Names Have Been Changed to Protect the Innocent

Thanks to all of you who pointed out the archive problem. I think it's fixed...for the moment. We now return you to your regularly scheduled program....

The Internet is a funny thing.

Let's think about this. Here I am, posting my weblog online, where anyone and everyone can read what's going on in my life. No holds barred, the straight dope. I am far from the only person doing this. (By the way, we got another one. Look who's blogging now!)

But while I feel comfortable rambling on and on about inane topics, I feel a certain reluctance to reveal my actual name to my reading public.

Granted, at this point the majority of the people reading my stuff are friends and family - folks I emailed with my URL, begging them to check me out. But sooner or later, links will be followed, someone may pass my address along, and there will be complete strangers reading about my life. Someone in Nova Scotia may be reading about my lack of career direction. Weird.

And we've all heard the horror stories. Online stalkers. Internet crime. There's a lot of freaks out there. We live in dangerous times, and the idea of some crazed fanboy showing up at my door three years down the road is a little creepy. Hence, the pseudonym. Not exactly foolproof, but better than nothing.

However, I felt bad about allowing myself this anonymity and not extending it to anyone I might write about. So, in an effort to be fair and to steal a quote from Oingo Boingo, I've been asking my friends an odd question lately:

Who do you want to be today?

Some have opted for pseudonyms, and some have just stuck with their given names. Some already had names that they used on their own sites, and to avoid confusion I just adopted their pre-selected noms de plume into my new "little black book." Obviously, I don't know someone who was given the name Hacksaw upon birth. Or SchizOphelia Jones, for that matter. But I think the world would be a better place if I did.

(Actually, the aforementioned Ms Jones had a pretty apropos comment about the whole weblog concept: "I enjoyed reading your journal, but I did feel a little like a voyeur. In the best and most honorable of ways." Thank you. I think.)

So read on, kids, with the knowledge that I don't really know anyone named Roger Mexico or Rosencrantz or Guildenstern. And no, I'm not telling you who's who. It should appear obvious among most of my friends eventually anyway.

Hey, every known publication in the world reserves the right to withhold names and private information. And I'm not answering to anyone, so you better believe I'm going to reserve that right.

Of course, if any of you tick me off, I also reserve the right to expose you. So play nice.