I’m NOT Anonymous!
January 29, 2008 by Kate Olson
My post Hiding Behind My Blog was quoted in 2 different posts in just the past 2 days (in relation to Vicki Davis’ post Why Should You Have to Hide Behind Your Blog) and I’d like to make this clear - just in case anyone didn’t see my Came Clean, I’m Coming Out post or notice the PICTURE right on my blog, or the About Kate Olson page with my full name, etc.
I AM NO LONGER BLOGGING ANONYMOUSLY OR IN ANY WAY CONFLICTED ON THE SUBJECT
In fact, I even shared my blog name and link with several other administrators and quite a few teachers in my district. I have no secrets (at least none I’m going to share here!) and am proud to be out in front of my work.
That being said, I’m reading a book that I found during my research on the topic back in the Hiding Behind My Blog days - A Blogger’s Manifesto: Free Speech and Censorship in a Digital World by Erik Ringmar. (Note: this book is probably NOT appropriate for K-12 students (language), so please enjoy it yourself and share the relevant bits with your classes.) I’ve only gotten into the 2nd chapter, but it’s been a really quick and interesting read so far. I find the topic of freedom of speech very interesting and the author digs into the history of this all the way back into the 18th century. He’s also very candid about his blogging experience and does a really good job of explaining in simple terms the basics of blogging, Technorati, and the like. I’m so stuck in the edublogosphere that I forget that there’s an entire world of blogs (much larger than this) about completely unrelated topics. He’s rather in-your-face and and the book is written in a very conversational tone.
I found this bit rather thought-provoking (although I’ll leave the analysis for another post):
“Everything which can be revealed will soon be revealed. Woe to those whose lives cannot withstand public scrutiny“
I can’t attest to the quality of the rest of the book yet, but I’m really looking forward to reading more - I’ll keep you posted.
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The thought I have had (and need to process fully) is how much I should talk about ‘my students’. Obviously I am not going to use names, but there’s enough information out there about me for people to at least identify the group of students I am talking about. So I think I will have to be very careful about that.
The other thing is what my employer will think about issues I write about related to work. Again, something I have to be aware of.
As an anonymous blogger, I find this topic very interesting. Many people have asked me why I blog anonymously, some with a hint of paranoia in their words, like I might be some crazy person, terrorist, or pedophile (or other evil evil being.)
But I will say that I know within myself that my blogging is honest. More honest, in fact, than I could be using my real name.
Forgot to ask - hows the blog challenge going? Am getting back into it now.
In response to your post, I ordered “A Blogger’s Manifesto” immediately, and it came yesterday. I’m loving it so far. Evidence that monetizing edublogs might not be all bad? If you were an amazon affiliate, you might have made a quarter for recommending something I’m very much enjoying. What’s wrong with that, I ask!
anyway, thanks for the recommendation. Great one!
Hi Kate & others,
Thanks for reading my book. I’m glad you all seem to enjoy it. Yes, the idea was to write something that could be thought-provoking and important without being boring. It sounds like I came pretty close.
Anyways. The book is now available as a free download from the Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org/download/ABloggersManifesto/ErikRingmarABloggersManifesto.pdf). Please share with your students! (I’ve used and loved open source things for years now and it’s only a right that I pay back — besides, as a professor, I have pretty decent monthly salary, nothing to complain about).
yours always,
Erik
yours