Keeping an e-journal

[Flur]

I've decided that I want to keep a journal. I want it to be really secure - I want to be able to rant or write secrets and know that no one will find them. And I want it to be electronic.

So I set up a blog on my own site, on an unlinked-to directory, then blocked it from search engines and double password-protected it. However, it's still hosted outside of my home on a shared server. I just found out there is journal-specific software, and that would be housed on my laptop hard drive, and password protected and possibly encrypted. But that also means that I can only post to it when I'm at home.

I'm new to journalling so I'm not sure if I'd want to access it anywhere or not (I'm thinking I would), but at the same time I'm not sure how secure my password-protected, blocked-from-search-engines blog is. Now I'm not famous so if a stranger found it they probably wouldn't find it interesting, but you never know....

So if you're more tech-savvy than me and/or have experience journalling, please give me your advice.

Thanks.

[pardes]

I don't know about the security of the website you are using but if you want to be sure of security you can use some of the file-hosting sites that you can keep private or share with a few people. You would also be able to access it from any computer anywhere to make entries. Google has such a site as well as many other places. Just do a search on "file-hosting."

I just bought a Asus eee pc 901 mini laptop that is only 6X9 inches so that I can carry it with me on the bike for those spur of the moment writing urges. It has WiFi so that I can write to a local file or a file-sharing based web file.

I've had about 55 years of journaling experience as well as 25 or more years of creative writing teaching experience. The best advice I can give you is to just start writing. Write a hundred pages or so and then see what you want to know about anything more specific.

I can recommend a few books by Natalie Goldberg. Start with "Writing Down the Bones," and then see where you are.

Good luck! Writing is a blast and a drag and a joy and the pits but writers just keep writing.

P.S. I just tried to log onto your website but it requires being a member of Word Press to leave a comment. I would suggest that you use a bog host that allows comments and interaction with other writers. That's the best way to really enjoy the art of writing when you can talk to other writers in the same way we talk to other bikers here. BTW, you have a Dachshund!!!!! I've had a Dachshund since I was 10 years old. Well, not the SAME Dachshund......

[tulip]

The most secure would be a non-online journal, just on your computer, or even in a notebook (paper one). Would either of those fit your needs?

As parades says, the important thing is to write. It doesn't matter if it's electronic or by hand. Sounds like you are ready to write, so get writing!

[Tuckervill]

I published a blog about 5 years ago, that contained information that I needed to get off my chest. Okay, it was a rant that I had to make but couldn't really say it to the person who it was aimed at. But it makes me feel better that it is "out there" in case that person stumbles on it. Let the pieces fall where they may! ::::

It has never once been looked at by anyone but me in five years. I don't look at it, but it's in my list of blogs that I can see in my settings (not on my regular blog).

I'm sure it would be easy to find if someone with knowledge about such things knew what to look for. But it's never even been stumbled upon by anyone. There are THAT MANY blogs in the world!

Karen

[Flur]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I want it to be really private as I'm likely to rant about work and say things I would get fired for. I know this b/c I'm a contractor and it's really easy to get frustrated (and really easy to get fired). I really like the blog format, but I downloaded trial journaling software and if I like it I may switch to that. I really want to use an app that catalogs for me - I don't think I can do that with an online file site. I'll have to check with GoDaddy, where I have my online file hosting...

P.S. I just tried to log onto your website but it requires being a member of Word Press to leave a comment. I would suggest that you use a bog host that allows comments and interaction with other writers. That's the best way to really enjoy the art of writing when you can talk to other writers in the same way we talk to other bikers here. BTW, you have a Dachshund!!!!! I've had a Dachshund since I was 10 years old. Well, not the SAME Dachshund......

That's actually a setting that I have in place as I was getting a lot of spam. I wasn't writing in it much so I wasn't worried about it, but now that I've been writing in it a lot more I need to turn off that setting and get a proper spam blocker like akismet. Thanks for reminding me!

BTW - that's not the site that I have the journal on. That one's secret

[Flur]

Okay, it's fixed. Comment away