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Secrecy Guaranteed!
Oct. 5th, 2005 01:59 pmIt might be a sign of the times that so many people enjoy putting themselves out there whether it be on television, radio or the internet, ever in expansion. Why they enjoy it is isn't so much a mystery. For the most part every person craves attention and standing in the spotlight. Blogging lets you do that without too many negative repercussions.
At least they won't be negative if you're cautious. Standing in the spotlight is giving up privacy. The only way to keep a minimum of privacy for yourself is through mystery and secrecy. Anonymous blogging gives you that: you hide things behind a pseudonym, an avatar. You can earn your attention through your avatar, and go on with your everyday life. Blogging becomes a secret and that makes it fun. You can make fun of people, you can rant, you can say all those things you always wanted to say and you won't get caught. These are good secrets, secrets that make your boring life a little more exciting, like having an affair and not getting caught. Be careful though, and don't get sloppy: one mistake and you will get caught.
I like my little secrets, little things I share with one person, but not with the other. Most of the time because it's none of their business. My LJ is none of their business. It's mine, my little playground and I don't want anybody in who wasn't approved at the gate. Like my pupils, or my headmistress, or – god forbid – my parents. So I weave a web of secrecy. You can punch through it if you know me, but you're unable to see there's something here unless I gave you specific directions. It's a way of protecting myself. Hey, I don't want to lose my job because I've got a public blog.
Others don't seem to mind that much. LJ has the new and exciting feature where you can list the school you're attending or have attended so others can find you. I have been looking at some schools in Brussels (hey, I'm curious, I want to know if I know those people) and suddenly it struck me how little the youngsters think about their privacy. If I know their school, if I know what they're studying and I know there aren't that many students in said course it wouldn't be that difficult to actually find out whose LJ this is, right?
I'm not the only one who wants to know if she knows these people. I'm probably not the only person who googles old school mates to see what they've been doing lately (and for the record: my old school mates are inexistent on the internet – they're probably computer illiterate). Most people don't do anything with this information unless having a good gossip session with other old school mates, but I don't want them to have that gossip session. Having that information of someone is having power over that person. As long as I can keep things secret I'm the one with the power: Blogging as having your own little cold war with the rest of the world. I'm an observer, a spy, whose name is as erasable as her personality – as this blog.
At least they won't be negative if you're cautious. Standing in the spotlight is giving up privacy. The only way to keep a minimum of privacy for yourself is through mystery and secrecy. Anonymous blogging gives you that: you hide things behind a pseudonym, an avatar. You can earn your attention through your avatar, and go on with your everyday life. Blogging becomes a secret and that makes it fun. You can make fun of people, you can rant, you can say all those things you always wanted to say and you won't get caught. These are good secrets, secrets that make your boring life a little more exciting, like having an affair and not getting caught. Be careful though, and don't get sloppy: one mistake and you will get caught.
I like my little secrets, little things I share with one person, but not with the other. Most of the time because it's none of their business. My LJ is none of their business. It's mine, my little playground and I don't want anybody in who wasn't approved at the gate. Like my pupils, or my headmistress, or – god forbid – my parents. So I weave a web of secrecy. You can punch through it if you know me, but you're unable to see there's something here unless I gave you specific directions. It's a way of protecting myself. Hey, I don't want to lose my job because I've got a public blog.
Others don't seem to mind that much. LJ has the new and exciting feature where you can list the school you're attending or have attended so others can find you. I have been looking at some schools in Brussels (hey, I'm curious, I want to know if I know those people) and suddenly it struck me how little the youngsters think about their privacy. If I know their school, if I know what they're studying and I know there aren't that many students in said course it wouldn't be that difficult to actually find out whose LJ this is, right?
I'm not the only one who wants to know if she knows these people. I'm probably not the only person who googles old school mates to see what they've been doing lately (and for the record: my old school mates are inexistent on the internet – they're probably computer illiterate). Most people don't do anything with this information unless having a good gossip session with other old school mates, but I don't want them to have that gossip session. Having that information of someone is having power over that person. As long as I can keep things secret I'm the one with the power: Blogging as having your own little cold war with the rest of the world. I'm an observer, a spy, whose name is as erasable as her personality – as this blog.
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