is it because i lied when i was seventeen?

Awesome! The part where it's cool with you, I mean. Not the part about forgetting passwords... I'm glad we feel similarly about each other!

And yes, I've been indulging in the cognitive functions for a while. I think they add a lot more depth and nuance to what the plain ol' four letters suggest, i.e. showing the INTP and the INFP can take quite different approaches (Ti+Fe versus Fi+Te, for readers who don't know but want to look it up) instead of being just the more insensitive/crybaby stereotype of the other, just to name one example of the very many. Don't get me started on the other letters and the internal/external versions of each function. Unless you're ready for a ramble of mine. :]

I myself am relatively new to Dreamwidth too. My account's been here for about two months already, but most of that time was spent searching for my password. But I can say confidently now that subscribing is like adding someone and keeping up to date on their blog, and granting access can be used in two ways for as far as I know: creating an inner circle for more trusted/sensitive topics, or creating a "safety gate" to make your own blog less public and keep potential weirdos out.