Friends Query

[salixbabylon]

A question for everyone who reads this LJ:

Why do you read it? Why did you start? Why do you still?

I'm not all trying to discourage this; I feel flattered that you read my babblings. But sometimes the content is just slash stuff, and sometimes it's really personal stuff, and I was beginning to wonder if I should lock some of the personal stuff so the rest of you won't have to read it. I try to remember to use cuts, but sometimes I forget.

Case in point - yesterday my great-aunt died. She's been like another grandmother to me, and I kind of wanted to whine about it, but it seemed a bit too personal.

So now I'm kind of wondering why you all ready this in the first place, and it's cool of I should lock up or just not post the really personal stuff. I do still have a pen and paper journal to wibble in. *g*

Thank you for your responses!

Comments

[justinetre.livejournal.com]

I know this may sound cold, but you deserve honesty here, and I'm no bullshitter.

I have read, will read, and continue to read your journal purely for you slashy posts. I have no interest in your personal issues. I have enough RW friends and family issues to satisfy; And it's hard to feel compassionate for someone who I've never met, who is just letter on a webpage to me.

In the RW I know no-one who slashes, and slash is a very big important part of my life, so I have to get my fix on the Internet.

Having said that, you should not feel like you should hold back. This is your personal space of the Internet, and you should write what you want, when you want, and you shouldn't feel like you need to cut or lock or hold back or anything.

I hope I haven't been hurtful here, I'm not known for my tact...

xxx Justin Etre xxx

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

That's totally cool; I know exactly what you mean. I appreciate your honesty and it was in no way hurtful.

Thank you for replying!

[justinetre.livejournal.com]

You are more than welcome

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Well, you started it. ;) You friended me, sent me praise (that always makes my tail wag) then did a fantastic job in your betas. So you're here, in my friendslist. Sometimes I have something to say in the face of tragedy if it's something I've faced myself. Other times all I can give is quiet sympathy. But I like to have a three-dimensional sense of the people here (or at least two dimensions).

Icarus

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Well, you started it.
*giggle*

I like the 3-D view, too. Makes slashers seem more like actual -people-, even if I haven't anything to say about their personal lives in particular.

Thank you!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I feel terribly insensitive to ask at this time... but, er, I don't suppose you'd be able to beta-read (re: salvage) my Ron Ficathon story? Ahem.

Icarus

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Not insensitive at all!

If you'll send me a URL for where the Ron Ficathon is, just so I can get a feel for it, as well as your story, I'm happy to take a look at it tonight or tomorrow. Not sure what's going to happen this weekend, but I'll do my best to be of help!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

If your time's limited, this might not work, because the fic is *Icarus scuffs the dirt with toe* 23 pages long. The Ron Ficathon is here. I should also warn you that I was stuck with given a Het, Ron/Hermione, plot-centric story involving Ron uncovering game fixing in Quidditch. I've really struggled with it, and I came to you because I need a pretty tough beta. This is... salvage work.

So... I'm going wait for a reply to this message before I clog your in-box.

Icarus

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Wow, it honestly isn't at all clear about it being slash or het, is it? So sorry you got stuck doing het. Yuck! :P

It looks like the deadline is still a month+ away, but if you're aiming to get it done faster, more power to you. I can promise to read it and give you my thoughts, but I probably won't have time over the next few days to do anything like look up Quidditch rules (because, frankly, I always skimmed the Quittich bits - sports bore me to tears).

If thoughts and commentary is all you want, I'll make sure to do that and try to return it within 48 hours of receipt. If you want more detailed help in the same time frame, probably somebody else would be a better beta.

So: if you want me, I'm yours!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Simple impressions and commentary would be wonderful.

I know if I put off difficult fics I will probably not do them. Best to get it out of the way immediately.

Fortunately I managed to avoid an actual Quidditch game (the only one in the story is played by tiny figures the size of walnuts). The only technical terms I need to look up is the proper name of the Sports Dept. at the Ministry (I know where to find it, I just wanted to get this done fast), and what the equivalent of the 'Commissioner' is called in soccer.

I'm sending it along! I'm having a couple people look at this, just because it's been such a tough on to produce and it's pretty rough around the edges.

Icarus

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Got it! I'll try to do it today/tomorrow. :)

[maruchina.livejournal.com]

I started to read it when you got your journal because I knew you through beta activities, and I'm still reading it because I'm still interested in you and what you're writing about. I don't have a very large friends list, so I read all journals I have friended, and I don't mind if any of it is personal. It's up to you if you want to lock it. :)

That said, I'm sorry for your loss. *hugs* You can always friends lock a post if you think something is too personal, but IMO you shouldn't worry about if people want to read what you're writing; they can always skip your posts or defriend you.

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Thank you; I appreciate the sympathy.

And Duh! Thank you for the reminder that people still have free will and I'm hardly forcing them to read anything. Clearly I was having a bad moment where I thought I was in control again. ;)

[lennongirl.livejournal.com]

I friended you journal to keep up with you fics. However, I always try to read everything my friends write.
Having said that, I'm sorry about your great-aunt:(
*hugs*

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your answer, and condolences. As I said above, I think I just forgot people could skip over anything they don't wanna read. Not my most lucid moment. :P

[lennongirl.livejournal.com]

You're welcome:)

[phidiana.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't read so many of your fics (mostly the shorter ones; or ones you archive - i'm bad at navigating the big ol' fanfic sites), but i like to see how and what you are doing, and what is catching your eyes and brainmeats.

I'm sorry about your great-aunt - feel free to mail me or chat. I know she was an amazing influence in your life. *squeeze*

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Wow, I didn't know you read any of my smut. *cringe* I had no idea you were into that. Or are you?

I also kind of purposefully forgot that anyone I know in really real life (hard to get more real than our past history ;) ) was still reading this... Other than She-Who-Will-Not-Be-Outed-By-Me, of course.

Thanks for the sympathy. I'm fine, really. It was something I knew could happen any time. I just wish, well, that I had had a chance to see her one last time... Anyway. I'm sure I'll wibble at you on fn. ;)

[loony-moony.livejournal.com]

I like your LJ. At first I read it for the "slash stuff", but now I read it ALSO for the "slash stuff", but mainly because you sound like a lovely person, and I like the way you write your life. :)

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Aawwwwww... That's so very sweet. Thank you.

*mutual admiration society* You sound pretty wonderful to me, too! It's been nice seeing more of you in your posts, even if usually I only respond with incoherency to your picspams.

[loony-moony.livejournal.com]

You're welcome dear. I also forgot to say I'm sorry to hear about your great aunt.

*giggles* It's good to hear you're seeing me. I realize the abundance of pics might obscure it a bit. ;)