continue the journal through your freshman year at college, though, I urge you not to make the mistake I made! I *royally* screwed myself over grade-wise because of all the time I spent writing journal entries and answering e-mail from readers. Somehow I think my time would have been better spent making real-life friends (I swear, half the girls on my hall in the dorm didn't know my name by the time second semester ended) and studying more than I did. In ten years, I don't think I'm going to hear myself saying, "Gee, I wish I had spent more time answering e-mail when I was a college student!"

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

Password protection is probably the best option. Unless of course you actually care about how many people will write and ask you for a password. That being said, it's easier to create say, 3 or 4 usernames/passwords and rotate them weekly (or something to that effect) instead of letting everyone choose their own name/password. Cause it's a pain in the ass, trust me. I was password protected a few journal incarnations ago, then switched to an anonymous style and have written, what 10 entries in this past year? Keep your identity, just have a firm reign over it!

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

Katie:

If you feel uncomfortable with the whole website thing but still want the journal, make it an e-mail list type thing, where people have to "apply" to read your journal.

If you do leave, I will be sad to see you go, but do whatever makes you happy.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

Quit the journal. I can't even begin to imagine having my entire life online for a bunch of wackos (like myself) to read. Shut it down, delete the files, walk outside, and take a deep breath.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

Hmm, (in reference to message a few above this) I'd advise against password protecting... just because it's a hassle.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

I've always read a lot of journals. I don't think there's anything strange about it; to a lot of readers, I think it's almost like fiction. I enjoy reading about people's daily lives. I enjoy being privy to their darkest secrets, thoughts and wants (okay, so I'm over- dramatizing, but you know what I mean). I enjoy satisfying my voyeuristic urges without hooking up a hidden camera in a Target dressing room or something. And honestly, no matter how utterly STUPID it sounds, journals make me want to broaden my view of the world and people at large. It's somebody's elses viewpoint on situations that almost everyone deals with it, and it's refreshing to hear someone elses side of it or just to know that you're not the only one. For all of those reasons, Katie, PLEASE keep your journal. It really is unique and it really is one of the best.

However, I know a lot of people online who have had their journals 'found' by people they know in real life, and you can tell when they're holding back. Journal entries become one paragraph long, every two months. It's never the same. And I would rather see your page gone than see it come to that. Go out with a bang, not a whimper and all that .. or something. :) And I don't think it's worth it if you have to become someone else or someone anonymous or bar certian individual's from reading, etc.

But losing the stupid pro/con slant, I want so badly for you to keep your page up! I know (and just by reading your own message board I'm sure you do, too) I'm not alone in that opinion.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

You might want to consider taking a break and keeping an offline journal, either as a word-processing document or (horrors) good old pen and ink. If you find that you are enjoying the freedom and privacy of writing just for yourself that might help you decide about the online incarnation. Best of luck.

-- Anonymous, June 22, 2000