(no subject)

[zuki_san]

So recently I've been doing a bit more here and there on various pagan communities or journals here on LJ. I've friended several rather interesting folks, and been friended in turn. I always feel a little bit sheepish about that second part, because I provide essentially no content on my actual Livejournal. I post about once a season when I'm in a particularly good mood, often about a month or two weeks after whatever event it was put me in a particularly good mood.

I think part of the reason I feel reticent about posting is that I'm not quite sure if the groups of people that originally friended me (acquaintances from real-life, webcomics, anime fandom, etc) are all that interested in what I might be babbling about on my LJ now (being a treasurer for the Pagan Student Union at my college, trying to be a totemist and an animist, recording meditations or dreams. Possibly relationship stuff, college stuff, and in the future, job-hunt stuff.)

One solution that I've seen other people take would be to set up a collection of filters for people to opt in to, but I'm not sure I post often enough for that to be an issue just the same. I'm pretty sure I've got an open-minded enough set of LJ-Friends that it doesn't really matter what I end up posting about, but I don't really now for certain.

What do you all think? Can anyone imagine any topic I might end up discussing that they'd rather not be reading? Should I just learn to use cuts and tags and filters?

Or should I just hang all that and post more often, dangit?

If you don't pipe up I'll probably assume you don't have an opinion, or don't really read the rare things that I have to say in here.

Comments

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

While you don't really know, you can set up some filters. And then, if you decide it's not going to affect how you post, you can take them down anyway and just post like you always have - whichever works for you. But filters can't hurt to try, most people feel a little safer posting once they've put them in place.

I like reading your posts.

[masamage.livejournal.com]

I like your posts too. Just put anything, I don't know, R-rated behind a cut and I will remain perfectly happy with you. :)

(PS. Religions are not R-rated.)

[chironcentaur.livejournal.com]

I only ever use cuts if its something really long or photos. If you feel comfortable with filters, don't want everyone knowing everything, then use them, they can always be dissolved later if you change your mind. It is always possible for people to just skip by something they're not interested in reading.

I can read lots of things, there isn't any topic I can think of I'd demand to be taken off of.

Hmm...

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

>>I think part of the reason I feel reticent about posting is that I'm not quite sure if the groups of people that originally friended me (acquaintances from real-life, webcomics, anime fandom, etc) are all that interested in what I might be babbling about on my LJ now (being a treasurer for the Pagan Student Union at my college, trying to be a totemist and an animist, recording meditations or dreams. Possibly relationship stuff, college stuff, and in the future, job-hunt stuff.)<<

In my experience, pretty much all human interests are represented on LJ sooner or later. If your topic field shifts, you may find some people leaving and some people entering your audience because of that; but you'll probably still have an audience as long as you post. The Pagan student activity is a matter of high interest for many people, though.

You probably don't need filters. Filters are best used for high-traffic blogs with several sub-audiences, or for material that you know some of your viewers don't want to see (like photographers who do nature scenes and nudes), or for things intended only for a certain sub-audience.

If you post about something that doesn't interest me, I'll just skip it; no harm done.

Learning to use tags is very useful, because it lets people find their interests quicker. Start by making a list of 10 or so things you like to talk about (Paganism, college life, personal, etc.) and use those as tags; you'll discover more later.

Learning to use cuts is vital if you make any long posts, including large or multiple images. I recommend the LJ client program Semagic, which makes cuts and other things very easy.

Above all, do post more often! People forget about you if you're silent. The minimum effective activity is about once a week. At least make sure you're posting once a month; you're more likely to succeed with small increases in frequency than big ones.

To post more often:

* Use LJ's "writer's block" function which gives you a topic every day. Some of them are silly, others are darn good.

* Make a list of questions you periodically answer, or other things you can report on regularly; frex, how classes are going or what the weather is in your area. If your Pagan club doesn't mind, post a summary of each meeting's activity. For totemism, discuss one animal at a time going through a list.

* Read your Friends page until you find an interesting public post. Comment there, and link to it from your blog. Networking boosts your traffic.

* Subscribe to several newsfeeds on topics that interest you. Copy the first paragraph or two of an article in your blog and link to the rest of the article. Add a few lines sharing what you think about that topic.

[lupabitch.livejournal.com]

My thought? Post however you see fit. If you want semi-privacy for some things, make filters.

[lugia222.livejournal.com]

I think it's your journal - you should post what you want, when you want.

[tarendol.livejournal.com]

You should post what you want! :) I'm interested in reading it, anyway. And you always can make filters if you need to.

[tanetris.livejournal.com]

Your only worry when posting should be what you want others to read. Let others worry about what they want to read.

In my case, if there's something I'm not interested in reading (on my friends list in general; this has not been an issue with you), I skim past it. Sometimes I come back to it later when I'm more interested, sometimes I don't, but I've never been bothered that the LJer dared post something that is not relevant to my interests.

[kentrin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, post whatever you want, just post some more! I mostly regard the whole pagan/magic thing with distanced amusement, but I'd like to learn more about it, and I'd definitely like to hear more from you!
Remember: Unicorns are as real as gravity.
Hugs out

[die-uberfrau.livejournal.com]

It's your LJ, your choice.

I myself have opt-in filters for the basic reason that I don't want to bore people or, by extension, piss them off. For example, some do want to hear about devotional practice but not about what I had for dinner. Some want to see all of it. Some may want the high woo but may get triggered by rantage.

I have about 2 non-opt-in-filters which are only for "high security clearance" people that I know (as in, actually know) and trust. I also have a second LJ for certain topics I don't trust my ADD to filter, but that's getting ahead of myself.

That being said, not everyone thinks like I do (I'm extremely good at cataloging and compartmentalizing stuff; I've got 3 planets in Virgo). If someone posts something I'm not interested in (e.g. most political posts), I skip over it. Sometimes I do read and forget to comment or don't know what to say. Etc.

But in sum, it's your LJ. If you think you should post more often, post more often. If you are going to post long or picture-heavy, LJ-cut is your friend, but yes, LJ-cuts do get clicked!

[munchor.livejournal.com]

Post more often. People who don't want to read it can skim and it's tough to find you on AIM.

[zuki-san.livejournal.com]

Nonsense. I'm on AIM all the time!

I do, however, intend to post more often.

[munchor.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm not, so it's hard for me to find you.

Goddamnit, this comment is so late.

[scytherface.livejournal.com]

...You've probably already reached a verdict, but if you haven't: I'd say post whatever you want. It's your journal, after all. If people don't like what you have to write, they can just look the other way.

However, I will say this: I have a Friends Only filter on my journal set up, but that's to keep assholes, backstabbers, and other just plainly malicious people out. They don't need to be anywhere close to my personal feelings.

Sorry that this is such a late reply. =/ I've been very very lazy about journal maintenance lately, and as such I haven't read much of the writings of others.