Do you know my last name?
I hope you don’t.
It’s not because I don’t like you, it’s because I like myself more. I like to keep a little mystery to my life.
I want you to ask, “Who’s That Girl?” (you’re totally singing Madonna right now, aren’t you? unless you’re jenbshaw and you’re too young to know who Madonna is or that song she sang.)
Anonymity in my outside life is nice and planned that way. I don’t want some troll to show up at my house demanding that I bring teh funneh to her life at my doorstep. Though, if that’s all she wanted, I guess I could flash her my boobs. That’s about the best I can do to make someone laugh on short notice. I don’t have any other skills to offer the troll at my door. So if you’re thinking about trolling me at my doorstep, think again. You’ll be bored and shocked at the mess inside. Not quite “Hoarders” shocked, but you know. Surprised at the clutter. natch
My point? I’m not one of those internetters who puts all of myself out there to the world for easy access to my personals. I don’t use my last name in anything online. I try to make myself a Man of Mystery little anonymous, but still me.
Life online is becoming more personal with the explosive growth of social media. If you wanted to, you could track my daily activities online. If you wanted to, you could find my last name. If you wanted to, you could find my address.
But I’m not going to make it super duper easy for you to find me.
My point?
I’m not going to use Foursquare. I don’t want you to find me at Taco Bell.
Today on Aiming Low NeW & ImPrOvEd!, I’m talking about my feelings about the new popular social media site. (Here’s where you click over and read that post, too, even if you know my last name or not.)
Are you scared of trolls showing up at your door to make you flash your (m)boobs?
Do you share your privates freely?
If I share my last name and address with you, will you send me chocolates and not make me flash my boobies at you for them?
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
I was dumb in the beginning and used my ENTIRE REAL NAME. Which has lead to some things from the past coming into the present and I so wish I had had a little more forthought.
not dumb. a lot of my friends use their whole name, it’s just a weirdness i have. you know, cause it’s weird.
I use my last name.It is my offcial last name but I haven’t done anything offcial with it. You know change important documents to have it on them For the longest time when I was twittering my crackberry was sending out a map to my house.
yeah, please don’t send out maps to your house. there are uber crazies out there.
using your name isn’t bad, it’s just not for me.
FourSquare was always a little weird to me. Seemed like overkill to announced where you were all the time, and a huge red flag for unsavories to rob my empty house.
GO ROB TARA’S HOUSE WHILE SHE’S AT THE BEACH TAKING CRAZY-AWESOME PICTURES!
like that?
I am clearly behind on the nerd curve because I had never heard of Foursquare until you blogged about it. I just clicked over there, and… uh, CREEPY. I don’t necessarily care if anyone finds out my last name, because there are about a bajillion people out there with the same name as me, But, knowing exactly where I am? Um, no.
yah, no thanks.
4Square is totally weird and I’m dumb so I totally love it.
My name is available and out there and I’m debating about changing that. The reason why I made the decision to use my real name in the first place was for branding purposes. But as time goes on I just kind of want to have some anonymity again, hide behind my cat picture and an alias and call it a day. But it’s difficult to make the transition with changing handles when folks have “known” you as one thing for such a long time.
it’s not so much the name thing that i shy away from, it’s the knowing where i am at any given time.
Wellllll, my full name shows up in my email. That’s bad. I don’t use the husband’s name or the tot’s name. Hubby says I should take down my city/location. That’s probably a good idea. In my line of work, I don’t really want clients to find me.
I’d show up at your house to bring you chocolates and flash my ta-tas right back at you girl! (Just kidding)
T
yeah for chocolate!
\O-O/
I thought your last name was Awesomeness?
shhhhhh don’t tell….
Foursquare annoys me. I also find it funny how often people eat out. It’s nice to see it’s not just me who hates cooking.
I try to be anonymous. Kids names, husbands name on the blog are fake. No pictures of my kids. However, BlogHer posted my full name last summer when I was on the keynote. It pissed me off, because I’ve specifically said over and over again, that I didn’t want it published. They took it down, but it had been up for a day or two before someone told me. *Head desk*
I did get the Foursquare app a while ago, but I never even opened it or tried to get it to work, because I couldn’t. I really don’t need everyone to know where I am at all hours of the day. But if I ever become the Mayor of Taco Bell/McDonald’s/Wendy’s/Burger King you better believe I will be shouting it from the roof tops, because that would ROCK and hopefully reward me with free food. (Because that’s what I need more food!)
I would totally show up at your door step with cookies if I knew your last name or address. The boob flashing would be a totally bonus!!!
Oh, and I use my real name on most everything. Because you know Grace spelled my way is totally common and no one will ever know it’s me!
Well, dang it. I’m walking around my house naked right now, and I’m posting it to foursquare. Perhaps y’all can come rob me (or robe me? whatever?).
These comments crack me up. I love reading other people’s comments.
I love social media and all, but there is such a thing as oversharing. I think foursquare makes it way too easy to do that. Its one thing to promote the places you love and encourage others to support great venues/retailers/etc., but I could really give a rat’s ass if someone is the Mayor of McDonalds. Really, I don’t think that’s much of an honor. Am I wrong?
My real last name is Sugarpants and nobody believes me. I don’t get it.
I know your last name…….but I don’t want to see your boobies (sorry, my boobs are funny enough!). I don’t wnat to know where anybody is ever……
I may send you chocolate one day, but for now I need all I can get.