Diaries

[Englishuser]

In the past, most people who kept diaries felt their diaries were very private and should not be accessible to other people. Today, however, it is very popular to keep a blog on the Internet in pretty much the same way as used to be the case with handwritten diaries - the difference is that your writings are publicly available now. What, in your opinion, has contributed to this change?

Englishuser

[Torsten]

Hi Englishuser,

Thanks for asking such an interesting question. As I see it, private diaries and Internet blogs simply have different functions. You said it yourself -- a diary is usually written and read by one person. Otherwise it wouldn't be private. A blog is a special type of website. People start and keep blogs because they want to share their thoughts and ideas with others. So the purpose of a website and a blog are very similar. I think there always have been people who published information in order to make it available to others. So, what has changed is not so much the purpose of people but more the tools and technologies they are using.
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Englishuser]

Hi Torsten,

Thank you for posting a reply. Of course, it would have been impossible to keep a webblog in the eighteenth century, for instance, but don't you think people today write things online that would have been written in your private diary in the past? I think the concept of 'sensitive personal information' has changed. What do you think?

Englishuser

[Proalyssa199]

Hi Englishuser,

I myself have a private diary and a webblog. I keep my opinions, thoughts and things I couldn't share with anyone in my diary. For example, if I have sadness or frustration, instead of keeping it in, I write it in my diary and I feel more comfortable then. On the webblog, I usually share jokes, school events, music...with my friends

Talking about 'sensitive personal information', I think it's up to each person's characteristics. People who are reserved hardly reveal their feelings or emotions, but ones who are feeble or excited usually do.

[NinaZara]

Hi,

I used to keep a diary until one day I found out a friend read it. I was mad beyond my own imagination and I stopped having one, cold turkey. And I still haven't spoke to her.One good thing, I never get mad again after that incident.Getting mad is too tiring.

Nina