Gasp! I need a pseudonym, pronto!
In the calm of a Friday evening, I was looking through some statistical data pertaining to this blog. I check it from time to time, but never really paid any attention to the details.
And then I stopped short. Closed my eyes, and opened them again in horror. It seems that someone had googled 'my real name' malaysia and ended up landing on this blog.
Now, there's nothing wrong with googling for 'my name'' in Malaysia, fact is I personally knew a few other people who went around by the name. There was a primary school mate (a year or 2 older, I think), there was the daughter of my family doctor when I was a small kid, and there was another friend in the same faculty as me albeit one year my junior... so the search that was made could have been made for any other of these people. Just for the record, though I must inform you that I'm a rather low profiled person, especially from the last 10 years or so...
Anyway, back to the search... what I found rather disconcerting was the fact that this blog came in 1 of 14000 over other sites. Due to updates, I presume. However, I'm rather uncomfortable with it, as I created this blog in order to be one of the many bloggers out there. Yeah, i know I do some linking work, and comment quite regularly on some blogs, but I don't know any of these people personally. That was the point of the word Secret in this blog. Little did I realise that putting my real name would cause it to be say... searchable.
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After an unexpected quest for a Sony mp3 player and an enthusiastic (and almost obsessive) research for a rugged phone, I have finally craw...
One can never be completely anonymous these days ... especially in the wake of Google :-)
ReplyDeletePerhaps you can try spelling your name backwards for your new username/blogname, like Ahsuna or something ...
Don't I know it.
ReplyDeleteI've had people coming to my blog after googling my full name, and even a couple of my sisters' full names.
I have a great idea for a pseudonym. Try typing your name out in your hand phone, with the dictionary on, and use whatever word that comes out. Let's see... *types feverishly on hand phone* okay, yours would be amusia.
...
okay, at least that's better than cogs, the word that appears when I try to write my name out.
Uncalled for advice.
ReplyDeleteAmusia does sound interesting, especially since you dig comedy. Nom de plume, or rather nom de blog, are used for a variety of reasons. Mine are too complex.
As regards anonymity v/s visibility. One can keep a blog unlisted. Though most people write a blog to be read. I write because no one else would publish me :D Even a nom de blog will be searchable. Difference is, this would show up in searches for your nom de blog, not for your real name. I get hit with searches for Greek Gods (heh heh).
Linking blogs is a nice idea, if one consistently keeps liking the posts on these blogs. One almost never knows the person behind the blogger. You like the blog, you link to it. Netiquette says the link-ee must link back to the link-er.
Hahahahaha DUDE! If I goodle my name millions and millions of other Alejandras pop up! BUT if I google my nickname 'alethegoodsoul' ALL of my stuff comes up! The blog, the myspace site, the writing.com portfolio and the fictionpress.com profile! THAT IS AWESOME!!!!
ReplyDeleteI never knew that...
Oh yeah. Back to your post.
Yeah. I guess its bad if you want the 'secret' to stay 'secret' but well... just take it off the listings or something. I hope it all works out! (Heh. Yes, I don't know what to do or say... I kinda like finding my blog in google...)
maybe you should consider getting a double secret backup blog
ReplyDeletePugly: Tell me about it... Your suggestion of ahsuna reminds me of the younger years when i called everyone using their reversed names...
ReplyDeleteAnisah: Full name, eh? That's quite unnerving, huh? Unless you know the person. But then again, they might as well ask you for your blog url instead of stalking you, right? I don't know how you got amusia, but I got boatsiga when i tried it (grins)
Prometheus:Don't mind the visibility, like you said, you blog so that your work can be read... The anonimity is important though... I cant bear the thought of having a friend come up to me and say... "Yo, why didn't you tell me you had a blog on blogspot... Trying to hide it from us, huh?
Duoh
Alethegoodsoul: Yeah, I tried my full name on google and there was nothing. Though when I just graduated, my name was listed as part of the graduation list back then... hehehe Well, glad that you like the exposure, though :)
justifiably_vertical: will try....
hmm, whatever u decide to do, please keep me posted, i am slightly addicted to your writing now...
ReplyDelete*twitch..
I wonder if there is an AA type thing for Bloggers..
Hi my name is SilverSabre and Ive Im a blogoholic...
SS
Ergo, anusha, your blog and all the posts on it and linked email addies hafta be in your nom de blog. I got a few comments (early days) that called me by my nom de life. I promptly edited those and reminded my friends to use the handle instead of the name. Now I'd like to think that there's no trace of my identity on the blog, though hacks can discover me. Plausible deniability, the US government calls it.
ReplyDeleteSilverSabre: Welcome to the club. I'm addicted to blogging too and reading (stalking) other peoples blogs too even when I have tonnes to do. It has become an obsession.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, if there is no established AA type society for bloggers, we could establish one of our own... I'm sure some of our other blog friends will be willing to join :)
Oh... and thanks for the compliment (takes hat off and bows)
Prometheus:No worries... I'm not hiding from the US govt, that's for sure... And it doesnt matter if people still refer to me with my own name.
So, what are you running from?