For people who are bothered that I've not "friended" them in my LJ. Please note that I don't use my "ohi" LJ Friends list (and hence don't update it anymore), but instead update my "ohiblather" list. I'd erase my entire Friends list in "ohi" just avoid the politics ("why hasn't she added me??") if there was an easy way of doing it without a lot of clicking.

In my ohiblather account, I do have a personal policy of "friending" anyone who "friends" me...if I haven't, it's because I've had tendinitis for the past six months and haven't had a chance to catch up, so I appreciate your patience; I am still relying heavily on ViaVoice. Manually typing text and mouse-clicking still takes me acres longer than normal, and it hurts after a few minutes, so I need to take frequent breaks.

re: commenting in people's journals. No, I don't post a lot of comments. If I don't comment in your journal, please don't take it personally. I mostly read instead of posting (and until recently haven't been doing much reading because of tendinitis). I don't expect people to post in mine...if they do, I'm flattered and interested in what they have to say, but I don't get upset if they don't, and I always assume that they are posting because they want to, not because they are expecting me to post in their journals in return.

When I see friends in person, I never automatically assume they are reading my Blatherings or have kept up with my Blatherings. I try to scan my LJ Friends list regularly as well as journals of those friends not on LJ, but sometimes I simply can't. It doesn't mean I have no interest in your life. It means that my own life has to take priority, and sometimes this means not keeping up with everyone else's.

I think it's wonderful how quickly the LJ community is growing. I also think it wonderful how online journals keep friends in touch with what's going on in each other's lives. I post my journal, read other journals, and post occasional comments for fun/support, not out of obligation.

Debbie