It's hard to imagine a full understanding of social online spaces, but I am at least grateful to have expressive spaces that do not make one too vulnerable. At least, to some degree. Like you say once you get big enough to have like, gravity, you become "public" and your walled garden of sorts becomes an attraction instead. Which is good in some ways, like, a lot of artists who want to make a living of it need to self-promote, but it also seems exhausting to lose that barely perceived quality and becoming vulnerable through sheer spotlight, particularly with works of self-expression...I did appreciate how Candle in your piece insists on respecting sitzdev's peace; we've all read horror stories about folks who take playing detective too far in the gaming space.
Ultimately though I am appreciative of these windows too. I've learned a lot about myself through the graces of these lenses, and I've come closer to finding my voice with that help. Someday I hope to leave a trailmarker of my own, I suppose.