What would you do?

[juliebata]

The first week or so of my being on Livejournal, I did a lot of looking around. I'd pick a topic, get a nice long list, and open up some journals at random, just to see who's out there. I came across the journal of a college student in Alaska that absolutely blew me away. This gal had recently had her heart totally fucked up by a guy, and the way she wrote about it was riveting and powerful, and it really struck a chord with me (being that my heart was recently fucked up, too). Now I find myself reading her journal, she's funny and sarcastic, and seems to be doing a lot better now. I really like the way she writes, and I want to know what goes on in her life. She reminds me of me at that age, though she has it a lot tougher than I did.
So, the question is: do I talk to her?
We write what we write for ourselves and for our friends, it's easy to forget that if we don't lock it down to friends only, random strangers may sometimes come across what we write. Some people might want that more than others. Do you think she'd want to know that her journal really resonated with someone she's never met? If you were her, would you want to add me as a LJ friend?
I feel funny continuing to read her stuff without introducing myself. Has this sort of thing come up before? Opinions, please...
-Juliebata

Comments

[crazysoph.livejournal.com]

I pretty much have to agree with what holyoutlaw says about LJ'ers you don't know getting a kick out of knowing that a total stranger responds to their writing. And also with numbat's comments (I'm being chattier than hawkida, ooops.) regarding posting publically in full knowledge that it's for everyone's eyes. That's pretty much the point of LJ, and even relative newbies and not-great-techies like me can suss out the various levels of security. I don't think your approach would offend someone like that, certainly. (She certainly can't take offense for being thought of as mildly exhibitionist - but that's a glass house we're all living, anyway.)

And, like pickledginger, I say "go for it" - add to the friends list, leave a comment in her journal (or e-mail if an address is available) just explaining you've run across her journal and liked what you saw. After that, well, I don't suppose it matters if she "friends" you back. (Or does it? Well, that's for you to thrash out with yourself... I've done that a couple times, in my short LJ career... might even write about it sometime, in a locked post, tho! *ironic chuckle*)

Crazy(waves to all the LJ'ers names she took up in her post)Soph