So I get called into the office today. I don't deal with office politics well, and its causing some troubles. But thats not what this post is about. At the end of the meeting my boss said to me, privately and personally, that someone at work reads my blog.
I nearly died! I swear if my underwear wasn't jammed nine ways to my sphincter, I'd've squeezed out a dookie! The thought that someone that I see on a daily basis knew about the crush I had on Green Eyes was mortifying. Especially since thats the kind of thing that I only want you knowing if I tell you.
He advised that I be careful about what I blog regarding work. Which I totally appreciated. I told him I don't really blog about work, and I blog as a persona anyway. And it was all ok.
Its strange what I was worried about. Especially since I'd just posted about going vibrator shopping. I post quite a bit about my vibes, my boobs, body parts, masty and my (ex) lack of a sex life. I blog about how men are jerks, and quite a bit about my cats. Sometimes I post about drunken shenanigans, college stories, shopping, or the news. I do the occasional rant when work shits me, but honestly, thats to empty my brain. Its not entertaining for you. I'd rather post a picture of my boobs than blog about work. And I have on numerous occasions. Its more entertaining for you, and the comments are a bigger ego boost to me that way!
If someone from real life started reading your blog, what would be your biggest concern?
31 comments:
Oh Phish I can only imagine how awful you would have been feeling. If my work ever found out I blogged I think my fingers would drop off in sheer fright. Even though, like you, I don't blog about work other than anonymous 'I hate my job and want to do something else' type venting veins. Something similar happened to me when I was out with my daughter and a really good friend a couple of days ago. My dear daughter (14) lets it drop that 'mum spends too much time reading other people's blogs and writing on her own'. Of course I haven't told any friends that I blog. So now I am staring at my plate, going a million shades of red, and he's just staring at me and saying over and over 'you blog, you blog'. Like it's a disease. Maybe it is.
Good question. There are a few RL friends that read my blog and it is sort of fun to have them try and figure out who is who in what story or have a laugh when they recognise their part.
They are also the sort of people who know that the fun is in being on the inside and if the link was made to the wrong friends or family then the game would have to end.
In terms of concerns, it is not so much about me or exposing the real me but more about offending the third parties involved in my stories. As long as I am Josh then the people I write about could be anyone or totally fictitious.
You need to be very careful. If you've never read Dooce.com, it was started by a woman and she got fired because of it. Here is the post about her losing her job.
http://www.dooce.com/archives/daily/02_26_2002.html
many of my friends read my blog and then tell me "why the fk do you waste your time doing that isht?" and then add some more expletives to complete the idea. i tell them about my plans of world domination and also tell them i get paid by google about $100/day. suckers!!! two of them started their own blogs... today only one still exists and is super stagnant, the other was deleted. oh well, i do it for me. i enjoy posting bullisht somedays, insightful bullisht others, and some more bullisht in between. it's all bullisht in the end.
Oh lord!
That's not a great moment... coz not only does someone read your blog, they told your boss! Bastard!
I think I'd die if my boss found out about my blog... not that I ever use my students' names... but still, I don't know that she'd be all that understanding.
There are a few people from my RL who read my blog - that I know about - and I know it does influence my choices about what to write sometimes.
Hugs, phishez. I hope whoever this person from work is keeps their mouth shut from this point on.
I have a few that read it. Most love it, think I am funny... and I make them tell me HOW funny several times a day. One hates it and hates the persona... loves the second blog though.
I have a person at work that reads it... and that's a bit embarassing, but I just pretend I dont know they read it... until they say something to be about something I wrote about and didn't tell them about... then I get freaked out. That's odd... but I get through.
Ignore Ignore Ignore. Denial is my motto.
I have a few that read it. Most love it, think I am funny... and I make them tell me HOW funny several times a day. One hates it and hates the persona... loves the second blog though.
I have a person at work that reads it... and that's a bit embarassing, but I just pretend I dont know they read it... until they say something to be about something I wrote about and didn't tell them about... then I get freaked out. That's odd... but I get through.
Ignore Ignore Ignore. Denial is my motto.
The only time that what I blogged ever concerned me was when my sister began reading it and I was writing about someone whom I loved and she and my mother hated. But, then, my sister somehow thought that she could run/ruin my life the same way she does her husband’s. She can’t.
Where do I start?
It's not exactly the opinions a good piller of Capitalism is supposed to have...
For a while at the start of my blog, one of my ex boyfriends used to read it quite regularly. It wasn't ever really a problem and he doesn't really read it anymore.
Did they figure it out from your picture? Or something you wrote?
I'm a pretty private person, so it is hard for me to blog. I don't even know my real name :-)
My biggest concern is that they would tell everyone and their dog that they should stay away from me.
That truly sucks - your boss! your boss had to tell you that! arghhhhhh
You have my sympathies and I am so glad that you didn't squeeze out a nard, HAHAHAHA
Yeah, I"ve heard of the dooce story, how she got the sack because of her blog writings. Her warning is to just be really careful. Luckily I don't work yet and my kids aren't allowed to read anything, so there we go!
My biggest concern would be that anyone from my family read the stuff on eastwest - it's just stuff that my parents, aunties and cousins do NOT need to know about me. Esp the posts about pubic hair, large boobies and masturbation. I mean - they don't need to know that side of me. And I'm sure they are all the more happier because of it :)
Several of my friends and a few colleagues know about my blog, but as a rule I generally don't tell people about it.
I always use pseudonyms when telling teaching anecdotes but the idea that the kids could have access to thoughts I'd not normally share with them... not a good one!
Let's hope they keep it quiet for you, phish.
hmm, you know that they will tell their / your other colleagues.
I've the opposite problem, nobody reads me except my mum and a handful of friends.
Probably because I don't post about masturbation, pubic hair and my boobs.
Thinking about that tho - my latest post on code is probably going to make my mum tune out too.
Whilst I've a few stories that would make madam smack and josh blush infra red but I can't post them or I'd have to post them anonymously because of the kids. They will read it one day too so it has to be above board.
I do self and post censor my posts: occasionally I go back through the searches that find my blog and then go and modify posts to change the language so pedophiles don't come a ringing. Having for example three consecutive posts that include the words 'kids', 'bath' and perhaps the phrase 'naked ambition' would instantly attract hundreds of googlers looking for naked+kids+bath
now thats just wrong
If my parents saw my blog there would be a hastily arranged honour killing, and I would have the starring role of Dead Chick.
Totally.
Fucked up when real life people read your shit. Sometimes I run into people I haven't talked to in years, and they're like, "You still doing X, Y, and Z," And I'm blown away that they know so much about me.
Ultimately, if I think twice about posting it, it's probably good, and I should.
Petite Anglaise (http://www.petiteanglaise.com/) was sacked from her job for making the most indirect references to work. Several months of hell followed; now she is soon to have her book published.
There are quite a number of people that have been axed due to the content of their blogs. I wonder if I would get the boot if I went overboard if I only praised the bastards I work for/with or would I get a promotion?
I am glad that nobody I know reads it as far as I know. It started as a healing process for me and now that I have pretty well healed I blog about all kinds of shit, including the bastards I work for/with
I wouldn't want my work to know about it ever. Especially since I've blogged about interviews I've been on.
I don't think I would want my family to know either. I don't care too much about my friends though...it's mostly about them anyhow...(in a good way)
I think I know most of the people that read, well leave comments, my blog.
I used to have two coworkers that read and a few other friends. The only ones I really don't want reading my blog in my family and coworkers.
If I got called into the office for that. I think I would just tell him to fuck off. But I haven't had to try that out yet.
A small group of RL people do know about my blog, but I prefer to keep it that way.
I certainly don't want crossovers.
I try to keep a distance between those who read. Also, I try not to give them an incentive to become a reason to post anything. If something's wrong, I go and have a chat face-to-face. If it's bloggable, I might blog it but try not to hurt anyone's feelings. Not too much, anyway...
Oh. Em. Gee.
If anyone from work read my blog, I think I would pray for the earth to open up and swallow me whole. I am being more than a lil generous to say that I have been just a tad bit...er, honest...about my feelings regarding the various individuals there. Add to that, my various posts about *ahem* bedroom activities and you've got the makings of a royal embarassment.
It's bad enough I have friends that read it...
Very few people from the real world know about my blog and given the nature of my postings, that's the way I'd like to keep it.
Were my family, colleagues or ex-boyfriends to read it... Hell, I can feel the litigation coming on now.
Every morning at 7:30am we have a meeting at work where we discuss my Blog, and my work colleagues make suggestions and laugh at all the witty wise cracks I make, and we all hug, and throw our knees together to make a knocking sound, and sing Blog songs, and then we get to work - it is all very healthy, and natural, natural I say!
Rups :) xo
But I do think your boss was respectful enough to understand the processes at work here, although I imagine it would be difficult dealing with not knowing who reads it, and why they didn't approach you - maybe it was your boss who reads it?
You could always consider a fresh start with a new blogging alias and URL, then you could just notify the people you knew were safe to have as readers...
Ok. Nobody at work reads my blog. several people know about it and it filtered back to the boss. It was a case of Chinese whispers that they'd read it.
Lill - think of it as interactive journalling.
Josh - haha! I bet none of the girls you blog about have read it though.
T - yeah, I heard that one. That was the first thing I thought about, and that was what he was alluding to.
Raffi - is keeping a diary bullshit? I think its insightful. For me, but also to see what other people think about things. I tend to trust your opinions, even though I'll never meet fellow bloggers, because they know the inside of my brain better than RL friends.
MissE - My sister reads my blog. And sometimes that influences what I write too.
Kelly - Ignorance really is bliss!
Nick - I hope you let her know pretty darn quick.
Ingsoc - true, but yours is quite the persona, and apart from the Baker and the Chimney Sweep, there's not much to link you to it.
Oestre - then prepare yourself. Someone will find it some day.
JP - Hell, after a few drinks I don't even know my own name.
Desi - I doubt that. I think it would give them insight into you.
Betty - And of course, there's that post you don't want your dad to read.
BC - I think I dropped it into conversation a few times, I don't think anybody has actually seen it.
Stephen - yeah. I think that beats my situation hands down!
Kitty - make sure you wear nice clothes!
Ken - I actually use it as a tool to keep in touch with some RL friends, but its not many.
XL - well, thats one way to get your book deal!
George - blogging is therapy. I had a shrink once suggest I keep a diary. I did until someone read it. Strange that I maintain this to be read by other people.
Princess - well nothing on your blog should be a surprise to people you know.
Chucky - it wasn't what I was called in for. He said it to me on a friend level, not a professional level. Which I appreciated.
Itelli - thats a very mature approach to it. Unfortunately, once a month, thats not possible for me.
Dirk - Yeah, us bloggers are a weird bunch. We'll post the most embarrassing shite, and not give a damn what random reads it.
Miss Diarist - Either that, or you end up ear deep in chocolate icecream.
Rups - 7.30? Shit. I'm barely awake then!
Josh - nah. I don't think I could give up my blog. I'm quite attached to it.
I have three exes that read my blog, and two or three real life girlfriends. My boss does know that I keep a blog and I've told her that I don't write about work stuff. She also keeps a site online where she publishes poetry so it wasn't a big deal.
I would have a problem if others found out about my blog because I do value my privacy.
I guess its a two way street. What you share, and the obvious size of the net. Dunno.
Holy shit and bejeezus Phish! Did you find out who it is?
I'm not so much worried about anyone at work reading my blog- I mention work but not bitchy about specific people. I would be more mortified if any of my STUDENTS or their PARENTS found my blog. OMG. I would leave town in the dead of night. I'm not kidding. I never mention blogging to kids and play totally stupid at the mere mention of what a blog even is...
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