Although I swear that the Free-Ride offspring have not read the relevant prior posts!
While walking home from school:
Younger offspring: From now on, in the sprog blogs, can you call me “the small, silent one”?
Dr. Free-Ride: Why? You’re neither small nor silent.
Elder offspring: Definitely not silent. I live with you, I know.
Younger offspring: Just call me “the small, silent one,” OK?
Dr. Free-Ride: But that would be lying to my readers.
Younger offspring: But you already lie to them.
Dr. Free-Ride: What? When do I do that?
Younger offspring: You call me the younger sprog–
Dr. Free-Ride: The younger Free-Ride offspring.
Younger offspring: — but that’s not my name!
Dr. Free-Ride: No, it’s not, but it’s a relative description of your place in the family.
Younger offspring: And you also lie to your readers about yourself. Your name isn’t really Dr. Free-Ride.
Dr. Free-Ride: No, it’s not, but my real name and picture are right there in the left sidebar. They all know who I really am.
Younger offspring: Well, my name and picture aren’t there!
Dr. Free-Ride: No, they aren’t.
Younger offspring: Why not?
Dr. Free-Ride: I’m trying to leave it so you can control the details of your own online persona, when you’re old enough to do that sort of thing.
Younger offspring: What?
Dr. Free-Ride: I’m also trying to protect your privacy.
Younger offspring: Protect my privacy?
Dr. Free-Ride: Yeah, from creepy internet stalkers.
Younger offspring: Creepy internet stalkers?
Dr. Free-Ride: Mmm-hmm.
Younger offspring: How do you stalk someone on the internet?
Dr. Free-Ride: You’re not allowed to stalk people on the internet.
I think the Small Silent One is right… get these celery and broccoli stalks away from me! EWWW!
sso (fka YS, StY, etc) FWDF-RIRL FTW!!!!!
I realize this probably isn’t what you want me to take away from this, but I am intrigued by this part of the exchange:
I am intrigued by your qualification that a pseudonym isn’t lying with a “but my real name and picture are right there…”
LOL! What a great conversation! The final line capped it perfectly and I seriously LOL’d (drawing funny looks from my co-workers).
How do you stalk someone on the internet?
Well… I know the answer to that one!
Hmmm…I can hear the gears turning in that small, silent one’s brain….better be prepared, Oh Mighty Mom!
Silent? Hardly ever!
Well here’s a thought: you could post self-portraits of offspring along with their pseudonyms under yours. Refresh/update the self-portraits at least semi-annually, until they become so realistic as to be of use to facial recognition software. By that time, though, offspring will probably have a better grasp of wanting to retain some perimeter of privacy. Or maybe that happens when they start getting telemarketing calls at meal time.
Smart kid. He wants a good disguise.
I suppose I grew up in a culture which taught me to value my own name.
But Janet, Dr Free Ride is a name. And the reference of that name is you. If I blogged under the name Dr Free Ride, on the other hand, I’d be lying. So you’re not lying, regardless of providing another of your names and your picture in the sidebar.