The Internet and Anonymity

Among some truly strange queries, I have been finding an increasing number of searches for my name coming up in my referrer logs. This can only mean that people I know (or maybe a stalker?) have decided to look me up and have found my online home.

When I first began this site, I decided that it would be a private, anonymous home where I could write whatever I wanted without it being linked to me in any way. I adopted the online name “Thame” (which is actually my real name) and wrote in relative peace for a few months. As the website grew, I became a little worried that my façade would be broken and my life would come rushing out of every monitor on the planet. Luckily, this did not happen and I continued, nameless, until a few weeks ago when a few strategic links rocketed me to the number one position for my name or last name.

It is a very strange situation: I have always been painfully protective of all my writing, only allowing my closest friends anywhere near my papers. However, I am entirely comfortable posting everything to a public journal accessed by thousands of complete strangers (not you, the other strangers), and it is only when I found out that friends may be among the crowd that my uneasiness returns.

So there it is, my little paradox of web publishing. Do you feel that you’ve developed an online persona or have found the same strange ease on the internet?

7 Comments

  1. Tom

    Nov 28, 10:48 PM

    I never really felt uneasy about writing to the general public in a journal, and the only time I’ve ever felt uneasy about friends reading it are the ones who don’t have a journal. I always feel more comfortable with friends reading it if they’re willing to do the same.

    It’s just family, for the most part, that I would become uneasy if they read some of the posts I’ve had. But for the most part, I feel that I don’t need to hide my life or beliefs per se… a person just has to know where to look, if they want to know badly enough.

  2. Oskar Syahbana

    Nov 29, 03:36 PM

    I’m actually fine on publishing anything I wrote to the public. Not because I’m an exhibitionist or something near that, but isn’t it great to share the knowledge and the wisdom?

  3. shishira

    Dec 1, 02:13 AM

    Honestly there is no public and private spaces anymore . . .

  4. Thame

    Dec 1, 07:29 PM

    Maybe I’m just really insecure then :D

  5. Shawn Anthony

    Dec 2, 08:14 PM

    Thame, I’m not sure you have anything to even be insecure about. You writing is great.

  6. Thame

    Dec 3, 08:12 AM

    Awww…I’m not sure how true that is, but thanks anyway :D

  7. Arjan van der Gaag

    Dec 14, 10:11 AM

    I feel the same insecurity when people who don’t blog or write themselves read my stuff. I expect (and am often right) that these people will misinterpret it no matter what you write. This wouldn’t be such a problem were these people not friends and family.

    I feel perfectly comfortable with people that do know writing and reading, like other bloggers.

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