Anonymous blogging is both fascinating and frightening. On the one hand it allows me to be very free with what I say but on the other, anonymity goes only so far. And is never as anonymous as you think it might be.
I ran into a friend today who I know mostly through some other friends who happen to be bloggers themselves. Apparently, he had found my site via one of their blogs and had been trying to figure out who I was for the last month or so. He could triangulate to a certain group of people based on our common cohorts so when we bumped into each other today he asked me if I was Sassy Pants. Actually, I was with someone and he didn't want to ask me in front of them so he told me he had a question for me and would email it. Amusingly, the someone I was with was NPapaya (if you read my comments you've seen her) so asking if I was Sassy Pants would have been fine and probably quite funny all around.
Anywho, it does give a person pause when you find out someone you do know but didn't publicize your blog to is a reader. How many other people out there read it? How many have figured out who I am? What have I said that could have offended them? In general I'm a pretty open person and I'm not writing anything that I wouldn't probably say in front of other people anyway but still. It makes you wonder. Are they shocked? Horrified? Amused? Are they my co-workers? My family has no idea this blog exists. I mentioned at one point to my sister that I was taking pictures of the things I am giving away and she was all, "Why? You're so weird." I didn't tell her I was sharing it with you. I'll just let her think I'm her crazy older sister. She thinks that already so whatever.
So, do I know you? Are you reading? Do I know you're reading? Who are you if I don't know you? Feel free to post a comment or send me an email (if you know me). It's an interesting experiment this so called anonymity. Someday maybe I'll come out. But for now, I like being somewhat mysterious. You don't often get to do that in "real" life.
I ran into a friend today who I know mostly through some other friends who happen to be bloggers themselves. Apparently, he had found my site via one of their blogs and had been trying to figure out who I was for the last month or so. He could triangulate to a certain group of people based on our common cohorts so when we bumped into each other today he asked me if I was Sassy Pants. Actually, I was with someone and he didn't want to ask me in front of them so he told me he had a question for me and would email it. Amusingly, the someone I was with was NPapaya (if you read my comments you've seen her) so asking if I was Sassy Pants would have been fine and probably quite funny all around.
Anywho, it does give a person pause when you find out someone you do know but didn't publicize your blog to is a reader. How many other people out there read it? How many have figured out who I am? What have I said that could have offended them? In general I'm a pretty open person and I'm not writing anything that I wouldn't probably say in front of other people anyway but still. It makes you wonder. Are they shocked? Horrified? Amused? Are they my co-workers? My family has no idea this blog exists. I mentioned at one point to my sister that I was taking pictures of the things I am giving away and she was all, "Why? You're so weird." I didn't tell her I was sharing it with you. I'll just let her think I'm her crazy older sister. She thinks that already so whatever.
So, do I know you? Are you reading? Do I know you're reading? Who are you if I don't know you? Feel free to post a comment or send me an email (if you know me). It's an interesting experiment this so called anonymity. Someday maybe I'll come out. But for now, I like being somewhat mysterious. You don't often get to do that in "real" life.
Comments
there are certainly reasons to go anonymous -- and jail is one of them.
sassy, i don't think prison's an issue for you (at least as far as this blog is concerned. i mean, as a hot 15 year old blogging about sex...never mind -- and for the censors: just kidding. i know for a fact sassy pants is of legal age. if barely.).
but the second you start disclosing information about yourself, you're in danger of someone figuring it out. and as you found out when you posted that map thingy on the right rail of your blog, you never know who's reading.
i guess i don't need to tell you that i'm reading; you've known for a while. i'm going to stop blabbering now.