Thanks to the efforts of Anyhoo, David, Duncan, Mark, Scott, Tim and I’m sure, others - far, far more people have looked at this in the 2 days it’s been up than I expected in the first two months.
So if you’re stopping by for the first time, “Hi! Sorry there’s not much here yet….”
I pulled the old blog one morning in January (and was hospitalised that evening - I’m sure there’s a link) citing issues of privacy. What I’m writing here isn’t exactly going out of my way to retain my anonymity. As Scott notes
….who used to blog under his real (name). He’s now hiding his identity about as effectively as Christopher plays hide-and-seek (hiding under a bedsheet and giggling uncontrollably).
It’s true, I can’t imagine writing, enjoying it and avoiding (say) the fact that I’m English and living in Germany, nor touching on the topics I find important and/or amusing. However, as I’ve learned, everything I wrote previously is cached by google anyway, what one posts is, in a way, forever.
Think before you drink, before you link… I suppose. And don’t use your surname.
Well obfuscate then. Suggest you live a different city (I can never remember which one it is anyway), and do a slightly different job (just don’t pick intern in Washington). That was why I asked about what to call you - a partial name makes it too easy to link to the full name.
I know I’ve dropped a couple of mammoth hints on my blog, but they are the type of thing which wouldn’t (hopefully) show up in Google.
Those who have followed from pre-reincarnation will probably be willingly complicit. For some strange reason we like reading what you write, and if the price of that is mutual agreement that you are not you, then so be it.
Those who are late comers need never know. But if anyone who already knows you stumbles upon this site, by whatever means, they’ll inevitably recognise you.
Said he living in dread of his own two worlds meeting. I also have no idea how one gets round photographs, other than the very boring option of not bothering.
True … Every comment you make…. every Post you post is forever immortalized on the World Wide Web. Something also to be posted on a resume for superior job prospects.
Actually…leaving your name on a recent comment wasn’t exactly subtle.
Duncan I read your blog…. it is very subtle… and who uses the word subtle anyway?
Anyhoo: Obfuscation was something I thought about; “My name is actualfactual, I live in Tweetown/Notacity/Benzstadt”, but it seemed a little strained now. I’m pretty much aware of what was getting me into trouble before and I don’t really have any problems with being actualfactual at inactualfact.com
Duncan, EuroYank: It wasn’t outright subtle, no. However, having thought about it for some time, without acting like a complete recluse (which doesn’t fit too well with publishing “this is what I think about stuff” on the internet), I can’t see it being possible to completely shield one’s identity. As it is I’m relatively happy with first name terms and avoiding work-related topics.
You know, you can actually prevent Google from storing your pages in a cache, if you like. I know the other side is down now, but if you can get back into it and insert a norobot tag in the header (just check out Google Help; it tells you exactly what to put in), your site won’t be cached/indexed the next time. Of course, that depends on what tags you put in, but the option to just have your site left alone does exist. I used it for my site, and now there are no more caches of a particular post on which an idiot college friend left my real name
At least, none that I can find.
Sin:: Thanks! That sounds like it might be very useful… I’ll go and see what I can do.
Glad you’re back and I hope you’re feeling better!
Cheers!
Hello
I’ve been reading you for a couple of days now…. maybe a few. Don’t know what I did before you came back.
Seriously, glad you decided to blog again. The blogworld is a much better place.
Audrey