Friday, August 21, 2009

Coming out stories

CNN has an interesting piece on bloggers "coming out".
I don't reveal my real name on this blog. I don't post pictures of myself, or my daughter. I have a few reasons why, my employer freaked out when I mentioned work on my Facebook account (specifically when after a hard had I mentioned I had been humiliated. I had been.) I am not "out" as a pagan in most aspects of my life. I don't hide it, I just also don't flaunt it.
While I wouldn't care all that much if someone came on here and said who I was, I would be pissed that I would get fired over it. On the internet you can not express an honest opinion if you expect to keep a job. It's a shame, since you can go anywhere else and bash the hell out of people, but you can't say it on the internet.
This is an evolving new culture, and I really hope we get the kinks out of this. I'm sure we can work it all out, but in teh mean time it's useful to read things like the stories above and remember what happens when you get outed.

2 comments:

  1. Exactly why I'm Personal Failure instead of, well, I'm not telling.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I also keep myself private, I am not obsessive about it but I don't usually give my first name and never give my full name. Not because I am worried about my atheism costing me my job. I am open about that in my real life and about 2/3 of my co workers are atheists. I am private because I tend to deal with the crazier variety of Christian and that sort like many on Ray Comforts blog are obviously insane and probably violent. I am not worried about myself personally but the last thing I need is some psycho fundy coming after my family. Judging by the posts I see around the internet the guy who shot Dr. Tiller isn't really that far out of the fundy mainstream.

    ReplyDelete

All comments are now not moderated. Have at it folks! Don't make me regret it.