I've noticed for a little while that there's a contrast between the levels of anonymity of the various bloggers.
Some bloggers are Out There, with their details, vocation and location available for all to see. Others prize anonymity a bit more. I'm more in the anonymous camp, primarily because I personally know a few people on my blogroll who prize their anonymity. I've added a few other reasons too since this Blog started, mainly based on the general quality of wildlife I've come into contact with in the Warcraft world. There are some crazy people out there and that's not counting the dangerous ones.
So I'm in the anonymous camp for a few very good reasons and I haven't even mentioned that my employers wouldn't like it much if I said exactly who I work for. I have an interesting job that gets me in contact with cool toys and I'd like to keep it that way :-) We've just seen another lesson in this from the girl who got fired for posting "I'm bored" comments on her Facebook account. Doh ! I think she's learned a lesson there, if you're bored then let your boss know quietly instead of having him hear third hand through the office.
Anonymity helps another way too, it allows me to talk about the various people I come into contact with. I've attached a few names to people, usually based around shortening their name to a "Lady P", "Miss A", "Mrs C", "Miss L" or a fake name like Snow Queen, IT Girl, The Boss or WT. Even if readers know me and where I work, then it still takes some figuring out to match faces with names. So the anonymity of the fake name allows me to happily lavish some well earned praise upon the various people who keep me sane, while keeping the post simple and flowing.
There's another side though - my imagination can be a little limited, there's people who I may have given a mention to but will not because the name would not be appropriate. I will not put anything here that I consider would upset a colleague or a friend. I'm not a saint but I do keep my rants away from the internet :-)
Keeping the secrets is also why I've made the hit counter details private. There's a little too much information available behind that hit counter and seeing some of the patterns there would endanger that anonymity. Although one of the patterns is that about 10-12% of my hits come from searches for "indoor cricket tactics" and I'll be totally honest there and say I ain't a cricket coach :-)
I'm proud of who I work for and it's been a real struggle on occasion to not give more information on what I do. But I won't endanger my or other people's anonymity. I have a craving for knowledge but I don't have the urge to tell people everything I know. Kinda like a collector of curiosities who keeps them locked up in a cupboard.
Couple of Heinlein quotes :
"Only a sadistic scoundrel - or a fool - tells the bald truth on social occasions."
"A skunk is better company than a person who prides himself on being frank."
I'm not sadistic and I like to think I'm no fool :-) (although a pretty smile can turn me into a fool!) And my view of people I like is probably a little too rose-tinted to be considered frank :-)
This post partly sparked off by how I've been feeling today ... Picture an engine. It's not too well maintained, so it shakes & rattles when it goes. Now picture that engine going full throttle, shaking itself to bits. That's kinda how I've been feeling today, ever since around lunchtime. I know exactly why and the reason is something that I simply will not mention here* but it's kinda worn me out today. Hyperactivity and nerves are the engine and my muscles feel as if they've been shaken apart by it.
*(If I'm quiet for a while, someone's tried to get the secret via thumbscrews and cos I won't tell, it'll take a while for my thumbs to heal enough to type :-)
Right - teatime in the cricket, time for me to hit the motorway for gaming ! I have respect for both camps in this one but have my reasons for keeping the anonymity.
I go for anonymous too... it's much more freeing when most people don't know who you are! I also stay away from mentioning work though I will sometimes write about how it's making me feeling I feel I can do that as I never mention my employer and so my opinion cannot be linked to them. It is rare though. Mostly I keep things to myself but then that is true of me in life too!
ReplyDeleteAs you say, there are some right nutters out there. And siteful teenagers with too much time on their hands....
Heh heh heh - I had one teenager threaten to commit suicide on me after he got booted out of the Warcraft guild (he's ok, a year or so later he appeared in one of the capital cities to give me a heap of abuse). And there's another who said (to others) that he'd be hunting me down with a knife.
ReplyDeleteThere's some seriously messed up people there - I think one reason I've come away from the online games a bit is because I've seen what the game does to susceptible people, they get lost in the game and a good person gets submerged.
As for work - there's usually no need whatsoever to mention who we work for :-) Plus it's good to get home and put the work to one side. Helps with relaxing :-)
i like it when the crickets stay outdoors with their musical mating calls
ReplyDeleteAt my original team, you could sometimes hear the wildlife come out when it was getting dark after a game :-)
ReplyDeleteAt the grounds I play at now, you can definitely hear them ! Although being city instead of country means the wildlife just go around on 2 legs when they're not on their Funky Mopeds.