Blogger's block

I have been thinking about a lot of different issues in my life lately....a job search, academic issues, even family stuff. I could have written 5 or 6 blog entries in the last couple weeks, but I have not. Why?

In informatics, we have several classes on the social issues of advances in technology. Since I am aware that this blog is extremely easy to find by anyone who is looking (i.e. potential employers) I have to be extremely selective about what I post. Everything I write here could be scrutinized by anyone who knows me. I definitely would not want to leave a bad impression on anyone who wants to know more about me, so I can't use this as a journal. I am busy beyond belief, so well thought out articles are almost out of the question.

I think we are going to begin to see a practice that I will call "Internet self-censorship". I practice self censorship on this very blog. I can't say what I really think about some issues. I can't write an opinion article on some hot button issue. The risk that is foremost on my mind is potentially pissing off a future employer that might disagree with me. It can be more confining than I ever thought.

Freedom on the internet is a double-edged sword. It is a forum that anyone can use to say whatever they want about whoever they want. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility and in my opinion, it will fundamentally change the way we live even more than the printing press. The changes are just barely beginning to be seen. As I was told at one point during my last internship, keep your eyes open and your mouth shut.