Most of the journals that I really like I ... connect... with the writer. I feel that they are, or could be, a close personal friend. No, I don't really know them personally. But in some cases, I really do know them better than some of my real-life friends. This is the honesty part. It is much easier to be honest on-line for the faceless millions (HAH!) than it is to be honest about who you really are with your co-workers and friends. Even though the journaler is not anonymous (in most cases), it kinda seems that way. So, in many ways, the ability to be honest is something that journalers can take advantage of. And, once you start being honest, it's really hard to stop! The journaler now has a freedom that they never knew existed. Like most freedoms, it can be abused. Recently, in the journaling community, it was. That's all over now, though (?), I think. O'well, I hope so, anyway.

Most on-line journalers admit that they need an audience. Oh, yeah, some of them carp a little about it, like, I'm only doing this for myself... well, you know that's not true, and they know it's not true... but it's almost required in some cases. As a justification for the journaler to be public and modest at the same time. I don't know if any of them really fool themselves. Maybe.

So far, all of the journalers are doing it for fun. There have been a number for whom it wasn't fun anymore, and they're no longer with us. If any of them are doing it for money, they're keeping very damned quiet about it.

There's also the fame factor. There are some of the more sensational journalers who get a lot of hits. They have been noticed by the web at large. There have been write-ups in various newspapers and magazines of some of us. That is really good for the on-line journaling community as a whole, and I know that it makes those mentioned feel appreciated. We are all happy for them when this happens, though we might also be a little jealous, too. Just a little.

The main mode of appreciation is email. When we can touch someone with our writing and they let us know about it, it's a pat on the back and a hug and a smile and all of the good things that one can get from close personal contact with another person. Yeah, it's wonderful. I think that we all feel the same on that one.

Now... why I do an online journal: Dammit, I still don't really know. All of the things mentioned above apply to me, too, you know. And sometimes I think that my unique outlook on life needs to be shared with the world, and even if it isn't really unique I'm the only one writing about it on the web... And sometimes I think that I'm a really good writer, and sometimes I think that I'm a really shitty writer, and most of the time I don't think about it, I just write.

And I cherish every piece of email that I get from my readers. I came really close to saying fans but I didn't. Although that's how I feel about my favorite journalers. I'm one of Willas' fans. I'm Sages' fan. I'm Bucks' fan, and Bills' fan... and I could go on and on but I don't really want to get started because I don't want to leave anybody out... so I'll quit right now.

I have thought about establishing a journal appreciation association... we would all email our favorite journalers once a month and, if we can't say something nice to them, at least let them know that we're reading them! Alethea of Tracings and I have discussed this, but we haven't done anything yet. So all of the journalers can just come here and get their pat on the back!

Anyone who can read the journals and not feel ...something... is lacking something. And we all know that there are a lot of people out there who are lacking something. Lacking a connection to humanity, in this case.

None of us journalers are lacking that connection. And I'm proud of it!