Uninvited Guests- What Would You Do?

Pretend for a moment that you blog anonymously. Now pretend that someone you know asks to see your blog. You explain that you are intentionally anonymous and that you'd rather not give them the keys to your cyberspace home.

Still they persist in asking to see it and you finally come up with a compromise. Said compromise is that you will share some of your writing with them, via a little cut and paste. They in turn AGREE not to try and find your blog.

Sadly they ignore your wishes and use the writing sample you provided to "Google" your blog. You in turn let them know that via your stat checker you know they have intentionally ignored your wishes and are trespassing and still they continue to show up.

Would you just let it go and accept that you were foolish in providing them with a writing sample?

Would you confront them and ask them to stop reading?

Or would you write a post in which you make it clear that you know they have violated their promise and are abusing your sense of trust in them?

I suppose that you now understand what I might do in the situation. It is one thing to be discovered by accident, it is another to be found out via intent.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

'The soul selects her own society, Then shuts the door; On her divine majority Obtrude no more'

It's hard to keep the door halfway open...

The Babka Nosher said...

The big question is, when they read this post, will they get the hint?

Anonymous said...

ouch! that really is upsetting. if anyone I know knew of my blog, well let's just say it wouldn't be pretty.
I say confront them head on!

cruisin-mom said...

It's kind of like expecting someone not to look in the medicine cabinet of your guest bathroom. People do it cause they can. This person figured...they can. What they didn't expect was your ability to see who comes to your blog. Well, I think after this post, they will get it!

Jack Steiner said...

It's hard to keep the door halfway open.

That is why I just smacked their foot in the door.

Babka,

We shall see.

Lakewood,

Spoken like a true schmuck. ;)

CM,

Good analogy. When people come to my house I put dead animals in the medicine cabinet. Does wonders for their appetite.

Elisson said...

Ahh, Jack.

When you put your writing up on the Internet, eventually anyone who wants to see it badly enough will see it.

The alternative is a password-protected blog, and who the hell wants that? Feh.

These people should be embarrassed about violating their agreement with you...but I'm willing to bet they won't be.

orieyenta said...

If would have said to confront them but I like the stinging, "Ha! I caught you!" of the blog post ;)

As for Elison's comment...The alternative is a password-protected blog, and who the hell wants that? Feh.

Geez - do I know that story.

Jack Steiner said...

When you put your writing up on the Internet, eventually anyone who wants to see it badly enough will see it.

Elisson,

Very true. If they had stumbled onto this I'd feel differently. But the manner in which they gained access left me more than a little disappointed in their behavior which is why this post exists.

They read it. Now we'll see what happens.

If would have said to confront them but I like the stinging, "Ha! I caught you!" of the blog post ;)

This gives them the opportunity to save face. No we'll see if they go away and we can both pretend that this didn't happen.

Anonymous said...

Your friends could also have looked you up via someone else's computer so you never would have known.

Jewish Atheist said...

Giving someone the means to find your blog and asking them not to is pretty unrealistic. Humans are curious creatures.

Jack Steiner said...

Fee,

Very true.

JA,


It was my fault. I shouldn't have provided them with anything, but...

Jack Steiner said...

Ignore them. It ain't worth it.

I am trying to.

Jewish Deaf Motorcycling Dad said...

I blog semi-anonymously. My parents know, as do one of my brothers-in-law. When I occasionally have a good post, my dad asks if he can send it on to his friends. We made the deal that he could cut and paste the post, and change my fake names back to the real ones, but not mention that it was on a blog.

After he did this with one of my postings, I noticed a bunch of hits coming from around where he lives. I asked him to forward me the "cut and paste" email he sent out. Turns out he also cut and pasted the title, which has a hyperlink back to my blog. *AURGH!!!*

I can't get too mad though, as he isn't the most tech savy, so didn't know to look for that. Fortunately most of his friends haven't returned to the site.

Jack Steiner said...

Turns out he also cut and pasted the title, which has a hyperlink back to my blog. *AURGH!!!*

That is kind of funny.

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