When I started this blog, I thought I had a need for an audience - because let's face it, I'm not sure I could keep writing if nobody ever knew I was doing it. Obviously, I'm an attention whore. So when I started, I emailed the address to a bunch of people and said, "hey! check out what I'm doing with my spare time!" Not surprisingly, this method of advertising worked and so I kept on writing, and writing, and writing.
These days, I've got an audience which is not limited to close friends or family members - the blogosphere has filled my readership with all sorts of fabulous and interesting people. Some of them I've had the good pleasure of actually meeting in real life, and some I hope to meet someday soon (Danielle, I'm looking at you.) Of late, though, I have begun to question if the open door policy was such a good one.
Admittedly, my blog being public serves many good purposes. It keeps my far-away family in touch with my daily goings on, it allows me to express in print things I have difficulty saying out loud, and in general it provides me with a good vehicle for voicing all sorts of things which are on my mind. On the other hand, it has upset and offended people (even though there is a very clear disclaimer.) Sometimes I get friends calling and saying, "I can't believe you blogged about that before you even told me!" Or even my Mum will call and say, "Your blog sounds upset. What's wrong? Why didn't you call me?" Blogging in that respect has definitely opened me up to a hot mess of drama and emotions - and sometimes I've then totally caved in when the person has called me on it, and other times I've stood my ground.
I've found myself pondering on this notion of privacy - of when being a public writer outweighs (or does not outweigh) the potential downsides of being a public writer. I do actually have a second blog, which is an entirely private one - not visible to anyone at all. I managed 6 posts before I stopped altogether (and the last one was well over a year ago.) So for me, the audience is motivation to keep on going, and the reason why I am so honest here. Somehow telling it like it is to people who willingly listen is the whole crux of why I do what I do.
These days, though, I'm wondering how wise that is. My thoughts on this actually stem from another blog I read, in which the author's work mates have used the information in her blog in a less-than-savoury way. She, too, is contemplating a private blog, but wonders if that means that the help she provides to all her lurkers and non-workmate readers will somehow be lost altogether. I've been lucky in that nothing like this has ever happened to me... (maybe that's because I have no actual workmates? Ahh, the benefit of working in a micro business!)
In any case, it has me thinking. Do you have a private blog, or a public ones? What are your reasons for keeping one or the other?
Friday, November 19, 2010
Privacy
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3 comments:
My plan was to never tell anyone in real life about my blog. And use a pseudonym. That kinda works...
i was just really uneasy about acquaintance (ie those evil workmates) to be reading my stuff. not that i post anything very dramatic.
As my blogging became more important to me, people like my mum wanted to read, so it's leaking a little. but mostly it works.
Awww I made you blog...I feel famous or something. I too hope to meet IRL one day soon. I have been pestering my husband that we need to make the trip to Melbourne to introduce the new baby (who is almost one!!!) to his elderly mother. Him, being male, is not interested, so I think in the next few months, I will fly down with just bub and myself. Fancy a meeting?
P.S.... can we keep this whole mo fo is a ho in no..vember (that's what it's called, right?) going after November? I love nothing more than to put my kids to bed, and sit down to your blog. Yes, I lead a very sad, and pathetic life.
Kazari: Yeah, I now wonder if I should have gone the same route...although I do try (not very hard) to keep personal details to a minimum, it's not exactly a fail-safe solution, is it?
And my dearest IBFF: Come on down, we'll take you even if you are a Queenslander. :) We'll do lunch. And possibly dinner. :) Even if you are a loser who has nothing to do but read my blog, I still appreciate the compliment. I'll try to keep going, can't just cut you off and have you suffer withdrawal,can I??
M
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