23 May 2008
how much is too much?
Some people blog about everything. Some of us try to be open, but keep some aspects of our lives private, or at least some of the details, for various reasons. There's a pretty interesting article about personal blogging coming out in this weekend's New York Times Magazine called "Exposed," by Emily Gould.
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4 comments:
Wow! What an article. There are just some things that should never be said in a blog, and she certainly learned THAT the hard way.
Wow... that was an interesting article. I'm pretty private... I almost didn't link to the exact article about the smaller town my husband works in today just because of that!
Yeah, it's hard to know how much to reveal sometimes, especially when you are writing about your house! I try not to blatantly post the exact address, but I do want people to know about the neighborhood, since we really like living there. I use real first names, but I used to have a blog a long time ago where everyone was referred to by names like "The Boyfriend." I do try to get permission (or at least let people know and give the chance to protest!) before I post photos of them. I didn't post a photo recently of our new nephew, since it seemed like a more private family kind of thing. I guess you just have to draw the line based on what you're comfortable with and who the intended audience of the blog is.
Drawing the line at how much to reveal is tricky. Privacy is important, especially when you don't have the anonymity of a big city to hide in. When I used to work at a correctional facility, I took extreme care to never let the inmates know my first name. They all knew my last name, but somehow keeping my personal name protected seemed important. OOn my blog it's the opposite: I never mention ANYONE with their last name, and often not even their first name.
I do think it's ironic on the NY Times site how many people commented and criticized Emily's internet attention-seeking behavior. How sad is it when we as a society feel it's okay to anonymously insult people we don't even know? Sure makes me glad that the HouseBlogs neighborhood is much friendlier!
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