Why I Started This Journal

[andrew_ashling]

Actually, the title should be, “Why I Resurrected This Journal.”

I opened this account on April 7th, 2011 and published a short post to mark the occasion. More than fourteen years ago. If I remember correctly it was meant to function as a backup for my LiveJournal account. LiveJournal was acting strangely at the time, and meanwhile it has been acquired by a Russian organisation that commercialized it. Lots of advertisements, and external links are first guided to a nagging page. You could almost as well be on Facebook.

What I like about this concept is the simplicity. Amidst all the aggressiveness of social media, LiveJournal derivatives like Dreamwidth are an oasis of calm and unencumbered freedom. You do your thing, and it is there to read for anybody who would like so. No need to pay so your subscribers will see you posted something.

And it stays there. As—to my surprise—I noticed fourteen years later. My initial post was, and is, still there and my password was recognized at the first try.

These days I have my own website, Ximerion. So, instead of acting as a backup for LiveJournal it will act as a double for my website. Though, not completely. Yes, it will contain mostly the same info, but It will also contain some original content. Musings mainly, and some objets trouvés collected during my wanderings on the interwebs. Nothing earth shattering.

Maybe I also will indulge in all kinds of speculations in connection with my books. I have no idea if anyone will be interested in them, but this seems the place to publish them. E.g. is Anaxantis, the MC of the Dark Tales series, too young to lead an army?

(If I do I will edit this post and put a link in)