Why an Anonymous Blog?

I’ve been thinking about blogging for about a year now. I never quite pulled the trigger until now because I was struggling with a two basic roadblocks. Now that the “I’m too busy to blog” issue has resolved itself (more on that another day), I’ve had to come to grips with the larger question: Anonymous or not?

The Anonymous question boils down to two basic, but somehow mutually exclusive, goals I have for the blog. The first goal is Credibility. The second goal is Truth.

Credibility. If I publish under my real name and identity, it lends a certain level of credibility to what I have to say. Putting my name to my ideas says that I have the conviction to back up my words with my personal integrity and reputation. If I do not publish under my real name, I run the risk of having my voice and arguments dismissed out of hand.

Truth. On the other hand, is the matter of Truth. Or more precisely, having the ability to say what I want without fear of repercussions. Simply put, there are many subjects that I will be writing about that are either highly personal, highly controversial, or some combination of both. If I use my real identity to make controversial statements, I run the risk of hurting my professional image in the marketplace and my marketability to my clients. As a result, I would be hurting my ability to provide for my family financially. Similarly, if I use my real identity to write about subjects that are highly personal (work life, family life, familial health crises, etc) I also run the risk of harming innocents that are both close and dear to me.

If you are reading this post online, then you know I’ve opted for the anonymous approach. When it comes to credibility, I will let my posts stand on their own: My arguments are either compelling or not, regardless of any weight my personal real-life reputation may lend to them. I prefer to err on the side of Truth, ensuring that I am free to say what I want. This will allow me to write truthfully and from the heart about subjects that I would not be able address if my real-life identity (and by extension the identity of my family, friends, and co-workers) were known.

Consequences. With Truth comes Consequences. I know that eventually some may be able to piece together enough details from each of my posts to match my blog identity to my real-life identity. I am counting on the fact that, in order to do so, these people would need to know enough about my personal life that they would be included in the “innocents” group alluded to above and will, therefore, understand and maybe even agree with my motives for blogging. If not, well, let the chips fall where they may.