Finally got everything set for the website, so now comes the most relevant aspect of this so-called online journal--the topic. It's pointless to ask anyone to contribute suggestions, since the pragmatic side of me knows that no one but myself is really even seeing these words. Strange as that may seem to you, since you're reading this saying, "Hey what about me? I'm reading it." Regardless.......as I type this, there is no one viewing my posts. So, back to the point in question, "what to write about?" I suspect that I am not the first person in the world to ponder this notion, and certainly it's not the most profound concept I could be dealing with, yet just the same, it's 8:00am and you get what you pay for.
So my first official topic is......(obligatory drum roll)......... Anonymity. Wow! Hey, Glenn, that's deep. Now, wait a moment, before you click away on some random link, hear me out. There's the obvious argument that in today's technological day and age there is no such thing as anonymity, but I would argue against that concept. True, it's much easier to track someone down on the internet than it used to be back in the day, and sure Big Brother is watching everything you do, from your cell phone calls to your credit card purchases to your pay-per-view habits. But I suggest that all this points to is a big computer talking with other "less big " computers about insignificant data that has no correlation to "who you are."
You are much more than a database full of randomly calculated numbers and misorganized information. Your persona is deeper than the terabytes of psychological profiles housed by the CIA and FBI. Your soul and spirit are not shaped by your latest E-bay purchase or your RPG character on Everquest. (I will concede this last point on some instances based on individuals I know that live EQ).
My point is that while information on the internet may identify you and categorize you, it does not define you. Now I know you're saying, "Ok, that's all fine and good, but doesn't anonymity mean 'not having your identity known?'" Yes, but I believe the definition is more significant than just associating a name with a person. It's about the unknown; the character, the emotional constructs of an individual, the motivations and relationships of the person, not some sort of state of being that's determinate on whether your name is in a telephone directory. The quality and condition of your identity should be a result of your actions, and by this I mean something more substantial than signing up for the Columbia House Music Club.
I raise this idea, simply because I feel anonymous. Not just in the sense that most people in the world have no clue who I am, even though they might randomly access this blog or my website, but that people don't know me. People associate me with computers and the whole acting thing and my family sees me as a father, husband, brother, son, et al, yet I still can't help but feel unknown. This is obviously a result of my own choosing; my need to isolate myself emotionally and restrict myself from being vulnerable, but nevertheless, it is my choice.
So, now you have some insight into my idealistic world, and "No", this does not mean you now know me. I still claim anonymity despite your ability to Google me. I retain this privacy indefinitely, and no amount of Xanax will change that. So nyah!
