Lately, it feels like every day someone new discovers my blog. Now, everyone knows about it except for my coworkers, and I need to keep it that way for now.
I’m no longer anonymous because all my friends know, and I’m easy to find on Google. I’ve also been posting more pictures daily and plan to share our engagement photos soon. Those will be the first official photos on my blog that show my face. I know, the suspense is killing you!
Just kidding, of course. Also, I’ve included some comments from readers on my last post about whether I should stay anonymous.
Recently, at W’s friend’s house, his friend mentioned, “Hey Michelle, I heard you have some writing thing going on.” Someone else even showed me my blog on their phone—what was I supposed to say?
Last week, I got an email from a reader who found my blog helpful. We started chatting and realized we went to the same high school and live in the same town. Small world, right? I feel like I have nowhere to hide now!
Everyone knows about my blog now. W’s parents asked for the URL, and my friends have found it too. It probably doesn’t help that you can just type “Michelle finance blog” and find it on the first page!
I have W to thank for this. He kept hinting about my blog to everyone, and now they all know. Even though everyone knows, I don’t think many people actually read it. Not many have mentioned anything specific from my posts.
But that’s a good thing. I like not feeling like I’m hiding from everyone. While I haven’t posted direct pictures of my face yet, I still want to be cautious about my job. However, many bloggers I’m friends with on Facebook and Instagram already know what I look like and my last name.
I started anonymously because my blog was a way to vent about personal issues, like my dad’s passing and other family problems. It was easy to talk about those things anonymously, but now I’m moving past that, so it feels natural to be public.
Positives of being more public:
– I’m not as mysterious. Many people prefer reading a blog where the person is open about who they are. I’m working on this and can’t wait to make the full switch to freelancing so I can post awesome pictures of myself daily.
– I don’t feel like I’m hiding from friends and family. This is the biggest benefit. I felt like I was living a double life for so long. Now, I talk about my blog so much they’re probably annoyed.
– It’s more fun and easier to blog publicly. I’m no longer trying to hide things that could reveal who I am.
Risks of being public with my blog:
– Financials are now public. Do I really want to post our net worth on my blog anymore? What about updates on extra income and job-related stuff?
– Certain things I’ve said about my family and past situations have been edited. I’d hate for certain people to see what I’ve written. Even though they’re in the wrong, I don’t want to reopen old wounds. I’m just moving forward in life.
– Nothing is private. Everyone will know everything about my life now!
– There’s always the risk that my work will find my blog and read my posts about passion or money. That would be an awkward conversation.
Are you anonymous or public? What would you prefer to do and why?