By The Way...

Friday, July 21, 2006
10:35:00 AM EDT
Hearing High -- The Cure
Oh, look -- yet another writer grinds out a piece in which she discover that if you write something about someone and it goes up online, eventually they will find it. And it gets published in the LA Times. And of course (obviously), it's also on the Web, which means dear ol' mom (the person who was written about in the first place) will find this again, and likely another fit will ensue. Unless the writer told mom first, which I sincerely hope she did.

You know, I think it's time this sort of story gets nixed as a story of genuine newsworthiness. Yes, if you write about people online, sooner or later they're going put their own name into a Web search and find it, or they're going to put your name into a Web search and find you. Everything gets out on the Web. 12 years into the Web era, does the LA Times really need to run an article about it?

Let me put it this way: This'll probably be the last time I link to a story like this (unless, you know, it's a really juicy story). So, last call: Don't post anything about anyone you don't eventually want them to find. Okay? Groovy.


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This entry has 3 comments: (Add your own)

• #3 Comment from sdoscher458 
  7/21/06 7:00 PM | Permalink

  The problem is that different people remember past events in totally different ways.  I have a better memory than my sister, I can dredge something up in vivid detail, and she will say Oh my God, yes now I remember....So writing about family is such a touchy subject...especially when it can come back in your face. Sandi http://journals.aol.com/sdoscher458/LifeIsFullOfSurprises
• #2 Comment from monponsett 
  7/21/06 5:36 PM | Permalink

  This is probably one of the few times where I can say "thankfully, my parents are dead."
• #1 Comment from easuess 
  7/21/06 10:52 AM | Permalink

  If the next piece of writing about being "found out" is that good, by all means, link to it. She certainly writes well. It's possible for a thing to be done a hundred times, but not done right until the hundred-and-first.
  
  http://2writehands.blogspot.com