Privacy and the Internet

Amazing how privacy works on the Internet.

There are 2 camps:

1. There should be an expectation of some privacy.
2. There is no expectation of privacy.

Let's look at the second group.  Those people say that anything on a blog such as this, if the blog is accessible to the public, is 'fair game' to be commented on and reposted.  In theory, I basically agree with this.  The problem comes when personal information is posted.  Everyone should know that with a few clicks, one's name, address, and phone numbers are easily found.  Since this information is 'public', no one in this camp should object to this information being made public.

But I suspect people would object.  Why?

Because publishing that type of personal information without permission is not appropriate behavior.  It's not against the law -- it's bad manners.  So then it seems there is some expectation of privacy or at least some expectation of what can or should be reposted by a third party.

What I have posted on this blog is my ideas and opinions.  Technically, the material is copyrighted which is unenforceable.

However, I have assumed that personal information from my blog would not end up being the center of 2 'fights' on another website.  What happened is that someone posted to another site about Peaches.  This person announced her to the group -- it really was my place to do that but she did it.  So be it.  Two problems with this, however:

1.)  I have received nasty emails from someone in that group or someone that watches that group.  I did not want Peaches to be included in those emails, so I did not mention her there.  Now I will probably get nasty emails and I, not the person who posted about Peaches, will have to deal with those nasty emails.

2.) I have had problems with that website and this blog.  Some members feel that I have no right to mention what is said there on this blog.  I have abided by that.  I assumed that the reverse was true -- what was posted here would not be mentioned on that website.  This assumption was wrong. So, if it is alright to post about my blog, then I will now assume I can post about things from that website.