The LJ friends thing.

So, I have been unfriended. Not the first time it's happened, but this person's fics are usually friends-only, and I am sorry that I won't be able to read them anymore. Them's the breaks.

But you know what? The whole LJ friends business is rather absurd, really. And inappropriately named. As of now, I have 68 people on my friends list. I barely know any of you. I've spoken to maybe three of you on IM (not counting my RL friends on here -- lush_rimbaud, tarigwaemir, lianara, ldmoonflower, filmelder, trivetmonger). I'm pretty decent at giving feedback on fics but rarely leave comments in your journals otherwise. When people comment on stuff in my journal, I usually respond but almost never strike up a real conversation. And LJ calls this friendship?

I am antisocial around people I don't know too well -- both in RL and on the internet. I admit it. And, frankly, I probably make a lousy LJ friend. Aside from the never conversing with anyone, I'm well aware that most of my entries are of interest to me and no one else. Those who have friended me are here because either they liked my fics or I friended them first. And I friend people based on their writing or journals, not personality. I'm sure you're all wonderful people. But if you post interesting rants, I'll probably friend you. If you like to ramble on about, say, *Nsync, I probably won't. Doesn't mean you're not a cool person, just that I have no interest in reading about *Nsync's latest album.

And you know what else? I'm tired of feeling guilty whenever I unfriend someone, or fail to friend someone who's friended me. When someone unfriends me -- well, sure, I spend a minute or two wondering what I did wrong, but then I get over it. It's relatively meaningless. I don't know you. You don't know me. I've got RL friends, and I'm sure you do, too, and THOSE are the friendships that really matter. A few sociable, outgoing people DO manage to create lasting friendships online, and all power to them. I generally don't. It's just how I am.

So the "moral" of this little...well, it's not a rant, so I'm not quite sure what to call it. Anyway. Moral? There is no moral. I guess I'm just trying to release any of you who want out. If our interests have diverged, or my journal is boring -- go ahead and unfriend me. I won't hold it against you. You're all cool people, I'm not going to take offense. Similarly, if I do any unfriending in the future, it's nothing personal.

Easy come, easy go, right?

::winces::

First time I've been on the computer since last night, and I'm afraid to look at the comments to my last entry. My thoughts on the matter remain the same, but I really should know better than to write something like that at 2 AM when I'm not exactly fully awake. I'm sure it came out all wrong, and I probably offended people without meaning to.

Well, time to face the music. ::swallows hard and begins reading comments::