I go way back on this forum, and originally there were just a tiny handful of journals on here. I had one for a while but I've always had other (paper, then via 'files' kept on PC; quite voluminous, btw). My own prob with an online journal is just the many nuances and special circumstances which might require tedious explanations per the 'why' of some things, esp. events that are very individual.
I've only discussed the presence of the forum to a couple of people (I only know a couple anyway). To my own surprise, little details of my rather unique background could, and did, leak on here whether in the short-lived journal or just in the back-and-forth commentaries of a variety of posts. I'm very careful with info anyway, as I've never gotten away from trust issues with anybody. EXCEPT on here, where the participants have also 'walked the talk', as it were.
I can certainly understand the privacy option, but I also feel it rather defeats the idea of the forum itself. At first I was hesitant to even look others' journals -- it almost felt like prying into someone else's affairs. The counter to that, though, is that the site-forum also exists as a learning platform, from which participating members can and do share and learn from even the unique twists some other people courageously choose to open up about.
Remember, the key seems to involve being coy about one's precise location, as much as possible. It's also why we've all chosen unique idendities for this member's forum. The general public, per my understanding, cannot access anyone's material without 1)becoming a member themselves and 2)knowing your moniker as well. So there's at least that safeguard in place.
Interestingly, at the start the journals were few and far between, and even came with a hint in the guidelines that there may not even be much commentary. As was also noted, even if one was careful, their viewpoints were still evident via the journals content and other items posted by any one of us.
I had the good fortune to literally get away from the early people (FOO and their crowd), albeit I ran into bothersome sorts all along this scary ride called cptsd. Always careful, mind you, but also more and more willing to open up about some of the good things, too. Mine is a story with deep pain, but after many years of therapy as well as this site/forum, I've found the trek less perilous. Finding the 'right' sort of people that seem trustworthy, such as those of you reading this essay -- sorry, I meant to keep it brief but when the words start flowing, ya know what can happen.
One other minor detail per the journals -- as a bit of an information-seeker, there often are nuggets of info (books, conferences, articles, etc) which people include in their journals which I've often found very helpful. There are other categories in which these can be shared, but sometimes they only appear in someone's journal,
These are just a few observations (stop me while you can!) of a vet at perusing this site/forum's incredibly rich materials. The public/private issue here is paramount, though, and I can see the hazards that come with it.