Oct 20
Can I blog about you?
At what point in a new friendship is it okay to ask this question? Because I really feel awkward mentioning people in my blog — by name — if I haven’t received express permission and haven’t already been blogging about them for years. But these people are important to me and in my life and I want you to know about them. But no one in my offline life blogs and few people understand the significance of my blog or even blogging in general.
Am I fretting too much? Should I just do what feels right? Should I change names? When did this sense of privacy and respect even come about the begin with?
I think it’s a weird question to ask, not because of privacy issues, but because most people don’t understand or know what blogging is.
Truthfully I don’t think I’ve ever asked anyone about including them, nor have I ever been asked. I’ve only had this blow up in my face once. It was that time that my Brother’s girlfriend read my entry that talked about her and how I was hurt that my Sister wanted to hang out with her and not me the wrong way. The entry was focused more on my family and how I was feeling rejected, not about her. I even mentioned in the entry that I wanted to get to know her better and be friends. I never did take the entry down but I did try to explain and apologize to her after my Brother called and tried to murder me over the phone.
As I write that and think about it, I begin to think about Facebook. If these people have facebook and you name drop them on there and they are cool with it, then mentioning on your blog with a first name shouldn’t be a problem or even require an ask. You don’t ask before doing it on Facebook, talking with your other friends, so I don’t see why a blog would be much different.
I haven’t really asked anyone if I can say their name but I have had it blown up in my face twice once at secondary school and once while working in a call centre job – now I give everyone nicknames and never ever use their real names…
Personally I would just use nicknames :)