JulieLeung.com: a life told in tidepools

I’m behind on my list of potential blogging topics, and especially behind in linking to local bloggers I’ve discovered, including one anonymous one.

Last month Mike Houser started a Technorati feed for “bainbridge island”. Subscribing to the feed has been an excellent way to discover who is writing, living and visiting on our community (I’d recommend it!) and has led me to adding a few new feeds to my aggregator.

Through Technorati, Mike and I each found Bainbridge Beat whose inaugural post on March 29 began:

There’s a lot of blogging going on here on Bainbridge Island and I figured I might as well chime in. The thing is, I’d rather observe than be observed. So I prefer to remain anonymous.

I was impressed by Bainbridge Beat’s (BB) attitude, aware of other island bloggers and in a sense, almost expecting to be discovered, perhaps also aware of feeds and Technorati et al. Some bloggers, especially at the beginning, express doubts whether anyone is reading the posts, or write as if it is a private diary no one else will see. From the beginning, the Beat has been writing for the community, posting pictures, concerns and news Bainbridge residents would want to know, from frogs to rumors and gossip. Interesting ideas have blossomed in the comments too, such as this proposal to plant pumpkins around downtown.

Both Mike and Chris Holmes have suggested inviting Bainbridge Beat to our blogger get-together this weekend, however Bainbridge Beat has declined, in a comment on Chris’ blog quoting and later on the Beat posting the classic New Yorker cartoon: On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog. Hmmm…does this imply Bainbridge Beat is written by a rottweiler? Retriever?

Then again, I suspect a canine perspective would focus on other island matters, not the potential threat of lawsuits for my Peeps experiments but rather the location of free treats, water bowls and fellow furry friends or foes. Bainbridge Beat may want to read the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s post How to Blog Safely (About Work or Anything Else): The point is that anyone can eventually find your blog if your real identity is tied to it in some way. I respect anonymity. I have read and I believe that anonymity can provide protection and allow for deeper dialogue than disclosure. If I hadn’t been married to Ted – and he hadn’t already been blogging – I probably would have tried to hide my identity. However, I think it is difficult to write on topics without revealing at least some clue in the perspective revealed. In reading the Beat, I’ve noticed details that I would not have known myself. Ethan Zuckerman has described some of challenges of the technical aspects of anonymity. Betsy Devine commented in Kalily’s post on blogger ethics: Word of caution: anonymity can easily get broken–and things that get onto the web stay public forever.

Yes, I am intrigued by the hidden identity of Bainbridge Beat, but more than that, whether anonymous or known (or canine?), I welcome this new blogger to our community.

Philippe Boucher has been linking to many examples of community sites to inspire us. We both appreciate Lisa Williams work too. Now his daughter has been inspired enough to join our ranks with her writings at Le blog d’Anne – another welcome! It’s refreshing and delightful to read about all the activities this talented 14-year-old enjoys and her perspectives and experiences in blogging and journalism.

I’m also late in posting a link to another Bainbridge blogger. Via Flickr, somehow the waffler, otherwise known as Adrian Sampson, found me. He takes excellent photos, such as staplers in their natural habitats, has great wit, maintains a blog (titled Capra hircus) or two (the high school debate team blog) and started his own one-man software company (!).

Only a year or so ago, I thought Ted and I were the only bloggers on Bainbridge. Then through Jay, I found Chip Gibbons. Last summer Philippe Boucher found me and I think a newspaper article lead me to Kevin O’Keefe. Another newspaper article brought Mike and Walker to my attention …and so the story and community grows as we become connected together…looking forward to Saturday!