As bloggers, we have something to share…. whether it’s information, opinion, emotions or a laugh. It’s what makes us sit down at that keyboard, straighten our thinking caps and assemble that crazy collection of ideas we call a post.
We quickly get comfortable in our blogs, and even in the discussion boards we frequent. Sometimes they become like virtual vacation places. We spend some time there… settle in… and ham, jam and spamalot with the locals.
We even might enjoy a certain impulsiveness in these online vacations. A refreshing break from the routine of face-to-face communications. Online, any thought can be shared in a single click. Any words can be said. Any topic proposed. We feel outside the barriers of normal inter-personal relationships. We feel outside ourselves.
But like any good vacation, eventually we must return to our regular lives. In this case, to the Real World before us. The one that pays the bills. That needs new braces or help with Math homework. The one that hires us. Or is hired by us.
You see, sometimes it gets so comfy in our online vacation homes, it becomes easy to forget that anyone could be out there peering in our windows.
Sure, we might post to entice readers… awaken our fellow bloggers… scream to hear the echo… or just say what we feel needs to be said.
But how personal is too personal? How shocking is too shocking? How will what we post today affect our personal safety? Our relationships with friends and family? Our future job prospects? Our customer relations?
How do we remain true to ourselves and our unique voices, while making sure our online world doesn’t intrude negatively on the three-dimensional one?
I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately. And while I certainly don’t have all the answers, I thought a few suggestions might be a good start for more awareness, greater consideration and better safety for everyone:
- Limit personal information. While most folks know not to share their social security or phone numbers online, it’s also good to omit any information specific enough to be easily located. This means don’t share the name of the place you work, or show photos of the street you live on. And you might not want to take a photo of your car with its license plate showing—no matter how cool your car is.
By giving enough color without specific details, you can stay safe and still entertain readers. - Consider using fake names for family and friends. Many bloggers protect family and friends by being consistent with made-up names to represent each person. Remember that while we’re willingly blogging and putting our lives out there, the people in our lives may not have signed on for this. So think of those around, and how our posts might affect them. Fake names are an option that can help.
- Gain approval of family or friends before posting their stories/photos. Thinking ahead before posting about family or friends, and including their images, is a safe way to prevent future rifts. (Unless, of course, you don’t like those people anyway. ) It takes a little more time, but the extra consideration might be worth it.
- Think, WWED? (What Would Employers Do?) Before posting online, it helps to think, “What would a prospective employer do if he or she saw this?” “How would someone view my character if they didn’t otherwise know me?” If you’re up for a job, employers are likely to research you online. You can have a great resume, but if your potential boss uncovers your post, for example, bad-mouthing your current boss, this could seriously affect their decision to give you the job. Just think a minute about how a post represents you. It’s better to be safe now than sorry later.
- Treat others as you’d like to be treated. I know, I know– it’s corny and preachy. But it’s also true. A little respect goes a long way. And online, because posting is so quick and easy, it’s possible to get carried away and say things we’d never say in person. But online, we have the excellent opportunity to really THINK before we communicate. It never hurts to think first.
Now, okay– you may say you don’t care about having the world know everything about you. Your life is an open book– from your speeding ticket history to your shoe size. And hey, that’s fine, too.
But it only takes a moment to remember those windows out there, opening into our online homes. And sometimes the world is silent. But that also doesn’t mean it’s not still out there, watching.
Jenn, AKA “Thrift Shop Romantic” is not nearly as paranoid as that last sentence makes her sound. A professional writer in an unnamed marketing firm in the Real World, she has a humor blog– Of Cabbages and Kings—and a budget decorating blog, The Thrift Shop Romantic.
[...] our online world doesn’t intrude negatively on the three-dimensional one? — Jenn Thorsen in Wave!– The World is Watching For most people being anonymous on the Internet is not a life-or-death matter. You aren’t [...]