Sunday, August 17, 2008

A Query about Privacy and Blogging

It's been a while since I've written here because my second draft of my book is my main focus. Blogging just has to wait.

But tonight I am inspired to write here by reading other blogs. What's that about? It's not a competitive thing; it's just freeing, in a strange way. I've been meditating on the issue of privacy quite a bit in recent months. It's really hilarious that so many of us offer up the details of inner chatter, what all of our information being sucked into some great data vacuum cleaner, and then being spewed out and analyzed by secret service or what's that new organization called: the Fusion? Where they can decide you're an enemy of the state and then put you on all these lists, as if you've committed some heinous crime. And all you've done is show up at a protest. I dunno. I may have oversimplified this fascist innovation, but I doubt it.

So here we are with no privacy from the State, offering up more of the same to an even wider audience. Facebook, MySpace, Uber, Rethos, Open Salon...and on and on. What's that about? Is it about isolation, lack of community, a desire for connection? Or is it some strange form of narcissism? A desire for celebrity? Or an honest to goodness, accessible form of communication? Maybe for each individual it's a mixture. If anyone is actually reading this, please give me your thoughts. I am real curious.

No comments: