Incognito
“Blogs are great. You get to express yourself. Friends read it. Family read it. Strangers read it, and that’s okay with you. The catch is, when you blog, you create an identity but you can’t always say what’s really on your mind”,1 without repercussion.
At the risk of sharing too much personal information via our blogs do you think it’s better to blog anonymously or at least set up an online identity, but not under your real name? I always felt like having two identities was living a double life, but now I see it as a small measure of protection.
My identity is no secret, I am Valerie Morrison, but sometimes I wish I had blogged under the cloak of anonymity. I try to keep my personal life separate from my online life, but it’s challenging and in some ways, limiting.
Now, I’m not blogging about anything here I wouldn’t want my mother to read, but my alter ego likes to write too and she has no home training. If I blogged incognito this would be a slightly different blog. I’m not sure I would like that either. Maybe because my identity is known serves as a restraint; I have to think twice before I hit submit or publish.
While blogging can be a great outlet for keeping people up to date, receiving support from our online friends and sharing our experiences – even our secrets – we need to be careful what we put out there.
I came across this post from Judy called, I Have A Secret. Immediately I had to stop what I was doing and read it, who doesn’t have a secret? Judy writes:
I have lived a “fantasy” life for over 50 years. I have portrayed a life that I wanted people to know, not what actually was. I have kept secrets inside that I have been afraid to let out. I have struggled from day to day to not trip over the “baggage” that is my memory. I have a story to tell. It’s not pretty. It would be about my life. It would be about control, brutality, incest. I have wanted to write this story, but could never leave a hard copy around (or even in my computer) for fear someone would find it. I write it daily in my mind with tears flowing profusely. I feel a need to “let it go” by telling it. I thought my blog could be the avenue to final peace but am uncertain whether or not it would be the proper venue. I would need to do it in short, weekly segments…serial form, if you will. My family, my humor and my faith are the only things that have kept me sane. I don’t want to scare you into thinking that I am unstable; I don’t believe I am…I just have a terrible secret and I’m tired of holding it inside. I was hoping you, my readers, could help me to dissect the pros and cons of such a venture.
I tried to contact Judy to ask if I could use her post here, but I couldn’t find any contact information on her blog, so I hope she doesn’t mind. Writing is very therapeutic, especially for me, I don’t like to share, much. I keep my true feelings bottled up and I know that’s not healthy. Like Judy, I could never have a hard copy of any journal or diary, but I still need to let it go.
Sharing too much information online can be risky. I opted for a private blog, one that I only share with a few individuals, but I also have blogs that I don’t share with ANYONE. They fulfill a need.
If you blog under your real name do you regret it or find it limiting as to what you can share? And if you blog under a pseudonym or anonymously, what tips can you offer someone thinking of going in this direction?
Helpful Sites:
FearlessBlogging.com – Lets you post anonymously.
Hushmail – Provides private, secure free email accounts.
photo: by fatboygotsick
In: Blogging · Tagged with: Anonymous Blogging
on February 18, 2009 at 8:38 pm
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Nope – not kidding. Not at all. And it is all documented on my blog as others, as well.
Yes, I am culturally deaf and fluent in ASL, and prefer PSE. And speak well, too. And read lips well, too.
wow, i did look you for sure. thought you were kidding when i saw the humor bloggers thingy (i’m at a loss for words right now, uh badge?) on your side bar. i also looked up PSE, never heard of it. very interesting. i have a few sign language interpreters in the family, so I can do and understand a little ASL. cool.
Paotie´s last blog post..Stimulating the American Workforce
on February 19, 2009 at 10:27 am
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I don’t really write about anything that will offend anyone unless they *really* don’t like the plugin I’m recommending
And my domain name is my name so I can’t really use an alias. I’ve had thoughts of starting another site that I might want to be more private but that’s still in the thought stages.
And I’m with Barbara – I usually think of you as Natural rather than Valerie.
well i’m sure none of us write to purposely offend, but it happens. people get mad and want to attack you. could get ugly. it’s nice to have a little something on the side, a blog that is, just for YOU.
on February 19, 2009 at 2:15 pm
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This is a VERY important consideration for ANYONE considering launching a blog.
Of course your blog is going to be different if you’re blogging under a pseudonym! An anonymous blog can be anything you want it to be because it doesn’t affect YOUR personal reputation.
Again it all comes back to WHY you’re blogging. If your name wasn’t “attached” to this blog – I’m not sure I’d give it the “credibility” I do because it’s fiercely attached to YOUR name.
well that’s the thing. anybody can give you a name. we have no real way of checking and who would go through the trouble? i give anon bloggers just as much cred because they have nothing to hide, but themselves. the truth flows freely.
Kathy | Virtual Impax´s last blog post..Social Media is Simply Communication on Steroids
on February 19, 2009 at 4:55 pm
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Well, I blog under another name, several actually. And so I’d say it is always best to keep your identity secret. You never know what job you may look for and they start searching on the net and find your blog. Not you, but you know what I mean.
i agree urban. i have never wondered about your name until now. barry. or harry or dexter.
Urban Thought´s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: Circular Rainbow
on February 20, 2009 at 5:26 pm
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Just popping by.
Looking forward to your next post.
hey thanks jannie. it’s in my head somewhere, i’m just relaxing, so maybe i’ll do something funny next.
Jannie Funster´s last blog post..Bristles on a stick
on February 21, 2009 at 5:52 am
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Blogging under your real name is limiting if you care who sees it or what people think. On the other hand blogging under a pseudonym can be limiting because some people don’t trust an anonymous blogger.
For this young lady, she could post under a pseudonym and say that what she writes is fiction. You don’t need trust for fiction, people just like a good story.
I have three blogs – 2 niche blogs and 1 whatever blog. I write all three under my real name. On my “whatever” blog, I’m not completely transparent but I may be after I retire
Glad I found you again, I enjoy reading your blog.
hi valerie. we share the same name. whooo hoo. i like blogging under my real name and under a pseudo. on the anon blog, i don’t want anything. i don’t care about subscribes, comments, rank, post schedule. it’s just me and my blog.
i’m not sure if judy is her real or fake name. the content for me is what’s most important.
thanks for finding me again, valerie.
Valerie´s last blog post..Our Vet Gives Better Customer Service Than Our Doctor
on February 25, 2009 at 5:09 pm
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It fascinates me when mommybloggers use their real names while posting great stories about their kids/pictures of their kids. Usually, those kids are young and cute.
When they get to be teens, they aren’t so young and cute.
But mostly, I blog anonymously because they are old enough to use a computer. And so are their friends. While I never say anything that I wouldn’t allow them to read (they know they’re annoying!), I really don’t want them to have to take crap from their friends about it.
Pretty much the same reason that I don’t link my facebook page to their facebook pages. Mommy-shame applies.
i know. maybe they don’t think they’ll be in the game that long and will delete their blog or the post will be so buried, no one will even bother to look. i wouldn’t want my mother linked to my facebook page..i don’t even know if she is welcomed on this blog. lol. she’s mommy first – don’t lurk around like a friend. shudders.
The Mother´s last blog post..The Rules Don’t Apply to Her!
on March 4, 2009 at 8:38 am
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Before you start blogging anonymously (or not), you need to think about a few things. The most important thing to consider is where your blog is heading to. If you’re one day going to be faced with a choice of either giving up the blog, or revealing your identity (as mostly happens to all successful anonymous bloggers), then you’d be better off blogging as yourself right from the start.
Second thing to consider is your post-blog life. Meaning that once you’re done blogging, you’re going to be looking to do something else. At that time, do you want your blog posts to come back and bite your new career before it begins? Or maybe the kind of blogging you do will actually be counted as experience for the job you want. So… You might also think whether you have anything else planned for your future. And if so, is your blog going to help or hurt that effort?
great comment. thanks. i doubt i will EVER reveal myself on one of my blogs, maybe the other one down the line, but i don’t feel the need. i’m me, here. it’s hard to think about the impact of what we do now and now that will influence our future, but it does.
on March 9, 2009 at 2:31 pm
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I’ve often wished I had started my blog anonymously so I could really say what I think… but then I come to my senses and realise I don’t think it would be a good thing for anyone to have that out there in perpetuity… so having my real name IS definitely a good self-check feature.
i understand. blogging under your real name can keep you in check. having it both ways works well for me.
Maureen´s last blog post..Losing It
on March 15, 2009 at 5:27 pm
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Natural,
In my view, the question as to whether or not you use your real name as a blogger depends largely upon the objectives of your blog. This, in turn, points to the importance of clarifying your objectives at the outset.
If you are going to be writing about topics which are not too personal (like animals, software development or the dairy industry just to give a few examples), then use of your real name does not inhibit your capacity for freedom of expression to any significant extent and I would see no good reason not to use your real identity.
If, on the other hand, your writing is more personal, then use of your own identity does place limitations upon what you may feel comfortable in sharing. In such cases, I feel that a separate identity may be warranted.
true andrew, but most people, myself included, just jump right into blogging and don’t think about that.
Andrew´s last blog post..Should nightclubs pay for cops?
on March 18, 2009 at 8:08 am
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