How ok are you at the thought of your family reading your websites or blogs?
Oh, families!
I know most of my readers actually have blogs, webzines, online portfolios, etc. So I was wondering: How ok are with the idea of your family searching through all of this? I am asking you this because I think my mom may be reading this website, and I am a bit unsure about how should I feel.
Thinking about my mother coming here reading what I write, even though it’s all mega positive, gives me the skeevies. I don’t know, I’m just not comfortable with the idea. And I guess, this is my way of asking her not to do it, without actually having to go tell her, in case she’s actually doing it.
This is not the most private place I own, there’s actually another one that I call ‘The venting blog’ in which I post quite often about more mundane things but is also restricted to only 6 specific visitors, as you know I try to keep this place as positive and optimistic as possible. But still, it is indeed a place in which I often open my heart, I talk about things I don’t mind sharing, like the things I love, how happy I am with my friends, or my boyfriend, but that is just the deal: I feel comfortable about talking about this things in general, but I am not sure about how comfortable I feel about sharing some of this with my family. Specially when it comes to my personal relationships.
In real life I tend to be a pretty private person, and even though I am an adult, I keep a lot to myself, specially when it comes to my family. My mom, tends to over think everything and she starts immediately tying irrational knots, and personally I hate to answer unnecessary and insane questions, so, I prefer not to talk about my relationships unless I feel extra-confident with them and specially when I feel I can handle the questions that will follow. I right now feel extra-comfortable with my boyfriend, but still, I don’t feel ready to deal with all the things that will come out when I decide to tell my mom I am dating someone.
I don’t know, I guess I just feel I have the right to decide when to inform my family about my decisions and stuff, also, I’ve always said there are some things that our parents (EVERYONE’s parents) should never know about their kids, some things are just private and should remain like that, that’s cool, then again it’s all about what we feel comfortable sharing and whom we feel comfortable sharing it with. Anyway.
I think this is more of a monologue, but still I ask you: How comfortable do you feel about your family checking on your online activities? How about googling you either with your name or nickname? I mean, I know online blogs aren’t really private, but still, how private and personal can you consider your blog? Is it still something sort of ‘private’ even though it is a public forum (like this)? I consider it to be, and I don’t mean it, to an extent in which I can decide who will read it or not, but still, when it comes to family, I think there are limits that one would expect, would be respected, but when they’re not, how do you deal with it?
I remember a few years ago, Gelial once told me (not directly but still) that Freedom of speech was nothing but a sweet utopia, and even though he meant something different, I wonder how do you handle your Freedom of speech on situations like this? Is this something that could actually prevent you from speaking your mind, when after all, it becomes evident that you’re never really anonymous? I am unsure whether I should cringe or swoon at the complexity of our modernity.
Honestly, I can’t conceive the idea of a family getting together for dinner while discussing their online privacy etiquette. How avant-garde would that be! It gives me a lot to think about.
Give me your thoughts, ponies.
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