I see communication is a layered function.
You may read my words and I have communicated my thoughts.
You may listen to a recording of my voice and I have communicated my thoughts and the emotion of my voice.
You may watch me in a video recording and I have communicated my thoughts, and the emotion of my voice and facial expression.
You may watch me give a speech and I have communicated my thoughts, the emotion of my voice and face, and you have seen my body language.
Or, we may sit and talk together, each sharing the full range of experience, interacting and reacting to each other.
Simply reading a journal would be most like the first option, you have learned some things but are far removed.
Everything2 (and other forms of net communication) attempt to bridge the gaps - there is interaction as in the deepest layer, but it remains removed as in the upper layer.