Having a Journal

[RebeccaJ]

Is it ok to keep a Personal Journal? Is it ok for it to be secret? I thought about getting a bloq spot putting it as privite (where only I can read posts) is this a good idea or bad idea?

I think it is a good idea. Writing my thoughts helps me sort them out. I tend to delete entire journals once I feel the usefulness is done. That is, I’ve gotten my thoughts sorted out. Sometimes, it takes years, and then with a touch of a button…I can delete it all.

I have used both blogspot (or blogger) and livejournal. livejournal works better for a private journal. You can designate each entry as private, for friends, or for the general public. With blogspot, you have to designate the entire blog as personal or private. I like to post some of my thoughts for all to read, and others, I want to keep to myself. I do miss that feature when using blogspot.

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

I think it is a good idea. Writing my thoughts helps me sort them out. I tend to delete entire journals once I feel the usefulness is done. That is, I’ve gotten my thoughts sorted out. Sometimes, it takes years, and then with a touch of a button…I can delete it all.

I have used both blogspot (or blogger) and livejournal. livejournal works better for a private journal. You can designate each entry as private, for friends, or for the general public. With blogspot, you have to designate the entire blog as personal or private. I like to post some of my thoughts for all to read, and others, I want to keep to myself. I do miss that feature when using blogspot.

I have a LiveJournal. I also have friends who are computer and security pros, and I have to assume that, in spite of the false security a friends’ list provides, that my stuff is out there for everyone to see.

That’s okay, though. I stick to fairly non-personal, non-private matters. Just as long as you realize that, LJ is probably better than myspace.

 

[anna1978]

I’d NEVER put it on the internet! I know someone who can crack virtually any code, any site, anywhere (she does work for the CRown Prosecution Service, but still…). No, I keep a journal- in my native Dutch language (so no-one hear can read it, but that’s not why, I just write more freely in my mother tongue!)- on paper! It’s a cross between what happens on a daily basis, a notebook and a devotional record. I’ve kept a diary since I was 13, so well over 20 years now !

Anna x

 

[puzzleannie]

my husband’s profession involves providing internet security to clients and I can assure you that if you think anything you do online or off on your computer at work is private, you are deluding yourself. Regard everything you do on your workplace computer as the property of your employer and accessible to him.

 

[RebeccaJ]

I’m am an IT profession of 27 years. I was leary of on-line journals at first because in my profession I have seen a lot of emails that people thought were private and no one could see. And I would advice people to not post anything on the internet that they would not post on a bulletin board in the office hallway.

I decided to check out livejournal because I knew people who were using it. There are a few things that I would do for any site like this, or for any password that is of importance:

• choose a strong password, one that has non-alpha characters, and is at least 8 character long. A lot of people use pronounceable words but switch out characters. If your password were ‘superman’, you could switch out the ‘a’ for an ‘@’, and th ‘s’ for a ‘$’ and now your password is $uperm@n. And there you have a good strong password that you can still remember.
• change your password often, every 3 months is the best, but at least every 6 months.
• LOGOUT when you are finished. If you do not, it is possible that someone using the computer behind you will have access.
• Use an alias for your journal/blog name.
• Don’t put personal information that identifies you or other people in your posts.
• If you print anything out that you don’t want seen, don’t print it on a public accessible printer. You never know who will be standing there and picks up your printed journal by accident.

The IT people behind the scenes at these sites will have access to what you write. But as an IT person, I can tell you we don’t have the time or the inclination to browse through personal info. It is a mountain of data. But we do see things sometimes as we’re doing our jobs. That is why I recommend you keep it anonymous, and no personal information that identifies you.

For the truly paranoid. The Patriot Act allows the US govt access to all online information. These sort of sites are required by law to log connection information, and from that information you can be identified. These logs have millions and millions of entries, and you really have to p(name removed by moderator)oint what you are looking for in order for it to be useful. If that idea bothers you, keep it off line.

All that being said, I keep an online journal. It is convenient, and not any less secure than keeping it on your personal computer. I just stick to the security rules.

 

[RebeccaJ]

my husband’s profession involves providing internet security to clients and I can assure you that if you think anything you do online or off on your computer at work is private, you are deluding yourself. Regard everything you do on your workplace computer as the property of your employer and accessible to him.

Very true.

 

[kakolikapiha]

I used to keep a written journal before I got married but my concerns are the same as many - what happens if it’s found, especially after you die? I know that once you’re gone, it probably shouldn’t matter, but I like to keep my personal thoughts private and between me and God. I like the idea of writing in a notebook but the chances of it being read are more probable than if it’s accessible only to you online or electronic format in your hard drive.

Take for example, what if you want to write about family members who annoy you and instead of sinning by gossiping to others you don’t really trust or want them to know you have such problems, you feel it’s safer to write it somewhere just to keep sane, but not where your dear spouse can find it! So my question is…what are some thoughts on the best method to keep this prayer journal - in a notebook, online blog kept private, or in a password-protected Word document? Isn’t it still possible for such password-protected files to get hacked into?