No where to hide!

I am feeling exposed. In fact this feeling of vulnerability has been in my shadow ever since I started blogging in March 2006.

I have had a few suprises already from the cyber space. I first started blogging anonymously - no real names and no real photos. The stories were wild and imagined. Then one morning, I woke up to find LiL glued to the desktop instead on frying eggs for my breakfast. "I am reading this blog - wow, this one is so hot!" She said, urging me to come and share what she was reading. One glance I knew she was reading my blog ......and by then, I have written a few stories already. I did not close the window of my page the night before....and that was how she first found the 'travelers tales' blog as it was named then. I had a choice, and I chose to admit to her that it was my blog! From that morning onwards, I was no longer an anonymous writer and she has signed up as my number one fan.

Since then I have made the site private, but would grant permission to interested readers. Just ask....I have shifted from 'hot' stories to be more real by the day, although I kept the assumed cyber name of 'idham'. I started to write true stories about our families and shared family pictures too. A bold move.....

My second surprise was when one day I found this comment in my blog, "Found your blog, nice one!" signed by my boss from my previous employer in Dubai. I was keeping my blog a secret from office colleagues. However he was googling, and some key words he had used listed my blog as one of the sites matched. Although my name was different, my picture was a dead give-away.

Then, one day I followed the link from my site meter, and found a few of my entries 'word for word' sitting pretty in someone else's blog. I made no fuss. Then another trail led me to one of my poems which has been translated to French - but the person gave credit to me as the original writer. At least he or she had the civic mindedness to acknowledge.

Tonight, another trail from my sitemeter led me to a summary of every single one of my entries.......here. Wow! I was shocked that such thing is available. When I changed the serial number, it led to another person's blog and every single one of the entries there also appeared.

This site is actually very useful to see and track a particular blog of our interest. If only we know what the blog's serial number is....

This morning, LiL sent me this sms, "Congrats, ur blog is in the top 40....go to www.theblogrevenue.com".

Erm, yet another one of those rating or ranking sites....I really do not care much for ranking. I earn nothing and gain nothing. The only satisfaction I derive is when I know I have made connection with a few people through my blog.

I am sitting here feeling amazed, surprised, scared with what goes on behind the scenes in the cyberspace - unknown to many of us.

It gets me to think, that for young people - it is prudent to be very careful with what one puts up in cyber space - it may haunts you back in the future. It may in fact limit one's future! I have known of employers who conduct cyber seach on candidates to see what are associated with him or her.

I googled and found a blog belonging to my son, aD. One blogger from my previous school has included me in his blogroll together with all of other sites related to the school - which has exposed me to the community of old boys from the same school. Is this good or bad.....does not really matter. But it sure made me nervous.....knowing that those old-boys knew me from the past......of being six years in a boarding school together. hehehehe!

No where to hide!

ps: latest, someone in the family requested me to bring readers here.