When I was a kid, I had a diary but I hardly ever wrote in it. I craved privacy, but I had no expectation of it- I always figured that if my mom found it while cleaning my room, she would probably pick that dinky little lock.

Today, most people seem to think that the entire Internet is their journal.  But it’s not always wise to blog or tweet every thought that goes through your head. Words can hurt others, and they can hurt you, too, if you aren’t careful with them.  Being overly introspective on a social networking site can als0 bore your audience to tears.  Don’t be that person.

Penzu is an elegant online solution to the problem of oversharing. You can write down whatever you want, and either send the entry to a selected group of friends or keep it entirely private.

I found it useful recently when a good friend was absolutely driving me nuts. They didn’t mean to be driving me nuts, and telling them they were driving me nuts would have been both petty and hurtful.  Tweeting about it or talking about it on Facebook would have been even worse. I mean, seriously, that’s like talking behind someone’s back with a megaphone. Why do people do it?

With Penzu, I was able to say my piece and let it go. No repercussions, no drama, and I immediately realized how silly I was being.  Sometimes, you just need to vent.

Penzu is free to use, but Pro accounts give you extra features, like customization options, the ability to insert photos and tag entries and stronger encryption. The customization options are fun, but since you’re paying for them, it would be nice if they had a better font selection. I want one that looks like handwriting-well, not like my sloppy scrawl, but more like the Platonic ideal of penmanship.

Pro accounts are $19 per year.  You can also give Pro subscriptions as gifts to people you know who like to write-or as a not-so-subtle hint to someone who likes to spew their personal melodrama all over Facebook and Twitter.

I like Penzu, but I wonder how much of a future it has in a world where sharing publicly has become the default.  What do you think of it?

Our Rating of Penzu

Tags: Blogging

Categories:web