I find this post to be relevant to not only the title, but the topic at hand. All these personal blogs on the internet, and of course the associated social networks like Facebook and MySpace (did you honestly think I’d make the latter a link) are full of our intentions, moods, opinions and comments. Even this blog, despite really being mostly for my feelings, experiences and rants is visited by my friends and about 300 other people who I have really no idea who they are. Sure I can use the really cool Google tools and Urchin to check out where they’re from, but for the most part I really don’t know them except for their virtual address.
So what does that mean for me? Well that random people, who may or may not know me, partake in reading my experiences all the time. Which effects me everytime I make a post, whether consciously or not I will always censor it to some extent. Some things will always be left out and not spoken of. While other topics which I think might be fun to read about will be exhagerated and amplified in their delivery for the benefit of the public. However it’s that censored part that I’d like to focus on today. And before I proceed it’s worth mentioning that while writing this post I’ve now checked Facebook 3 or 4 times for whatever reasons.
The omissions are usually on a variety of topics, and I won’t lie, this is partly inspired by Dan and Yuffie, Andrew’s ‘work report’, Nitish’s ResNet stories and well myself. How much personal info to post or discuss in these public domains is too much. Or is there really a limit, it is your personal info after all, but then it seems that for anything that might be most personal there’s always someone else involved. Whether it’s Nitish and his, what seems like, bi-weekly dating changes. Or is it Dan and Yuffie, and their newfound bliss; interesting to find a photo album on Facebook when just weeks earlier Yuffie took down her photo when people found out who she was. Then there’s the professional impact of what Andrew wants to say and we all know on his future career. You can see, by now, I hope how much these personal musings aren’t so personal at all and involve so many other people who you either have to know very well to guess their choices, get their approvals or just blindly guess and hope for the best.
So on this new landscape of public openess it’s a most amusing thing to observe what people choose to reveal and how more and more they’re introduced to the possibilities that significantly more personal details emerge. Despite so many warnings of idenity theft on the news in television, print, and the new age media it’s in some way more amusing to read over my friends notes and rants and smile at thoughts of how someone could try to pretend to mimic their quirks, behaviours and identities (yeah, yeah I know they only steal the important things like numbers), but it sure is a fun trip for my imagination. With all that said — I’m all for it — I’ve met more diverse friends over places like the DC++ hub and the internet then I think I could ever possibly achieve from say classes where everyone is really there for the same reason and from the same area. And since social events beat pretty much anything else in terms of enjoyment whether it’s with one other person or a group, the more people you know the better! Which reminds me I’m somehow supposed to be at at least two different places tommorow one being some of my Waterloo friends having a Martini party and then Doug and Co. are hitting up what I think is some sort of bar/karaoke/something cool place.
Oh, as a final realtime update, I just checked Facebook again inspired by a quick note from Sharon to find our snowmen shots stolen from the semi-private gallery and revealed to the world. That was a really fun night though! Thanks to Andrew for taking some of the pictures, the weather for the snow, the 1st year jerks for smashing our creations twice and gravity making sure that I have 1 less wine glass : )
