On Privacy Issues

The thing is, I would get ideas I think I'd like to write here but I hardly if ever get them when I'm sitting in front of the computer so I file them away in my head and of course always forget about it. Or worse, I start figuring out how I want to write it and by the time I sit in front of the computer I've gone on for so long I've forgotten how to start.

So I started to write down the topic headings of my next three pieces (YES! I have THREE!). I haven't actually written them yet because I'm working something for my sister Michelle and it's so late that I'm surprised she hasn't eviscerated me yet (which she can do and still keep me breathing... she's very gifted). Anyways, I just finished reading a transcript of an interview with Rich Burlew, creator of the Order of the Stick (see link to the comic on the right) and something he said made me realize something. And since I am sitting in front of the computer right now I decided to let this one cut in line and come on out first.

He mentioned that he guards his privacy jealously and doesn't put much information of himself online. Now despite having a blog and constantly plugged in, I'm pretty paranoid about my personal information on the web. I'm actually quite active about shutting down accounts I no longer use and I follow up on webpages I had a presence on and see if I'm still there or not. Information on myself that I post are stuff I don't mind people knowing. All the same, I'm not as private as I thought I was.

First of all there's this blog, while it doesn't go into mind-numbing detail about my life, does reveal more about me than I thought it would. And then there are my accounts on friendster and myspace which goes into that mind-numbing detail I was talking about.

I know that even my email (both of which - gmail and yahoo - are web-based) isn't secure and can be hacked by a determined hacker. My only comfort is that why would anyone want to hack my email accounts? And (my two, TWO comforts are: why would anyone want to hack my email accounts and) there is nothing I have posted that I wouldn't mind people knowing and (three! my three comforts are: why would anyone want to hack my stuff, none of my stuff is super-secret and) I have a really good password. The password can NEVER be tied to me because it's a random password that I memorized. So yey me!

Before I sign off... if you noticed I started putting labels on my posts. I may eventually backtrack and label my previous entries (but don't hold your breath, for those of you who haven't twigged to it yet I'm a lazy bastard).