Does anybody read these?

Privacy

It's ironic that in my quest for privacy, I am blogging. I don't know. I guess I feel like I owe everyone an explanation in case I disappear for a while, because I'm really thinking about it. And, of course, I'm too lazy to hand-write anything, so my journal was abandoned years ago. I have a notebook I'll take on vacation again this year, because I'd rather eat hot rocks than take a laptop to paradise. However, I am my most inspired on St. John, and when you're a writer sometimes that means you wish you had a laptop. If I have my great literary epiphany, we'll just hope there's plenty of ink in my Bic pen.

I think I've mentioned it here before, but I know my negative feelings about social networking have increased significantly. I'm even starting to hate my blog.

Because Laura, the former girl whose life was an open book -- ask me anything!, wants some privacy. I don't want people in my business unless I personally communicate it to them. And, if you're reading this and you are my friend and I love you (which is most likely the case if you still read this shift), I'm probably just keeping up with my blog because a) if I don't bitch, my head will explode and b) I want my friends who care enough to read this to know what's going on with me.

But the 322 people I've accumulated in the past three, four years on MySpace? Most of those people/bands/politicians aren't even my real friends. Some of the people on there who used to be my dearest friends aren't in my life anymore. And, because I hesitate to write people off, that means there is most likely a very good reason that they aren't in my life anymore. Of course, with some people we've just drifted apart or gotten busy. But not being in my life means you don't get to know what's going on, even though I have a few days where I want to shout from the rooftops how great things are going. I haven't even told my closest friends everything going on in my life, so why would I tell strangers? I don't want anyone's commentary right now (because the people I have shared things with have had commentary, believe me), and I don't want people in my business who don't need to be there. That's what caused so much of the problems in the first place. I'm not rehashing all the bullshit that's gone on in my life in the last few years, but I'm pretty sure that maybe 99.1 percent of it would have never happened if it weren't for the Internet. Now, I'm not saying I hate the Internet or rue the day I bought a Mac in 1996, but I have had a lot of grief because of the Internet. I have made some of my dearest friends because of an initial e-mail or such, but there are a lot of nuttos on their computers sitting at home causing trouble.

I think I'm just anti-social networking. I don't mind keeping people updated on my blog because it's my blog, and I control the content. If you want to know if I have anything to say, you check here. If this is still here six days from now, assume I have nothing to say. On Facebook, if you have something to say the whole freaking place knows about it. I swear that if you picked your nose while you were online, Facebook would say "Laura picked her nose today." Except Facebook knows your whole name and your birthdate and where you live and what you do. Fuck privacy.

I want people to read my blog. I'm a writer. If people stop reading what I write, I'll have to find something else to do. And we've already realized that the only thing I know how to do is write. But, you don't need an email telling you that I told someone you don't know that I was sorry I missed her on Tuesday. Do people really like living that way? Do people really enjoy social networking? Because I went to Facebook because I thought Myspace was immature and I was too lazy to delete it. And I hate Facebook more than I could ever hate Myspace. I just feel like all that shit is like lojack on your keyboard.

Anyhow, my whole point is that you will find my virtual presence on both Myspace and Facebook, but don't be upset if I don't reply to you, post pictures, change my status or even know that you've left me comments. I set my facebook up, and I put one, very generic photo of me on there. I'm seriously thinking about taking a lot of shit off my Myspace, but that would require spending more than 30 seconds per week on my Myspace, which does not appeal to me in any way, shape or form. I just don't want to be "out there" right now. If I have anything exciting to tell you, it will probably be here.

If it's really super exciting, then I will call you just like the good old days. Unless I don't have your number, but then I can probably still e-mail you or -- god forbid -- log on to myspace or facebook and leave you a comment.

And then everyone who didn't get the email will know about it, and they can ask me what's up.

posted by Laura at 12:37 PM