To be or not to be...anonymous

The online world since it first started has created the opportunity for people to be somewhat anonymous to others. The world of chat for instance allows you to create almost any identity and communicate with whomsoever you so wish within the yahoo, msn and other environments. In most cases the players here do exchange contact details and some do meet up either in a one-to-one or group meet-ups. Almost always nothing much personal is revealed and the parties in the game mostly see the exterior one wants the other to see. Occasionally the more confident or non-fearing (or foolish some say) even real almost everything real about themselves.

Then came the blogs or online diaries. What started off as personal diaries has today become online diaries for the world to see and share. What one may have started as a place to pen personal thoughts and opinions, ends up now being a place so share with others. In some instances, where interest is generated or amongst a pool of friends, theres an active exchange of banter within this domain.

And we keep reading in the media about how such blogs as they gain popularity and following exposes the writer to a larger audience then it was first intended to. Clients and colleagues and bosses get to know about it and they start to read. They start to see whats in your mind. Whatever comments you may have posted. They start to see if they were mentioned in the blogs. If their photos were there for the world to see. Issues of privacy creeps in. Things get messy when the blog contains not so favourable thoughts of others and those "others" start reading too.

And so, life potentially has the danger of becoming extremely messy and awkward. Why do i suddenly go into this phobia-like mode?

Well, what started off as an innocent and honest attempt to remain anonymous to a certain extent to the public at large, has now potentially the means of blowing over into unsolicited attention. Not that it really matters cos from day one, i have refrained from being too personal, and not revealing the characters that revolve around my life.

But yesterday as i was chatting up with an old buddy, i came to realise the person we were talking about, who maintains a blog in cyberspace, is someone i know in real life. And the person is attached with a company where i do extensive work for. Their staff and bosses are my clients...some are close friends.

Its funny how they say, cyberspace is a small world. Fancy meeting someone out of the blue whom you know in real life. I've experienced this before.

The oldest friend that i have, since standard 2 in primary school, mind you, used to be in constant contact up to our early uni days. By then my faculty was transferred to a different state and we only kept in touch like once a year or less. I had started casual chat within the yahoo chat rooms around 1997 and sometime in 99 or 2000, the exact year doesnt come to memory, a funny incident occured. I remember i was at home, and it was late nite. I was in this KL chat room and this guy was there claiming to be in JB. We exchanged pleasantries and he eventually claimed to be my junior at our secondary school. I thought..ok..this is cool. But didnt think much of it. Was it the next day? He messaged me and asked if ............. was my name. And i went :O wtf! He revealed his identity and we had a good laugh! The rest is history, and we have been in constant contact since then.

I digress too much, as usual.

So, here is a person whom i know, who's company gives me much work. And who's staff and bosses are people known to me. Its somewhat become awkward. There are many photos within that blog. Photos of people within that company. People that i know. Wonder if they know their pics are online for the world to see. Its a funny situation :D

Well, lets see where this goes. The question will remain unanswered for now, to be or not to be...anonymous.