Comments on: My so-called parasocial life http://stewartdesignweb.com/2008/09/21/my-so-called-parasocial-life/ Observations on Graphic Design, Mobile Computing and the Web Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:00:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Amy Stewart http://stewartdesignweb.com/2008/09/21/my-so-called-parasocial-life/comment-page-1/#comment-73 Amy Stewart Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:23:52 +0000 http://stewartdesignweb.com/2008/09/21/my-so-called-parasocial-life/#comment-73 That's a good point. There probably has never really been nearly as much anonymity as we thought. My neighbors and I have talked about the need for "virtual privacy" when you live or work in close proximity with people. It's very disconcerting to feel like people can see and hear everything you do. I've had the weird experience of googling something (often a tech or design question), and finding my own post show up first in the search results. I've also had clients find posts of mine, months or years old, on design forums. The Internet's memory is far better than my own brain's. I am constantly having to check myself not to say something too personal or obnoxious on Twitter, for fear of it coming back to bite me some day. In fact, I've posted my Twitter feed here on the sidebar of this blog to remind myself that it's going there for everyone to see. That’s a good point. There probably has never really been nearly as much anonymity as we thought. My neighbors and I have talked about the need for “virtual privacy” when you live or work in close proximity with people. It’s very disconcerting to feel like people can see and hear everything you do.

I’ve had the weird experience of googling something (often a tech or design question), and finding my own post show up first in the search results. I’ve also had clients find posts of mine, months or years old, on design forums. The Internet’s memory is far better than my own brain’s.

I am constantly having to check myself not to say something too personal or obnoxious on Twitter, for fear of it coming back to bite me some day. In fact, I’ve posted my Twitter feed here on the sidebar of this blog to remind myself that it’s going there for everyone to see.

]]> By: Ed Kless http://stewartdesignweb.com/2008/09/21/my-so-called-parasocial-life/comment-page-1/#comment-71 Ed Kless Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:24:45 +0000 http://stewartdesignweb.com/2008/09/21/my-so-called-parasocial-life/#comment-71 I have read some other stuff on this subject and my belief is that we never really had the anonymity we thought we did. Cities gave us the illusion of privacy because of their size, but in reality we are connected with a similar number of people as when we lived in small communities. They only difference is that our connections are spread out more geographically. Interesting stuff to think about. I have read some other stuff on this subject and my belief is that we never really had the anonymity we thought we did.

Cities gave us the illusion of privacy because of their size, but in reality we are connected with a similar number of people as when we lived in small communities. They only difference is that our connections are spread out more geographically.

Interesting stuff to think about.

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