Friday, September 21, 2007

Blogging privately

A lot more people than I expected have been blogging anonymously. It shows that people are concerned about revealing their identity online, which is probably a good thing. I've never had a blog before where I've used my real name - though people have been able to find me anyway (more on that later).

Someone pointed out to me this afternoon that while blogging is second nature to some of us, the concept of having an online identity is foreign to some, and the idea that people out in the wider web would be able to find our account without us knowing is a little worrying.

It's true - having a blog enables anyone who really wants to, to find us. If you're taking the step to allow other people to read your blog, people can be reading it at any time and you won't know. It's not so strange to me; as a web site publisher the fact that my audience is largely unseen and unknown is usually at the back of my mind.

I'm quite concerned about privacy and being able to be found on search engines such as Google. So I often use alternative names where people will be less likely to find me. Sometimes I've had to have information revealed about me because of my job - the company website, projects I've worked on and things I've attended.

Unfortunately many of the ways in which I appear in search engines I have no control over, because it's been other people putting information about me online. People have added photos of me to their own sites and tagged me with my real name. I think it's pretty rude, but it seems to be common practice among many people and lots of people aren't as concerned about my privacy as I am. Some believe that I should be less concerned about it too, because it's supposedly inevitable that privacy as I know it will always erode.

I do understand however that anything I place online is likely to be archived by search engines and other public access sites for people to search far into the future. Something worth getting concerned about?

10 comments:

Dana said...

Hi Tom -- excellent post, on a topic that I have been a bit worried about. I have been following a discussion about it in the library world, which was sparked by one of my favourite library bloggers talking about why she prefers to remain the 'Annoyed Librarian', rather than using her real name, despite the derision she gets for her pseudonymity.

Elsewhere in the library world, Meredith Farkas talks about the pros and cons of anonymity in direct response to Annoyed Librarian, and Australian library blogger Morgan Wilson explains why he might be anonymous if he started blogging now.

Outside the library world, but still interesting, is danah boyd's commentary on managing your online identity (she's a social technology researcher, and has one of the most pragmatic approaches I have seen about this).

Anonymous said...

hi tom i agree with dana, privacy is at the core of the ethics of libraries. i agree with you too, it is rude of friends to tag with your real name. when i send out a group email i use the bcc for all my family and friends addresses and my own address in the to field. i do this to protect their privacy.

for a variety of reasons i worked under an assumed name for a few years immediately before coming to work at swinburne. my identity at melb uni workplace and my real life hardly ever collided. it has been impossible for some of my work friends from that to now call me by my real name.

i am not surprised that so many people are choosing to be anonymous. experimenting with new tecnology makes us feel vulnerable. by taking an anonymous mantle we may find it easier to give ourselves permission to play! jane aka phoebe

Sara Jervis said...

I am amazed at my boldness in creating my blog very formally. This is so typical of me. I rarely use nicknames; I text with full grammar; I answer the phone with my full name, at home.

I was rather surprised at the use of anonymous names. I failed to realise the (mostly new) bloggers were being canny and I have been naive.I am impressed with their smartness. I shall ponder about changing my blog name to a pseudonym, but for the time being, shall remain my formal self. It makes me very careful about what I write about.

Legume Mann said...

For me, the use of a pseudonym was more about creating an identity consisting of, yet seperated from myself. In my general day to day web activities I have no qualms about using my real name. I'm just compelled to create characters for the purpose of entertainment. The anonymity is a little exciting even.

That said, anything posted on a global forum such as the internet is fair game really. In a perfect world everyone would respect privacy and act ethically. But this ain't a perfect world. If you're a little savvy with the info you provide, you should never face a problem.

Kim said...

I have been googled numerous times by buddies who tell me how out there I am.

I don't have an issue with it. I think we should be loud and proud about what we can contribute to society and the greater good.

I think anonymity does have some pluses:

1. You can say what you want without recriminations

2. You can be yourself

3. You can be an international person of mystery!

Anonymous said...

Thank you Tom for an excellent explanation. I must admit when this program was launched I new I wouldn’t use my real name for all the reasons you’ve mentioned. Strangely enough, when I Goggled my name and found myself in bold as a member of a winning Awards team, I felt quite proud.

Anonymous said...

Hi Tom
Thank you for making this very valid point. You've argued it eloquently (and clearly provocatively!) In response to some of the previous comments:

Sara, I don't think that those who have chosen to be pseudonymous are necessarily more 'savvy' than you are. On the contrary, you maintain a great deal of control over your online identity by using your own name ... You are aware that what you say will continue to be associated with you both personally and professionally, and that makes you think before you post (very wise, even for pseudonymous bloggers!) Every time you publish content to the web that you want to be associated with your online presence, you take an active role in creating your own online identity, rather than being like poor Tom - a pawn in someone else's game.

I have used my first name but not my surname in my 23 Things blog; I want people to be able to find my blog and contact me through it for this exercise so I can help and encourage as much as possible. After the program is over, I'll start to think about where the future of my blog lies. At the moment, it only consists of one post so is hardly an issue!

On the other hand, Kim and Legume Mann also make a good point when they say that creating 'other' online personas allows us to explore more controversial ground than we associate with our own monikers. I have one of these, too. It's for my friends and family rather than my professional life; these are people who, if inclined to judge me, will already have done so!

Susan said...

I have also been a bit concerned about the privacy issue, but with a name like mine I'm still quite anonymous as there are so many of me. For me that's a kind of compromise. I have concerns about protecting my privacy, but also recognise the mischief some people can get up to on the internet when they operate behind a pseudonym.
So - I'm half up front.

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