Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Uncomfortable reading

Being bored this morning (cos S is back to school... Yay!), I went to visit my ex-forum. They have a thread talking about their bad experiences in childhood. Really bad experiences. I couldn't read it all: brain said no.

I find it disturbing, not only because of the content of the thread, but because it is an open, public forum and who knows who is lurking? Someone could be getting their sick jollies out of reading such material. Perhaps it would be too obscure to bother with, as I've no doubt there are easier & more graphic sources for that kind of thing on the net.

I think telling their stories is out of a motivation to make others feel not quite so alone in their pain, a therapeutic out-pouring, cartharsis, to get support and to express the unexpressed. But to expose your past to the glare of strangers like that: if it's courageous to make yourself vulnerable like that, is it also foolhardy?

I'm not sure a public forum is the best place for it. What with all the trolls or lurkers who may know the people involved in real life, or sickos and freaks. I have such a high opinion of many internet users! :D

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