Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Froggie socks and Online Personas


Late yesterday afternoon my friend Jane called and asked if she could come up to see me. She arrived bearing gifts.

She brought me this cute pair of froggie socks. My editor is particularly fond of frogs and her group of authors all belong to the 'frogpond'. We're all called frogs. So these were very appropriate. I love 'em. Check out the neat little bowties and hats. My froggie socks.

I have a ton of socks. Penguins, moose, monkeys, flowers, cows, hallowe'en, christmas, easter, stars, trees, moons, so the frogs will be right at home. Thank you, Jane!

I've been tootling around on the internet, reading blogs and sitting in on chat loops over the weekend. I'm always amazed at the amount of information people blurt out for international consumption. I suspect that information on the internet lives forever. Once sent you can never retrieve it. So this is a list of the things I learned this week.

On woman chose to share the intimate secrets of her sex life. You know the 'other' one--not the one she has at home. I learned enough in the first three sentences to hold me for a long time. TMI!

Another person chose to discuss their shop-lifting escapades. One word. Illegal. Just know that it's hard to get access to a computer when you're in jail.

A man revealed that he loves to be flogged and have other odd stuff inflicted on him. Moving on...

One idiotic woman mentioned that her husband had recently moved on to greener pastures leaving all alone her with three beautiful children. See their pretty pictures? Oh, you want meet them? You say you're a pedophile or a child molester? Well no problem, just click in the little box that says "address and telephone number". Criminal negligence.

Admittedly these are extreme examples, but many people are quite comfortable sharing all sorts of personal information without sparing a thought about who will read it. The internet is a vast faceless ocean of people. I could post a picture of any woman, tell you, my readers that it was my picture and how would you know the difference? I could tell you that I'm a seven foot blue skinned amazon with pointed ears, fangs, and knee length red hair. How will you know that isn't the truth?

Or my name could really be Andrew Black, I could be a short squatty geek with acne scars and greasy hair and a love for Australian Rules Football. And my friend Jane might be a brawny biker dude with a lot of tattoos, named Bubba-Joe. Again, how would you know?

So... Just food for thought. Who's reading your words?

Anny

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Don't forget to drop by Kelly's Blog for the details on her contest... prize is a lovely necklace! www.kkirch.blogspot.com And then stop by Amarinda's Place to check out her newly rearranged blog at www.amarindajones.blogspot.com Blessings on your day!

10 comments:

  1. I knew Jane had tatts - and the socks - what can I say? They are a thing of beauty...no really...

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  2. The socks are cool. LOL

    As for the internet...you're absolutely right. I'm continually shocked by how much information people will give out to virtual strangers.

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  3. I love the socks:) My fav of the ones I own say 'Beary Christmas'.

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  4. Andrew and Bubba-Joe. Hmm.

    Always sound advice. I'm an open book but still try to keep things superficial. YET I will sometimes hit send and think, oh crap.

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  5. I love your socks.

    As for blurting too much on the Internet, people make the mistake to believe that because a person is sitting by her lonesome in front of her keyboard what she writes remains private. She forgets she's alone, yes, but broadcasting to the world with a powerful microphone.

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  6. Hmm, you've been doing some interesting reading. Love the socks. Kudos to friend Jane.

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  7. I bought the socks to keep you from wearing those frog capris you threaten to wear. You're welcome. I keep the tatts hidden and, for the record, it's "bubba-Jane".
    Great picture, by the way.

    Jane

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  8. Great Socks!

    My favorite "information sharers" are the folks who IM me because they saw my profile (which says female, married and the state I live in because the first and last fields were required and I hoped the married would deter them. Nope. I had one guy IM me and launch into the strangest set of baking metaphors that ended with me reporting him after he offered to show me his spoon. (Jerk seemed to know how to get around the IM catchers.)

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  9. And then their are the people with whom you think you're having a private conversation with only to discover that they've forwarded said conversation to everyone in their address book.

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