Online Privacy
May 3rd, 2009 | Categories: Online, Question of the Week | 10 CommentsIt’s interesting to see how open some people are online, yet there are plenty of people who are fairly private, too. Interacting with others online is different than interacting with others in a more “personal” setting, for you can pick and choose what facets of your personality you want to expose more online. It’s not like when meeting with someone face to face; an online persona can be completely different than an offline one!
I personally don’t like to get too personal online. I may mention a few personal things here and there, but usually only on LiveJournal and not in any other online place. I talk a lot about my travels, but I only briefly mention general things about school and/or work, and I never go into specific detail about my friends and family. I just don’t see the need to do so, nor would I be comfortable into being totally open about certain aspects and details about my personal life online. I do not lie about things that go on in my offline life, I just try to avoid talking about the specifics.
Question of the Week: How open are you with sharing your offline/personal life with the online world?
Tags: opinions
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Hi, I'm Manda. I'm a college student studying communications and languages. I like to read, shop, bake, and travel. I have a tendency to listen to my favorite songs on repeat for hours on end. Sometimes I catch myself thinking in a language other than English. 
I think I’m pretty much like you. I rarely talk about my personal life online, but this is not weird, since I’m a very private persone offline too. That doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m not comfortable talking to certain people both online and offline, it’s just that I’m not one of those people whose life you know after 30 minutes of knowing them. That said, I won’t get offended if someone asks. Actually I find it easier that way. Talking about me is really not a strong point of mine :)
I am definitely not very personal on my blog. I know people from RL who read it, and I’d rather they didn’t read all the personal things I’m thinking. Usually I just post opinions or impersonal stories and anecdotes, sometimes pictures. However, I am *very* open to certain people online, and on Snark, and I post a lot of stupid emo stuff on Livejournal just because I like to get it all out.
I’m a fairly private person offline, and online, I pretty much only open up on VegOpt and LJ because I know those places are moderated and I can ‘choose’ who knows the details I want to divulge. It’s not that I’m hiding anything, I just don’t think people need to know every single last detail about my life. :P I’m fairly open about my day to day life though, but I almost never talk about anyone (family and friends) just because I don’t think it’s really my place to talk about them online without their knowing. :)
I think I’m slightly more personal on my public blog than yours, but overall quite private. That said, I think it’s ok to be open about your life and all, as long as the people you are talking about know the deal (I think they deserve to). I have come across blogs where RL people are mentioned in a way I can’t come up with a description other than utter disrespect. Too many people trade their privacy for the shock value, for popularity, and it is a bit appalling.
Though I pretty much post links to other websites like social networking sites where I’m a member of, I don’t usually add people right then and there unless I know them. I’m also a private person online and offline. I tend to rant in my LJ and though it’s semi-friends only, I make sure those entries are locked. I know right now I’ve also started blogging in my personal domain but I’m not divulging much as well. Usually I just post pictures and though I talk about my life too, it’s only in general and not in so much detail.
It’s a careful balance, to keep your privacy the way it is especially when you write a public blog. I think by allowing my family and friends to read it, I minimize the amount of trouble I can get into. They act as a check and balance for me by being that incentive to keep my content ‘drama-free’ and providing feedback on what I write.
Since I’m a pretty private offline, a.k.a. I rarely burden my friends with my personal problems (they have their own, after all, plus, Hungarian people stomach others’ personal issues not so easily), I let everything out in my blog. I started writing it at a quite complicated state and I decided to let myself post about anything I feel, since it’s my own little corner, where I don’t have to hide even a bit of my feelings.
Even so, I often consider re-starting my blog from square one. It would be really nice, I guess.
Otherwise, I don’t share that much about myself in communities, unless I know the people well enough.
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