The Names Have Been Changed to Protect the Innocent
All the people in my life should know this: Anything that happens when I’m with you could end up in a blog post. It’s not like I go around recording everything. Not even I know what will end up in a post. I just follow where the Muse leads me. I’m her slave.
So just for the record let me say, if I’m blogging about YOU, I might use your first name, but not your last, unless you are already using it online. I may post a picture but usually only a side viewed blurry one, one from the back, or from the distance. For full frontal face shots, I generally ask first, and I only post flattering photos of myself and others (excepting the one of my sisters that I cut and pasted myself on to).
Some people like to be linked and mentioned or have their photos posted. Others can’t get over the fact that some old nude photos of celebrities have been posted on the internet and that some people have lost their jobs because they blogged bad stuff about their employers. If I know you’re one of the second types, I’ll probably just refer to you as “a friend,” “a bystander,” or “someone.”
Rest assured, I don’t write negative stuff about people in my life or other bloggers, in the same way I wouldn’t use swear words in my act if I was a stand-up comedian. I just don’t find negativity all that interesting. Of course, occasionally, I write commentary about negative things happening around us, but I don’t consider that perpetrating negativity as much as reporting it…with the hope that it can be corrected.
So which type are you? Are you blog shy?
September 20th, 2005 9:53 am
Not so shy 😉
September 20th, 2005 11:23 am
Most of my family cant even find the internet.. Most names are changed to protect me..LOL Not the innocent.. because rarely are they innocent..LOL
I however am far from shy but I do believe in respect.. I do however feel if something is posted about me.. It could very well be true and in that stance I dont have a right to complain much because if I was ashamed of it I could either change myself, the outlook, or something about it .. Not sure if that made sense or not.. I’m sort of rambling today arent I..
I’ve missed your blog! My computer is still down but mornings I seem to have a faster connection than in the evening.. 🙂
Ivy
September 20th, 2005 1:52 pm
As long as I don’t tell my family about my blog, dh and I agree I can pretty much say and post what I want. My family won’t find it, they don’t know much about blogs and stuff. And I have a dummy blog which I just put simple stuff and pics for them into.
September 20th, 2005 2:00 pm
Hello, Michele sent me but I had already visited on my own!
September 20th, 2005 4:28 pm
I do not feel I am blog shy. But I am concerned as to how I may represent others in my blog. I have given this quite a bit of thought. With immediate family I use first names. I have decided to refer to friends by using their initials. I will also let them know when I have posted anything pertaining to them. If they don’t like it.. I will remove it. I guess the important thing is to keep in mind individuals need for privacy and respect.
September 20th, 2005 4:54 pm
No comments on that PERFECT photo? Love it. Love it!
September 20th, 2005 5:11 pm
On the hat…I love it too! He’s wearing one of his grandmother’s red hat society hats.
On blog policy…I have told friends when I’ve posted something pertaining to them…and most still don’t come and see what it is. Like you, Coll, I think it calls for good sense and respect for others. I tend to just KNOW if it feels good or doesn’t.
September 21st, 2005 6:25 am
I think I’m in-between shy and bold, Colleen. I don’t use my real name but I reveal enough details that anyone that knows me would know it’s my blog, plus my picture occasionally appears in the main column of the blog and I just added it to the left side as well. On the other hand, I don’t talk all that much about myself and blog more about societal trends, science, and nature photography.
Since I get about 60 unique hits a day with half of them being returning folk (probably more than half but some have cookies turned off) I don’t get much exposure from my blog so I can stay “shy” even when I do mention private things. And like you, I don’t publish details about people that don’t want to be in print, so to say.
September 21st, 2005 8:42 am
I try to be respectful of people’s wishes, but if it happened while I was with you, it will probably turn up here in some form. I do not use real names (except in the post about Ohio, I did use one). My children had forbidden me to write about them using any identifying information and they have forbidden me to use photos of their children (other than the 2 I have posted).
Obviously my name is Judy, but my last name is not used (although a few of you know it from an email address). I have not posted a current photo of me, but I might do that soon.
I would like to believe that no one is going to try to steal my identity (he who steals my purse steals trash (and will get nothing with a capital N!)) but my children are leery of this blogging process and caution me constantly to be careful.
September 21st, 2005 7:53 pm
Oh my. I’m not a shy blogger. I suppose that’s a little bit of the ‘performer’ left in me. As I state in my profile novella (smile), I don’t mind being the center of attention as long as I know I can put on a good show.
I do swear in my posts at times, but I use it as it flows. I grew up in a somewhat lax atmosphere in that sense – my grandpa being quite the gruff old Irishman and my mom cut from the same cloth. I try to keep it to a minimum but sometimes, it just plain suits me, and I so much hate to edit something as ‘everyday’ as a post.
Hopefully, this doesn’t offend too many.