(no subject)

[wispfox]

Reading through people's old entries when I've recently added them makes me feel like a stalker.

I do it anyway.

I even reply, if I feel so moved. Perhaps because I feel a need to demonstrate my stalker tendancies?

Hi. I'm an LJ stalker. Apparently I am also an addictive substance.

The problem, of course, is that I have this insatiable need to dive into the brains of people I think are neat. And people's past posts are a form of doing that. And I'm horribly nosy.

Comments

[beowabbit]

Well, of course that’s what you do. Seems to me, that’s what an online journal is for. If I didn’t want people to dive into my brains, I wouldn’t open up my skull like this.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Brain diving!

Nothing like dumpster diving!

[metaphorge.livejournal.com]

I think the term "stalker" get way over applied these days.

A stalker is someone who steals your underwear or goes through your garbage to save your used popsicle sticks... not someone who reads things that you publish publicly on the Internet.

[wcg.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean about feeling like a stalker. I'll generally look back a few days or a week into someone's journal before adding them to my friends list, and then I'll wait until I've established some kind of communication with them before I look further.

However, I don't feel stalked if someone is reading my journal. It doesn't bother me a bit, but that's because I know what's there, what's behind cut tags, and how much never gets into posts of any kind. But not everyone journals that way, and some journals are very, very personal.

[bluepapercup]

I rather don't at all think it's stalker-like. If I didn't want people to read what I post, I wouldn't write. If I didn't want everyone on lj to read what I post, I friends-locked it.

And I agree weith the above comment about stalker being an overused appelation.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

*smiles*

True enough. But for some reason, knowing all this doesn't make me feel any less stalker-ish. Obviously, it's not a strong enough feeling for me to _stop_ doing so, but... still. *shrug*

[erasmus.livejournal.com]

Reading through people's old entries when I've recently added them makes me feel like a stalker.

I do it anyway.

yeah, me too. I don't know why I feel quilty about it either, but I always do. Especially if I don't know the person that well. (though finding out that someone I don't know that well doing it to me doesn't bother me at all).

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

If I didn't want everyone on lj to read what I post, I friends-locked it.

Yes. Ditto, and I _know_ this. But knowing this doesn't makes the slight stalker feeling go away.

Also - everyone on _and_ off lj. ;)

I do the same thing...

[happypete.livejournal.com]

Not all the time, but when I have some extra time.

Hey, prettypammie picked up her first pseudo-stalker today! We interviewed a candidate on Monday, and by that evening he had found her LiveJournal and posted a reply to her post saying that we were looking for candidates.

Particularly I do this after they add me, as I see that as an implicit invitation to go digging around in all those newly revealed friends-only entries.

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

I'll chime in on the side of "that's not stalker-y". I like to read old lj posts, too! But I rarely have the time/patience to go through someone's entire journal, so I'll just skip around.

I feel more stalkery when I spend a while Googling someone or looking for old Usenet posts under their name or handle.

[underwatercolor.livejournal.com]

*grins* Yes. I like being stalked. :) Have chatted about stalking before, with vamp_ire. I think we called it friendly stalking. Hard to imagine not doing so, if seriously interested. :)

I think the true distinction of a stalker is what happens when you ask them to stop.

Commenting makes it more apparent what you're doing, which also makes it less stalk-like. An imbalance of knowledge is characteristic.

[lerryn.livejournal.com]

Have fun. I don't post much that's more than a few lines though, except for once in a while.

[angelovernh.livejournal.com]

LOL! I don't mind if you read old posts and comment upon them. BTW, make sure you let me know which filters you want to be on. LJ is behind in sending comments via email now so it may be awhile before I'd get any comments.

I have saved and organized many of my former posts into folders in the Memories sections.

[techempage.livejournal.com]

I do the same thing, but I don't reply.

'Cuz I'm scared they'll go, who is this weirdo who is looking at my old posts, and being all stalkery-like.

[cutieperson]

as bryttan would say, it's not stalking until you're served papers or they tell you to stop :)

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

rarely have the time/patience to go through someone's entire journal, so I'll just skip around.

Oh, certainly. I don't think there is _anyone_, except possibly if they hardly ever post, whose journal I've seen all of.

Also, I'm enjoying the mental picture of you skipping around. :)

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

I feel more stalkery when I spend a while Googling someone or looking for old Usenet posts under their name or handle.

Well, this, too - but I do it far less frequently. :)

I'm the same way

[khavrinen.livejournal.com]

I often feel frustrated because I'll read something that I really want to reply to -- in a post from six months ago. How far back is too old for new comments? I usually won't say anything more than a week old, though I hadn't thought of it as "stalker-like" before, merely "so five minutes ago."
______________

wispfox: your userinfo says "intro'ing yourself in comments is always helpful," so I'll do so. I'm khavrinen. I came to check out your journal because you mention it in your OkCupid profile (they say "86% match," but I'm skeptical by nature); oddly enough, I signed up at OkCupid because it was recommended to one of my LJ-friends by another, so you could say I've come full circle (heck, I'm circling all over the place - Spyrograph, anyone?).

When I saw entries within three days referencing theferrett, Queen of Wands (http://www.queenofwands.net/), and Edward Gorey, I said to myself, "This girl's sense of humor is almost as warped as yours, self," (I consider that a good thing) and clicked the "add" button.

So now I am in the process of reading through your old entries, and feeling all stalker-ish...

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Nope! Not stalkerish! Also - welcome. :)