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It’s not just careers. It’s Everything that is Dear to them that they are protecting. AMEN!

It does seem the older crowd is used to using source quality as a meaningful determinant of how good an arguemnt is, regardless of the arguement itself. If you can’t attack the arguement, attack the person making the arguement.

Well, game over

I will let those I want to know me know who I am. if I don’t know you, I don’t want you knowing me. Is that so difficult to understand?

Even though I know at least two people who did not get a promotion because of the content of their blogs, I do not care as much what MPOW has to say about my online activities. I believe what I write and will take the heat if need be. I try not to write anything online I would not want to say to anyone’s face. I am true to myself onI would not want to work anywhere that would refuse me employment because of my blog. That is not the kind of library (or other workplace) that I want to be in. It’s not like I am offensive or anything.

I must admit that I do respect someone more for saying something controversial if they put their name to it. I know that it takes real guts to do it and it’s a real risk. However, I’d rather people say things that need to be said and if they must do it anonymously (or pseudonymously) so be it. I definitely respect people’s concerns about privacy and safety and job security. I’m as willing to trust an anonymous blog as a non-anonymous blog; all that matters to be is that you write well and you write interesting stuff.

Like Jason, I also feel like I wouldn’t want to work for anyone who isn’t ok with me being me. However, the “me” I am at work and on my blog isn’t exactly the “me” I am at home (meaning I censor myself to some extent on my blog).

I do respect people who say controversial things with their name attached. I personally blog under my name because, I decided long ago, I’m not interested in working for someone if they don’t like what I say. But for all that, we have a LOOOOOONG history in the US of protecting anonymous speech, and the Supreme Court has ruled time and time again that anonymity is an understood piece of the 1st Amendment.

So: I’ll fight for the rights of the anonymous, even as I myself do not choose that path. Viva la Differance!

Apart from specifically blogging about interviews, I’ve never known a blog to hurt anyone’s chances for employment. At the same time, I don’t blame AL for being pseudo-anonymous because it could potentially damage her career. Why take the risk?

That being said, I also maintain a semi-anonymous personal blog. I use my first name on the blog, and state where I live, and anyone who really cared could pretty easily figure out who I am and where I work. I have friends, and library friends, who read that blog, so it certainly isn’t completely anonymous. However, I did take some recent precautions to separate my personal blog from the Cool Librarian name, and my full name, mostly because I am job hunting. Though I stand behind whatever I say on Cool Librarian (however damaging that may be), I say what I really FEEL, often about my work, on my personal blog – and sometimes it ain’t pretty. I am careful to not use names, of course, but I don’t really want prospective employers reading my latest job-hate (or my boyfriend woes, etc).

So, basically, I know that a prospective employer may come upon Cool Librarian and not like what I have to say – and that’s OK with me. I am looking to work for a library that is progressive, and if a prospective employer is THAT put-off by what I say on the CL blog, then it probably isn’t a good fit in either direction.

I don’t ever comment anonymously. If I feel strongly enough to comment, then I feel strongly enough to put my name on it. If it’s a touchy subject, putting my name on a comment helps ensure that I treat “opposing” commenters (or the OP) with respect. I respect discussion, and dissenting opinions, and I think throwing out flame bombs anonymously in a comments section is cowardly. But I don’t think that’s at all the same as having an anonymous blog to protect your job or your privacy.