After submitting my blog to the Google Web Directory quite some time ago (weeks? months?), my blog is finally listed. It’s currently number 11 in its category based on PageRank. Not too shabby.
The other cool thing that I noticed in my referrers this week is that a Google search for gabe now displays my blog at the bottom of the first page of results. That’s big. Even bigger than when I became the number one result for a Gabe search.
Of course, the more popular my site and blog become, the less anonymity I have. Potentially anyone I meet — and of course old friends, coworkers, exes — can easily track me down and learn a whole lot about me. But I think that’s pretty cool. I just have to be aware of that and use discretion in what I write and post to my site.
I know I’m not anonymous. Anyone who publishes on the Web takes the risk of losing anonymity. In other words, if you don’t want the world reading about your life, don’t post in a public forum. Despite what some people may think, a personal Web site will only remain private if you password-protect it, don’t tell anyone about it, keep it in a directory that’s not a top-level domain (and thus cannot be picked up by search engines) and do not link to it from anywhere else (you or others), or don’t host with a free service that will list your site in its directory.
I’m reminded of this little situation that transpired shortly after launching Vassar Blogs.
