Appropriate Venues

[coalescent]

Yesterday morning I was up in Oxford for some work-related training (a talk/discussion group about transplantation and immunosuppressant drugs), and I took advantage of the trip to meet domh and hsenag for lunch. In amongst the conversation about Glastonbury tickets and infinite car parks there was, inevitably, some LJ-related discussion, in particular whether or not you actually read all the people you have on your friendslist.

It got me thinking. If you believe my friends-of list, one hundred and thirty-eight or so people are following this journal; but I know that's not actually the case. I know that a good portion of those people, probably at least half (and particularly most of the people I originally arrived on LJ with) could not care less about the SF-related stuff that I post. And these days, that's most of the stuff that I post.

The balance of my livejournal has gradually shifted. It used to be much more personal (the old journal, in particular; check out the difference in the mind maps). It changed for two main reasons. Firstly, I got burned by making (admittedly ill-judged) posts about Real Life, so that nowadays I'm very careful about writing about anything that involves other people. Things I do with people not on LJ tend not to get mentioned at all, and even things I do with people who are on LJ often get skimmed over; the rationale is 'if they want something mentioned, they'll mention it themselves'. When I do write something about my own life, it tends to be locked away, friends-only.

In parallel with that, from around Easter this year I picked up a whole lot of new (predominantly fannish) readers; my friends-of list has jumped upwards by about fifty people in six months. This can be, ah, a little intimidating. It's not so much that I feel obliged to provide content that those readers might be interested in, but that I'm reluctant to mention things that they're almost certainly not interested in, and my impression is that they friended me for the content.

So these days, this journal is pretty much a pure SF-blog, alternating between collections of links, reviews, and the (very) occasional bit of information about my life. Most of the time I'm not unhappy about this--in fact, I'm vain enough that sometimes I feel quite proud of it; having actual content, and so on--but every now and then it chafes. I feel a bit guilty that so much of my journal is inacessible to many of my friends, and I wonder whether this is the most appropriate venue for all of what I'm writing. And then I wonder whether, if it's not the most appropriate venue--if I should make this back into a more personal, me-journal--then where should I put the SF stuff?

domh suggested putting spare reviews on my website, possibly linking to them from here every so often. I did once intend to do this, and it's true that it has some advantages. I would have closer access to the content than I do here, and the pages wouldn't scroll off the bottom of someone's friendslist after twenty-four hours. I have reservations, though. Firstly, it would be marginally more hassle, even if that only involved setting up a template page. Secondly, Google quite likes my journal, and that has made me lazy; on the off-chance that I want to find an old review, I know that "coalescent foo bar" has a good chance of pulling it up (hell, in some cases I don't even need the 'coalescent'). Thirdly, I'm not convinced that most of the entries I write here really deserve that kind of archiving; they're not detailed analysis, after all, they are, by and large, first impressions. Fourthly, and possibly most importantly for my ego, my website has no comments function. It's true that I could learn about something like Movable Type, but I don't think it would be quite the same.

So, what other options are there? For a while I tried to put all my reviews into one big monthly pot over on instant_fanzine; I'll still keep making those posts, but I think I've decided that I prefer writing things up as I go, so as things are at the moment, those posts will probably become progressively more like a collection of links. I could change this policy and save up all my reviews for those posts. (Either way, incidentally, it means you could follow instant_fanzine and not this journal and probably not miss out on anything).

One option I've toyed with is creating a specific reviews journal. Probably specifically a short fiction reviews journal, since I can put book reviews on Diverse Books or similar. I'm quite fond of this idea; it could be the best of both worlds. I could put up notes on stories as I read them, then do occasional overviews here or in instant_fanzine every time I finish a magazine/anthology/month. It could even be a community rather than an individual journal, if anyone else would be interested in taking part.

I don't know. Perhaps I should just take the plunge and start posting things to rec.arts.sf.written. Alternatively, you could all tell me you're quite happy with my journal as it is, and that I have no need to change anything. Or I could just stop worrying about whether or not you're all happy, and add frivolous and/or personal posts to the mix as the mood takes me. Or, I could continue on as I have been.

Thoughts? Does anyone else ever feel similarly self-conscious, and if so, how do you/did you deal with it?

Comments

[ex-susumu64.livejournal.com]

If you want to reverse infiltrate where a load of your new readers have come from, you could always try posting reviews to the CDR (http://cdr.culturelist.org), aka the back-up brain of the Culture list.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I'd sort of worked out that that was where a bunch of you had come from, but I know nothing about it. Do I just sign up? Do I have to be a big Banks fan (I'm not; I like his work, but not particularly more than other things)? Are you all BSFA members, and if not, why not? :-p

[ex-toastie256.livejournal.com]

Maybe you should conduct a poll to see if non-fan people would mind you moving the SF stuff off of LJ. I, personally, enjoy reading your stuff here. Especially when it's behind a nice neat lj-cut tag :)

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I possibly should have done a poll, but that would have seemed a bit formal.

Point taken about the cut-tag ... I'm a bit ambivalent about their use, though. I have this feeling that nobody ever clicks on them. ;-)

[colours.livejournal.com]

I think you pretty much know my thoughts on this: my flist is so varied it's incredible, and hence why I'm attempting to learn to use filters.

It does sound like a nice idea to put your reviews on your website tho - maybe just a paragraph and a link on your journal to let people know to check out your website?

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there's always filters. The only problem with that is that some people I might want to see the filtered stuff don't have LJ accounts. *cough*TOM*cough*

I think the main thing holding me back from the website option is comments. I like comments. People don't often have big discussions are a result of one of my reviews, but I like that in theory, they could. ;-)

[snowking.livejournal.com]

Or I could just stop worrying about whether or not you're all happy, and add frivolous and/or personal posts to the mix as the mood takes me.

DING!

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

Eh. Does it really seem likely to you that I'd actually do that? :-p

[hawleygriffen.livejournal.com]

If you're really worried about literary/fandom entries being an 'annoyance' to any on your flist, put it behind a cut, maybe with a little teaser. It's easier than putting it on a website and creating entries with links, and takes as much space. Not to mention, would lose the comments function. If, however, you want to create a new lj/put it on a site, go ahead, the choice is entirely yours.

Or I could just stop worrying about whether or not you're all happy, and add frivolous and/or personal posts to the mix as the mood takes me.

I like this option, but then I am fond of frivolous and/or personal lj posts! *g* You could always create a frivolous filter for the entries if it bothers you. You mention certain people don't have an LJ, but maybe it'll encourage them to get one. ;)

In the end, though, I don't mind it, and I doubt most people do, so stop worrying! :)

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

but maybe it'll encourage them to get one

Unfortunately, my hope of this is slim.

I'm still leaning in the direction of splitting things up in some way, but I can't decide on the details. Thanks for the kind words, though. :)

[despotliz.livejournal.com]

(Insert obligatory joke about Niall not reading my LJ anyway here)

I sometimes wonder about this, although not in as much detail as you do. :p People who read my journal without the friends-locked bits get a completely different impression, since the unlocked parts never contain anything about what I'm doing, people I've met, anything a potential employer might not like to read. But then I figure it's my journal - if they don't want to read it, they can easily skip past.

So keep the reviews on your LJ, since I'm much less likely to click through and read them on a separate page. And tell us whatever personal stuff you feel like sharing.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

(Insert obligatory joke about Niall not reading my LJ anyway here)

I would blame cut tags, but looking at your journal it seems that I can't. Damn.

I sometimes wonder about this, although not in as much detail as you do. :p

The post wasn't meant to be this long, you know ...

So keep the reviews on your LJ, since I'm much less likely to click through and read them on a separate page.

What's the difference between that and using a cut-tag? :-p

And tell us whatever personal stuff you feel like sharing.

Maybe I'll shock you all with shocking revalations. And shocks. Or not.

[wg.livejournal.com]

Lj cut = open in a tab for closer consideration once caught up on flist in general.
Though maybe i'm just contrary like my boy.

I'll read it all, wherever you decide the content goes dearie :-)

[hawleygriffen.livejournal.com]

Yep, same here. Often, an lj cut in the midst of an entry can make it look more intriguing. Or maybe that's just me. Not to mention, am on dial-up so I appreciate lj cuts to ultra-long entries. [/contrary]

[ang-grrr.livejournal.com]

We are supposed to *worry* about our *readership*. :)

In that case... More intimate personal details!

Here, have my tuppence worth.

Apart from courtesy (using cut tags for overlong stuff, flagging links, making it legible etc) I think you should be confortable writing whatever you want on your journal. I know that I write with one audience primarily in mind - me - and then broaden the reach of my posts as appropriate. My LJ is my diary. It has to do lists in and reminders to myself as private posts, it has broad open stuff, it has work moaning under a friends filter and occasional personal details under very tight filters.

I do have a second journal for my diet and health stuff because I know that in my moments of obsession it could crush my journal.

In conclusion. I think you are worrying a bit much.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

flagging links

I always forget to do that. Must try harder.

I think you are worrying a bit much.

Well, that's certainly never happened before. :-p

I think the problem is that I've lost my sense of focus. Your journal is your diary. Mine used to be that, but stopped, and now falls between at least two stools. Hmm.

[itchyfidget.livejournal.com]

Bottom line is, it's your LJ and you can do whatever you like with it! If people don't like it - that's their problem ;) I wouldn't get too precious worrying about whether the content is inconsistent, though I take your point that if you have a very varied readership, they might only be interested in what you have to say on a particular subset of topics. For that reason I agree that having a separate journal for, say, SF stuff, might be good (I probably wouldn't subscribe - but then I would miss any film reviews you wrote, and that would be bad! So it's hard to gauge, really).

About cuts - I am thinking about changing the way I use these. At the moment I use them to mask large or potentially offensive content, but I guess the proper way to use them would be to have the first paragraph visible, and then insert the cut. When I'm scrolling down my friends page, I do tend to visually browse anything long, to see if I'm in the right mood to read it, but honestly if I haven't found anything interesting by about paragraph two, I tend to scroll on by. Damn, now I'm just waffling. Hope some of that was useful.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

but then I would miss any film reviews you wrote, and that would be bad!

Things like films, which may be sf but are probably of more general interest, would probably stay here. It's really the short fiction bits that I'm thinking of moving elsewhere, since that really is a niche interest. :)

I think leaving the first (and possibly last) paragraphs outside the cut is definitely the way to go.

Hope some of that was useful

All food for thought, thanks.

[rparvaaz.livejournal.com]

Well, I am only an occasional reader of your blog, but here are my two bits: add whatever you wish to, whenever you wish to. People can skim if *they* wish to. :)

And about the culturelist, we have 'On Topic' warnings when we talk about Banks and that doesn't happen too often. I think you might enjoy the list....So have you read _Consider Phlebas_?

*looks innocent*

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I've read Consider Phlebas (good), The Player of Games (very good), Excession (good) and The State of the Art (ok). I bounced off Use of Weapons, but plan to make another attempt someday. I own most of the rest, but probably won't read them for quite a while. I will hopefully read The Algebraist in fairly short order, though. So it's not that I don't like Banks, I just don't have the urge to be specifically enthusiastic about him. :)

[tizzle-b.livejournal.com]

Whilst I'm certainly not one of these genre types, I'm prone to skimming over some book related stuff but I still can be interested to read it when I've more time/lack of other things to do.

Really; who wants to just read about people doing exactly the same stuff as you like/want/do? To see the diversion in the lives of people who you do share common interests with just increases the stimuli you yourself (so me, here) have access to on a daily basis - one day I might browse through some of the book stuff and find something I'm interested in. F'instance; that mammoth book (station or something?) that I said I'd read as you were all raving/crying about the length and what happens? NOTHING! :P

On a side note; I will always "read more" through a lj-cut. Always.

I like the personal, angsty entries (as eve said) but then again I can't really comment at all given how devoid my journal has been of anything since, erm, Spring? May I guess? Before I finished uni, certainly.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

F'instance; that mammoth book (station or something?) that I said I'd read as you were all raving/crying about the length and what happens? NOTHING! :P

Perdido Street Station. Nothing happens in what sense? Nothing happens in the book? :-p

The next Stephen Baxter book is about war. Admittedly, war set umpteen hundred thousand years into the future, but war nonetheless. That any good for you? :)

I like the personal, angsty entries

Part of the problem there is that I'm pretty much angst-free at the moment. I mean, look, I had to invent am-I-writing-interesting-things angst! The alternative is happy sunny life is wonderful entries, and I'm sure nobody wants to read those. :-p

[tinyjo.livejournal.com]

I do enjoy reading the stuff that you post now, the reviews and such. I'm not likely to get round to reading the books but you write interestingly and engagelying about them.

I do have to admit however that I miss hearing how things are going in your life. I don't get to see that much of you and it was nice to keep up to date on the highs and lows and so on.

In the end, it's your journal. Are you writing this post because you want to make personal posts but feel uncomfortable about it? Then by all means, find a way that lets you feel comfortable, whether that's splitting off your other writing, using security settings, getting people to opt into that side of it, whatever. On the other hand, if you're writing it because you seem to have stopped making them and are wondering whether that's OK/a good thing then try not to worry. You don't have to write about that stuff if you've no urge to. In the end, you don't actually have a responsibility to your audience. You're not forcing them to be here and you don't have to be witty and erudite all the time just to please them. You should write about what you want to write about in the way that makes you most comfortable.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

It's a bit of both of those factors, really. Maybe I just need to decide on one or the other approach. :)

[immortalradical.livejournal.com]

I am replying to this. I want to note I am replying to this.

Cuts are your friends. Most of your entries are a good deal more interesting than mine, even the boring old SF ones fascinating reviews, so I'm not about to tell you to stop. :P I read most everything you put up here, but I'm aware that this is because I'm your stalker I may be unusual in being interested in both sides of coalescent.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I want to note I am replying to this.

Don't let me stop you. :-p

I may be unusual in being interested in both sides of coalescent.

Which side is the dark side? That's the question.

[jtoomey.livejournal.com]

I'm of the opinion that, once people are interested in what you have to say on a given topic -- and this is often denoted on LJ via a 'friending,' if you'll allong the 'verbing' -- they're also likely to be interested in what you have to add as color commentary. Getting inside your non-SF head may help your readers understand where and why your SF opinions are formed.

To answer the first question more directly: I usually skim my friends' entries, and end up reading the majority of them. The ones I skip are typically skipped because they're too long or (IMHO) unintersting. Oddly enough, though, once I'm lured in by a cut I usually read the whole damn post.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

they're also likely to be interested in what you have to add as color commentary.

That's a good point, and one that I think is borne out by the other comments here.

[tinimaus.livejournal.com]

Dear Niall,
funnily enough, a couple of days ago I caught myself thinking that it was a bit of a shame that you didn't do more personal stuff. This is for purely selfish reasons. Not that I'm not enjoying the reviews, they've already put me onto some new authors (always good), but I caught myself thinking that at that rate I'd never get to know you better, and that was something I had looked forward to when I let Andrew talk me into joining LJ. That, and the opportunity to keep teasing you, of course.
I was very nervous about Livejournal, since I am not capable of keeping things impersonal, and I have repeatedly wondered about who would want to know and how I fit in here, Andrew-napped interloper that I am, so I can really understand about the feeling self-conscious. But if you ever get the hunch that anybody is getting bored with you, just make them read the entire back-catalogue of "Fanboys". They'll be bursting with curiosity.
In a good way.
Honest :-).

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

That, and the opportunity to keep teasing you, of course.

Of course. :-p

But if you ever get the hunch that anybody is getting bored with you, just make them read the entire back-catalogue of "Fanboys". They'll be bursting with curiosity.

Or bursting with something, anyway ...

I wish we'd managed to persuade Helen to get an LJ. I miss Helen.

[sharp-blue.livejournal.com]

I have found that since I've become aware that I have an audience (especially one that keeps delusionally saying how smart I am...), I have become more picky about what I post. My weblog entries are getting longer on average and by and large more serious. And less frequent too.

I am, of course, especially careful when I post about physics. If people are going to try to learn bits of physics (or at least get a feeling for the subjects) from things I post, then I feel that I have a duty to my readership not to mislead them. I try very hard to achieve a degree of clarity, and I'm determined not to wrap the physical content up in metaphor or otherwise stray too far from the actual theories.

Maybe I should post the occasional whimsical entry like I used too, or even the odd rant of the kind I have sometimes posted to the Culture and/or the CDR.

Oh, and I read almost all of what you post (at least when I'm not so busy that I'm skimming all of my friends list entries).

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

(especially one that keeps delusionally saying how smart I am...)

Mine does that, too! Well, every so often. It's very annoying. Particularly since I'm not posting on anything that requires, like, actual expertise...

[andrewducker]

I like reading your reviews, but I'd like some other stuff thrown in there too......

Even if it's mini-essays on other things that interest you.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

Well, maybe I'll try to lighten up a bit. I think I've trained myself out of the habit of thinking of non-sf subjects for LJ entries, but I'll see what I can do. :)

[parisinspring.livejournal.com]

In light of the things you have written above, I quite like the idea of you having 2 separate journals - one for more personal-type entries, and the other for SF-type entries. That way a lot of your new SF fannish type friends could read the reviews they love to read without getting caught up with your personal entries about friends' weddings and the like :p (I enjoyed that entry by the way. Although somebody who was reading your journal primarily from a SF stance may not have really been interested) And your non-SF-fan-friends could read your personal journal without having to read all the SF stuff. And as for friends who enjoy both, they can add both journals to their friends list.

Oh, and if you liked the fact that a simple google search points you to your existing journal, perhaps you could use that one as your SF journal and set up a new journal for your personal entries.

And one more thing - I also think that creating a community for your SF stuff could be pretty fun in that it could generate a lot of interest and interaction etc.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

In light of the things you have written above, I quite like the idea of you having 2 separate journals - one for more personal-type entries, and the other for SF-type entries.

I think, based on the other comments, that I'll just keep the one journal, but add in a bit more personal stuff. If I can think of any. Like I said elsethread, I'm a bit worried that I might have trained myself out of writing non-sf entries! Chances are it'll still all be friends-locked, though, so it should be easy to pick out from the boring stuff. ;-)

I also think that creating a community for your SF stuff could be pretty fun in that it could generate a lot of interest and interaction etc.

The above said, I am actually quite taken with this idea--I was thinking I could post the individual story reviews there, and then a general review here, with links as appropriate. Avoids flooding this journal, but still keeps the review relatively high-profile. Actually, I was hoping greengolux would comment, since I thought maybe she'd like it. andyhat too, maybe ... I might just go ahead anyway. Hmm. Now I need to think of a name!

Oh, and I hope Alex is feeling better. :)

[greengolux.livejournal.com]

OK. Late to the party, but I got here eventually. It's agonising to have enough time to read everything and then have the internet cafe cut you off just as you're about to compose a response. Anyway.

I find I have qualms with the "write what you want to - it's your journal" school of thought. I've already explained that I personally write in order to communicate - if my journal was just for me it wouldn't exist. I don't see the point in writing unless doing so is going to effectively communicate some of my ideas to the people I want to communicate those ideas to. Which is a roundabout way of saying that, yes, I do write for an audience.

I don't attempt to write for the whole of my friends of list all at once though. I'll post something to LJ if I can think of at least one person on my friends list who I think will definitely want to read it. Though often I tend to hope that the post will appeal to more than one person. I've posted some of my book/story reviews on the grounds that you might be interested in my opinion on them, I post personal news because I think people like elleblue and other Oxford folks would like to hear it, I post random musings for various different people who I think might like to know about those topics.

But I know what you mean. I've found that as my friends of list has grown I have felt a bit more self-conscious about what I put on my LJ. It's one thing to write things that will be read exclusively by people you know, and another to write things that will be read by quite a few other people you barely know. I find I use friends locking more now than I used to. I don't know why, because I'm not filtering things and pretty much everyone on my friends of list will be able to see locked posts, so it's not like I'm restricting things to my original readership. I suppose I feel less pressure to write something worthwhile in a friends only post - the friends lock is an indication that this is just a personal update and not a properly thought out post.

With regards your journal, I do read everything you write, and thoroughly enjoy all your SF posts. The only thing I haven't been reading recently are your reviews of the stories in Trrujillo, but that's because I want to come to them fresh when I read them myself, and I fully intend to go back and read those entries when I've gotten my hands on a copy of the book. I did read the review of 'Only Partly Here' because that's the one I have read. I thought it was excellent and made some extremely good points. Didn't comment because I agreed with everything you said, and nothing else particularly to add - you'd said it all. ;)

However, I have to say that I do miss the old malenfant/earlier coalescent type entries. I do still get to keep up with what's going on in your life because I see you more frequently these days, but I did really enjoy getting the little observational and personal pieces you used to do. I'd like to see them come back, but I completely understand if you don't feel comfortable writing as candidly as you used to. Hell, it's not like my journal is overflowing with personal entries.

On the subject of a short fiction community, yes, I would definitely be interested. I often don't bother reviewing short fiction on my own journal because I don't think that many people will be interested in hearing about it. (There are exceptions - the Butler shorts I reviewed a couple of months ago.) I've been sticking some stuff on instant_fanzine, but that's all been recent stuff, and I've been reading some slightly older fiction that I would like to comment on, but don't quite know where to do it.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

OK. Late to the party, but I got here eventually.

Not to worry. Although if you'd been a comment later you could have come in as #100 ...

the friends lock is an indication that this is just a personal update and not a properly thought out post.

That's a good way of putting it (although I do occasionally use filters, as well).

However, I have to say that I do miss the old malenfant/earlier coalescent type entries.

See, if I write more of those now I'll feel pressure to make them 'insightful' and stuff. Dammit ... :-p

On the subject of a short fiction community, yes, I would definitely be interested. [...] I've been sticking some stuff on instant_fanzine, but that's all been recent stuff, and I've been reading some slightly older fiction that I would like to comment on, but don't quite know where to do it.

Great--and yeah, I see it as all-genres, any stories, whether it's last week's SCIFICTION or a Henry James novella from a century ago. Although most of my entries will probably be of the former type. ;-)

I think I'd like to say 'one entry per story' ... do you think that would work?

[(Anonymous)]

I think you should just stop writing altogether.

-- tom