Mary+Gray

“Part of Leta's problem is that she has become terrified of pooping and whenever she feels the urge she holds it in.” This is a line in one of [|Heather B. Armstrong]’s February 2006 blog posts about her daughter. With over four million page views per month, Armstrong’s mommy-blog, [|Dooce.com] supports her family. Her five-year-old, Leta, is a hot topic on the blog…alongside her Armstrong’s social life, career, and the story of her post-partum depression. How is this fair to Leta? At age five, she hardly has a say in what she eats for breakfast, much less what her mother writes online to pay the family’s bills. When Leta reaches age 25, and decides to run for Senator of Utah, what will the millions of people who religiously read stories of her childhood constipation think of her? When Armstrong blogs about her own [|personal problems], it is completely legitimate in that it does not directly affect her family. Some people even find an outlet in blogging about their hobby. “Golf Chick,” Kristen Williams blogs about her passion for golf on her blog, “[|The Golf Chick].” Williams specifically leaves her [|personal life] out of her blog, and in this protects the people she loves. Some bloggers choose to blog about their love life, and even their family anonymously. “[|Liberty London Girl]” is a fashion editor who blogs without revealing her identity-including her [|face]. “[|Confessions of a Rotten Correspondent]” is a witty blog about a nurse and single mother of three, who is also anonymous and has [|code names] for each of her children. These bloggers, while not nearly as successful as “Dooce,” choose not to abandon the integrity of their family in the “blogosphere.” Armstrong isn’t alone in her mommy-blogging. She also contributes to a popular website called, “[|Momversation]” where blogging mothers discuss everything from “Paranoid Parents” to “Lying to your kids.” While these mothers are blogging to share the stories of their motherhood, and some even [|discuss their blogs with their families], but is Leta really capable of knowing what her mother shouldn’t put on the internet? At age five, she hasn’t learned the valuable lesson of censorship on the internet quite yet. It is unfair for her mother to share her most embarrassing stories to millions of people. Blogging was created for the purpose of journaling on the internet. Its purpose was to benefit the writers on the internet, but when blogging reveals the personal lives of family members, and friends, it becomes unethical and unfair.
 * Exploiting Family over the Internet **

EDITED..NOT COMPLETED..VERSION BELOW When I was growing up, me and all of my friends had diaries, to which we confessed our deepest, darkest secrets, alongside the cherished secrets of our families and friends. Some of my friends still journal regularly, and many adults continue to record their daily WORDs throughout their lives. In locked, hidden journals, this was okay. On paper, the most harm that could be done was by a sneaky little brother ratting out all your secrets. This, however, has changed. Locked diaries that were once hidden with care have evolved into public blogs that can be accessed with the click of a button. Our generation has failed to realize, that the internet cannot be erased. Not only could this harm those posting, uploading, and commenting, but their families. Familial exploitation over the internet is becoming more and more common. Their original purpose of online blogging was to benefit the writers on the internet, as well as their readers, but when blogging reveals the personal lives of family members and friends, it becomes unethical and unfair. [|Heather B. Armstrong] has been blogging since 2001, and since lost her job due to exploitation of coworkers over the internet. Armstrong continues to write about the people in her life, including her family. In a February 2006 blog posts about her daughter she wrote, “Part of Leta's problem is that she has become terrified of pooping and whenever she feels the urge she holds it in.” With over four million page views per month, Armstrong’s mommy-blog, [|Dooce.com] supports her family. Her five-year-old, Leta, is a hot topic on the blog…alongside her Armstrong’s social life, career, and the story of her post-partum depression. How is this fair to Leta? At age five, she hardly has a say in what she eats for breakfast, much less what her mother writes online to pay the family’s bills. When Leta reaches age 25, and decides to run for Senator of Utah, what will the millions of people who religiously read stories of her childhood constipation think of her? When Armstrong blogs about her own [|personal problems], it is completely legitimate in that it does not directly exploit members of her own family. While some people abuse the ability to journal online, many use it legitimately, by journaling about their hobbies. “Golf Chick,” Kristen Williams blogs about her passion for golf on her blog, “[|The Golf Chick].” Williams specifically leaves her [|personal life] out of her blog, and in this protects her friends and family. Another way to avoid sharing information detrimental to others, is blogging about love life, and even their family anonymously. “[|Liberty London Girl]” is a fashion editor who blogs without revealing her identity-not even her [|face]. “[|Confessions of a Rotten Correspondent]” is a witty blog about a nurse and single mother of three, who is also anonymous and has [|code names] for each of her children. These bloggers, while not nearly as successful as “Dooce,” choose not to abandon the integrity of their family in the “blogosphere.” Armstrong isn’t alone in her mommy-blogging. She also contributes to a popular website called, “[|Momversation]” where blogging mothers discuss everything from “Paranoid Parents” to “Lying to your kids.” While these mothers are blogging to share the stories of their motherhood, and some even [|discuss their blogs with their families], some blogs have not ended so well…EXAMPLE HERE. media type="file" key="05 Hide and Seek.mp3"
 * The Evolution of the Diary **