What Is Public And What Is Private?

1. What is too private for you to write about in a public forum? I have been sharing parts of my life, online for four…

by j. brotherlove

1. What is too private for you to write about in a public forum? I have been sharing parts of my life, online for four years. At this point, there are very few things I won’t write about in this public forum (the web). In my opinion, the nature of the “public” dictates how much should be revealed. When I first started my online journal, I would cloak gender pronouns (geezus!); I’ve come a long way in publicizing my privacy.

2. Have you ever published something too private and regretted it? More like embarassed and ashamed. And that’s all I have to say about that.

3. Do you think you could be more risky with what you self-disclose, or is that kind of risk-taking too much of a slippery slope for you? I could probably disclose more about my personal issues. Surprisingly, I withhold quite a bit.

4. What is public and what is private? On one hand, it’s subjective. However, I feel that personal actions are private amongst those directly involved. Of course, the more people, the less “private” it becomes. There are times when criminal private activity need to be publicized (to those affected). Other than that, Americans are all a bit too involved with other people’s lives. This is why the distinction of what should and what shouldn’t be made public is subjective. Overall, the wall of privacy in America is crumbling. This is evident in everything from the preferred shopping cards to celebrity sex tapes. Does it make our lives better to know so much about everybody?

(Questions quelled from Anx’s excellent rant.)