Remember this the next time you blog.
Take a moment and think about everything you write on your blog. The embarrassing moments, the vents and rants, personal stuff, and maybe even some mindless drivel. Now, who would you not want reading your blog? Maybe you wrote about a sexual encounter and would be embarrassed if your parents found it? Maybe you bitched and trash talked about a coworker and it would make you pretty uncomfortable if that person found it? Maybe it is someone you just don’t think about. Someone who is in your life via a friend or family member, but you don’t really know or want to know.
I have a feeling for a certain couple, I may fall into that last category. See, about a month or so ago, through a series of events I came across Andy’s stepfathers blog. And what I found shocked the hell out of me so much so that all I can think of is “I wonder how Andy’s mother and stepfather would react if they knew I read this blog.” My best guess is they wouldn’t be thrilled. They don’t seem to be the most private people in the world, letting personal details slip here and there, but they are private enough to where there are healthy business type boundaries between their life and our life.
It all started when Joe said that he thought it strange that Andy’s mother only emails him from her work email. I told him that maybe they don’t have a computer at home. Joe replied that they do, it is in the living room/front entrance. So I said “Maybe they just don’t have internet access at home.” He replied that he was sure they do because he once saw a myspace page on the screen. At this point I could only reply “Oh.” Frankly, I didn’t know why Andy’s mother only emails him from her work email. At this point I can only assume it is to help maintain a business like relationship between her and Joe. However, the thought of her having a myspace page was curious.
You know where this is going, right? I searched her name. It wasn’t that hard to find, came right up on the first page. The page was mostly innocent. A few slideshows, a few pictures of her girls and Andy. Nothing shocking, just me saying “Oh, her girls are so cute with their face all painted like that!” At this point I was pretty bored, and I decided to go through her friends. First on the list, Andy’s stepfather. His page had almost nothing there. The most notable thing was he had a link to his website.
So I clicked. And I found… George Lucus. Yeah, the first blog entry was about George Lucus. I’m sorry, did my build let you down? Well it shouldn’t, because when I scrolled down to the next entry I saw a picture of a woman’s lap, with her two hands holding breast implants. Under it was a short blurb about how his wife treated herself to some breast implants. Now picture me, staring at his picture, mouth gaped open, and in a raised voice saying “Oh my God! [Andy's mother] has fake boobs!” Cause that is pretty much what happened. I was shocked. A part of me was a bit jealous (Admittedly, God didn’t give me much in the boob department). And I was also wondering if my husband noticed the increase in her boob size and just never said anything because I would kill him. For the record, I did ask him if he noticed, and he said no that he only looks at me. Which I’m pretty sure isn’t true, but it was sweet so I’m going to choose to believe him. This time.
Now you know that if a simple mention of a myspace page turned into me checking it out, imagine what a blog entry about Andy’s mother getting fake boobs would have done to my curiosity. Thats right, I kept on reading. I found lots of talk of celebs and rating their bodies, girls flashing their breasts (which at this point isn’t surprising, clearly Andy’s stepfather is a boob guy), and finally something more shocking…a ton of personal details about their sex life. I’m talking descriptive stuff! Which, well… Uh, didn’t need to know that!
Also more to the point, I would kill my husband if he put personal details like that out there on his blog. A joke about how he likes sex, or how he is getting some, all fine and good. But if he ever got descriptive. No, he would be dead. Seriously, I would just look at him and he would explode. I’m surprised Andy’s stepfather isn’t dead.
The point of this story is that most people assume it is only strangers or friends and family they gave the address to that is reading their blog, and they are fine with that. Which is cool. However, what if someone you know/that knows you is reading your blog that you might not be comfortable with? You may never even know. How would that make you feel? I know I’m never going to tell Andy’s mother or Andy’s stepfather. Hell, I’m just trying to put it all out of my mind. Granted, I’m just assuming they aren’t very comfortable with me reading it, but its a pretty good assumption. For the most part once you hit publish, what you write is out there and could be out there for many years, even if you delete it.
More posts like this:
- Updating Site. – May 25, 2004
- The photo albums. – September 15, 2004
- Jayesel – Flashback – November 9, 2007
- In the doghouse. – November 7, 2004
- Dinner, step style. – November 13, 2007
Rachel
November 2nd, 2007 @ 3:12 pm
I have trouble even mentioning personal things in my blog for fear of who will read it, but it’s something I’m learning to get past.
Kasama
November 4th, 2007 @ 9:42 pm
I am totally with you. In fact, I’m so afraid that my in-laws and other people who are so tame (they think damn is a bad word) will read my blog and think less of me. I even blogged about this fear.
NaBloPoMo Review | Modern Princess
November 30th, 2007 @ 9:19 am
[...] I talked about the reason why you need to be careful what you say on your blog. [...]
Andy's Stepmom
May 1st, 2008 @ 8:32 pm
I found your blog….took me six months, but…!
It doesn’t bother me that you read Matt’s website, I (mostly) know what he posts and it doesn’t bother me. The funny part is that even though you didn’t want to know you still kept reading!!
The main reason I email from my work email is because by the time I get home at night the last thing I want to do is get on the computer, but now that I can get my email on my phone I can check it wherever I am (my personal email is above).
This is so funny….!!! I hope you get this comment!!
Oh, and I didn’t upgrade because of size, I upgraded because of damage from breast feeding.
I would have LOVED to have been a fly on the wall when you found the post about my ‘fake boobs’!! LOL!!!
Frankenblog
May 2nd, 2008 @ 2:09 pm
Uncomfortable? Not at all. Although I have a feeling you might feel a little uncomfortable now that you know we’ve read what you’ve written. Hee! This is hilarious. Total pwnage. But in a good way.
I think I’ll simply say that whatever I post, I post with the knowledge that anyone and everyone can read it. Friends, family, co-workers, whatever. If it’s a post about my wife or our relationship I get permission before posting it. I realize this isn’t the norm, but it’s just the way I am. I’m open and comfortable enough with my life and self that I don’t care who knows about it. I love my life. I love the experiences I have (even the bad ones). And I like writing about them (even though I’ve been wicked lazy of late). Now, if there was something I wasn’t comfortable publishing, I wouldn’t even consider writing about it. But I’m really having trouble thinking of something I WOULDN’T put out there.
Anything else I don’t publish falls under the “tacky” label. That would be me writing about someone I know in the negative. Notice how you won’t find post after post about my boss. Or me spouting off about how that girl Laura Hofferman sucks.
Oh, and for the record, I’m not a “boob” guy. Puleeze. I like the whole package. I LOVE women. Boobs are awesome, though…
And before I forget, thanks for getting Andrew to use the potty.
Matt
Andy's Mom
May 2nd, 2008 @ 3:46 pm
Damnit!!! I posted my comment under ‘Andy’s Stepmom’….don’t know what I was thinking when I typed the information in…!!