I think you're right about the less personal nature of the answer, or the resulting conversation, but I think there's also value in providing a less intimidating space for others to ask questions. That seems especially true in social media forum, where relationships are often a bit different than those that develop solely in person.

I've joined formspring, but haven't gotten that many questions; there were several good ones, and a few dumb ones too. Of the questioners, about half were anonymous and virtually all of the remainder were people I haven't or only barely met in person. I've also asked quite a few questions, but I've yet to do so anonymously. As a result, I see formspring as a sort of ice breaker, where you can learn more about someone without waiting for an opportune or relevant moment at an event. For people you already know well, I agree that there's far less value.

I've thought about doing this, and even made a couple of quick attempts at it without much luck. Kudos on developing one that you like and supports your own personal vision. Some folks have taken it further and even created a set of principles/activities to carry out their mission, much like you might do for an organizational strategic planning process. I'm not sure if I'd personally find that useful, but I do like what Gretchen Rubin has done with her 12 Personal Commandments of Happiness (http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_projec...