I got an email with a question, about why I took my resume down off my website; and more generally, how my writing online has effected my life.
It's a good question really. It's certainly one that other bloggers and I have discussed, mostly amongst ourselves, but also with our readers.
Well, first, I took my resume down temporarily because I was getting some harassment; and people were using the information on it to screw with me. I'll eventually put it back up; but at the moment I have no need for it to be online. Besides which, it CAN be found, if you want to make any kind of effort, and you know how. Most of the idiots who are stupid enough to harass me, are incapable of such things.
This is also one of the reasons why I don't discuss specifics of employment, past or present.
Hmmm, how has my online writing effected my life....
Well, It's given my thoughts and words a much broader audience, and introduced me to many new friends. I'm hoping that it has influenced many people, to understand many things, much better than they had before reading; and that I've been able to dispel a lot of nasty and stupid myths and answer a lot of interesting questions.
On the other hand...
It has also resulted in death threats, harassment, being fired from two different jobs, and most likely prevented me from getting several more; and it has certainly complicated our legal issues.
Of course I'm not the only one. Joe Huffman, and Kim DuToit, have both seen the same impact that I have; and many others out there have similar experiences.
I wouldn't trade all that though; nor would I choose to go back and blog pseudonymously. I believe a man must be willing to stand behind what he says, and what he writes. Not to say that I respect a person less when they write under a pseudonym; but when I write something, and I put my name on it, people know who and where it is coming from.
