Thursday, October 3, 2013

Over-Sharing on the Internet and Other Ramblings

I don't have a recipe for you today #sorrynotsorry so I'm just going to ramble at you for a bit instead. 

I couldn't go to the commissary yesterday because of the furlough, and since all of the other grocery stores here are pretty pricey, I kept my shopping to a minimum (part of the reason I have no recipe to share today). Thankfully, our friend who is leaving soon left us all of his perishable items so we should be good on meals for awhile. 

On the furlough: remember when I recently mentioned that my husband would soon be leaving for work-related reasons for a bit? That might not happen now because of funding. Which I'm okay with (I'm a little selfish when it comes to my husband) but I feel bad for him because I know he was kind of looking forward to it. But since we don't know for sure, we're functioning under the assumption that he will still be going, which has sent our normal routine into a bit of a tailspin. I know that life always comes with uncertainties, but I feel like the military has caused an unnecessary amount of uncertainty in our lives. I know that this is far from the worst thing caused by the furlough, and even though it is relevant to how I'm feeling right now, I know that I'm just complaining so I'll stop before it goes any further. Moving on.

The main thought that inspired this post is this. How much information is too much? When it comes to the internet, and blogging specifically, it seems like there is a fine line to dance along in regards to too much vs. not enough information. It's generally accepted that sharing your address and other very personal information is not a good idea. You know, common sense things. But how much personal background information is necessary for the context of a post? There have been times that it's been frustrating to not say certain things about my husband and his job, but that's the nature of the beast when your husband is in the military. Even in real life, that kind of information is kept pretty confidential. When it comes to what he does, or where he goes, and when he goes there, and what he's doing, I only divulge the amount of information necessary to give you the context for what's going on. In fact, I may not even know all of that information myself from time to time. 

But when it comes to other things (like names), just because I could post those things, doesn't mean I should. I keep my husband's name, and other military members' names (such as our friend, and my daughter's dad) private because, even though it wouldn't be incredibly difficult for someone dedicated enough to figure out their names, it helps me sleep at night. And it's out of respect for their privacy in general. As for my daughter's name, I keep it private because one day she will be able to have an opinion on what is and isn't posted online about her, and even though I don't post about her all the time here, and I don't post embarrassing stories about her, I still don't attach her name to this blog out of respect for her privacy. All of these things are simply personal preference after reflection on my unique situation before even starting this blog. 

I will always try to share enough information with you so that you understand what's going on, but (hopefully) not enough to put my family in danger or step on someone's toes in regards to what is said about them on the internet. Will I always succeed? No. But I want you to know that that is my intention. I hope you understand.

4 comments:

  1. I think you always have to do what you are most comfortable with. If it helps you sleep at night, then it is the right thing for you! I don't think there is any right or wrong answer in regards to amount of information sharing, it is all personal. :)

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  2. Been feeling the same way recently (furlough and privacy related :D)

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