Comments on: Blogger TMI

By: Marie Ann Bailey

Marie Ann Bailey — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 23:17:22 +0000

@Therapy New York
I do flinch at some of what I see on social networking sites such as MySpace or FaceBook. For example, I recently stumbled across a former coworker’s page on MySpace and thought about inviting him to be my “friend” since I also have a MySpace account. I changed my mind the minute I saw his photo. I just didn’t want the photo of him tweaking the breast of a statue to be viewed on my page. I mean, I know he’s a really nice guy, but–! Now, whenever I think of him, that photo comes to mind. Good thing I don’t work around him any more … otherwise, I’d have a hard time keeping a straight face

By: Therapy New York

Therapy New York — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:38:05 +0000

I heard about employers checking myspace and facebook profiles. I don’t think people realize that these profiles are a public representation of who they are as a person. I think people publish a lot of inappropriate information on their myspace or facebook profile. I think there is a limit of how much information you should share online or in person.

By: Marie Ann Bailey

Marie Ann Bailey — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:40:10 +0000

@Blog-Her
The concept of TMI extends way beyond the blogosphere. For example, I’ve had bosses who would often tell me much too much about their personal lives, usually in my office, with the door close. Kind of hard to click my way out of that! I realize that for many people the blogosphere is one way where they feel comfortable telling all about of themselves, but there can be consequences … and that’s my point. Like Emily Gould, I think too many otherwise savvy bloggers make the mistake of thinking that “oversharing” (or tellling all, or TMI, whatever you want to call it) is harmless, when, in fact, it can cause a lot of grief depending on who and what you are blogging about. Thanks for adding to the discussion!

@FreelanceVenue
That’s my major contention against oversharing: it can be an invasion of another person’s privacy. At the same time, I’ve seen blogs that post pictures of the blogger’s children and family and friends, and I enjoy them. I enjoy being allowed into a slice of someone’s life. As a great-aunt, I can definitely understand wanting to share pictures of the most beautiful children in the world I know of another blog that is being used to keep family and friends updated about the long recovery of a young man from a serious motorcycle accident. I’m grateful for that blog since the young man is indirectly related to me and, if it were a secure blog, I never would have stumbled upon it. So, it’s complicated and each blogger has to make up his or her own mind about what to share and what not to share. Thanks for leaving a comment!

Marie Ann Baileys last blog post..Using Writing to Mentor Students in an Online Course

By: FreelanceVenue

FreelanceVenue — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:04:58 +0000

It’s best to keep your personal and business stuff separate. Not only are there privacy concerns — but most importantly, you’ve got to protect the security of your family.

I don’t even post names of family, personal friends and such. You never know what someone is doing with that info!

By: Blog-Her » Notebook for the Week of June 23

Blog-Her » Notebook for the Week of June 23 — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 20:26:18 +0000

[...] Blogger TMI. This is just silly — there’s no such thing as TMI. That’s what makes the blogosphere so great: if you don’t like what you’re reading, click somewhere else. [Poewar] [...]

By: Marie Ann Bailey

Marie Ann Bailey — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:39:01 +0000

@Jeanne, thank you for your comment. The internet is built for speed, and it is easy to write, click send (or submit or publish) and then think about it later. It takes a lot of effort to pause, reread, edit, reread, pause, … although we have no problem doing that on paper. Working for a government agency has really sensitized me to how our electronic writing can come back to haunt.

@Leigh, yes, there’s only so much one can do to make a piece “perfect.” I find it difficult to “let go” whether I’m writing a story or an essay. I can always improve upon my writing, especially if I have the luxury of time to let it stew. But then how will I ever get published if I just keep reworking my stuff? That’s my incentive to let go

Marie Ann Baileys last blog post..When to Call Yourself a Writer

By: Leigh

Leigh — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:04:46 +0000

Good additional point, Marie Ann. Sometimes, I have to tell myself to just “let it go.” Besides, if there is a deadline on something, that takes priority to me (and usually to the publisher); one can only do so much–and his or her best–with a limited amount of time. And, as you say, no amount of editing (or other functions) by committee will make or break the piece. This elaborate dance of letting go is often easier said than done if you’re a Type A personality, as I at least partially am!

Thanks again for the insights you’ve provided!

By: Jeanne Dininni

Jeanne Dininni — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:33:56 +0000

Marie Ann,

Wonderful tips for not taking our online information-sharing too far! It’s much too easy to share too much in today’s online environment. That’s just the nature of the internet–and of blogs, in particular. And, it’s so true that the things we’ve written online can sometimes come back to haunt us–particularly in the professional arena.

Thanks for these words of wisdom that can help us remember to refrain from revealing things online that we may later regret sharing.

Great piece!
Jeanne

By: Marie Ann Bailey

Marie Ann Bailey — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:34:25 +0000

Hana, thank you for your comment. Sometimes I think our access to cyberspace came upon us too soon. We (the universal we) are still learning as we go. How many years has email been around, and yet we are still learning that email is a permanent document, even if you don’t print it out. Government email is considered public record, even if you (the lowly government worker) is just emailing a friend about where to go to lunch. I could take my blog down today, but I bet someone could still find it if they knew how. Paper shredders can’t protect us from what we release to cyberspace. We have 20th century sensabilities but we work with 21st century technology. We have a lot of catching up to do.

As for Emily Gould, I hope she does learn from her experiences, and not just consider them more fodder for her blogging. She is a good writer.

Marie Ann Baileys last blog post..To overshare or not to overshare! That is the blogger’s question.

By: hana

hana — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:07:51 +0000

I agree with your article. I understand that personal blogging is almost like therapy for some people. If you’re using your real name, location, etc., then you’re putting yourself out there in the open. If you were chatting at a restaurant, would you share TMI about yourself? We’d probably be more careful about sharing too much. I think the same should apply for bloggers.

I saw that Emily Gould article. She made a choice to overshare and she had to deal with the consequences. Words have consequences whether it’s in real life or on the internet.

hanas last blog post..Summer Project