Matt Cheuvront. The Obama of Bloggers!

In all seriousness, I do my best to keep things interesting by not becoming too narrow in my focus. I think I’m making a name for myself – but not labeling who I am, if that makes any sense. Thanks for the comment, I can always count on you to add a ton to every conversation here.

I know ALL TOO WELL the concept of ‘pigeon holing’ early on. I’ve had several blogging endeavors in the past and each one became too narrowly focused way too soon. I got to the point where I didn’t know how to incorporate all of my (random) thoughts into concise posts that made sense. I think that’s part of the reason I came up with a blog title as ridiculous as ‘Life Without Pants’ – because it encompassed the randomness of my own mind. Yes, it’s still become somewhat pigeon-holed – people know what to expect from me. But I continue to reinvent myself (my ‘design’ blog I just launched, the Inconvenience of Change series, etc.) I try to spice things up and keep things interesting – so I don’t turn into ‘just another Gen-Y know it all’.

Ultimately, as you said, you write for yourself – I don’t write about things I claim to be an expert about, I write about things I’m interested in and want to learn more about. And you write to meet new people, build connections, generate a buzz, get people talking and interacting.

Always great talking with you Sarah!

I started my first blog with no intention for people to actually read it – it was a tool to make myself read more and keep in touch with current affairs – I am the kind of person that without an outlet I don’t bother….then some people started to read….then some more…and gradually I got more involved with the ‘online community’.

This however left me frustrated… I had pigeon holed myself way too early. I had a lot more to say and no where to say it…but I was trapped in a dilemma where I wasn’t sure whether blogging in my own name was too arrogant and self-centred….that is when I took myself off the web to think about it…

I decided that fundamentally as I still did not care too much if people read my blog or not that I would go for it for the sake of freedom of writing… this has meant that in the similar vein f the first blog – I am reading a lot more and interacting…which makes me happy!

Anyway that is my story – a little rambling I know but for me:
1. Above all, I don’t care if anyone reads my blog – its for me. (Therefore – you should write about what you want and not care about pigeon holing yourself or not…)
2. BUT I love interacting, meeting new people and learning – my blog lets me to that… (and so does yours, if u limit u might meet less people…)
3. In the end, if people DO read and DO comment – it is a massive buzz….that keeps me going as well

Wow…I didn’t really intend to write that much but there u go!

I’m amazed and impressed at how confidently so many people, particularly Gen Y bloggers, assert themselves under no guises or pseudonyms. But it worries me too. Personally I chose not to disclose my name when I set up my blog because I worked for a UK tax-payer funded institution, that can be rather conservative by nature, and I also belong to a profession that requires its members to be registered and maintain certain standards of conduct. I have regularly blogged about work, and not always ‘towed the party line.’ I could not be sure that what I might discuss in my blog wouldn’t be seen as compromising, or even used to sack me or have me struck-off the professional register. I love what I do with a passion, and have no wish to be struck-off by a small group of small-minded bureaucrats at the top of the tree.

I have moved on from that job now, and am sometimes tempted to disclose my name and other identifying details as and when it comes up naturally in my blogging. However, I still work in the same sector and may need to consider returning to a similar job in the future. Professional codes of conduct are not keeping up with the rate of change in the online world. Can I, or should I, take the risk of my blog being used against me? And don’t similar issues bother yourself and others?