Taboos

What won't you blog about?

I'm curious -- do you only avoid the Big One (blogging about your job), or are there other topics you just won't write about? Just yesterday I confessed that my family is a Big One for me, since I'm pretty sure I'd hurt some feelings if they thought I was airing our dirty laundry for the sake of a laugh. Plus, I'm just kind of a coward when it comes to rocking that leaky, already-sinking boat. A lot of commenters echoed that yes, families are off-limits, even if they would provide tons of great "material."

(Kristin writes openly about her acrimonious relationship with her in-laws at Motherhood Uncensored, but confessed to me that she really hopes that they "never learn Google."  She's ballsy, that one.)

So what else? What won't you write about? Or do you write about everything? If you have an "anonymous" blog, do you feel more freedom to write about whatever you want? (I put that in quotes since I think it's pretty impossible to remain really and truly anonymous online.) Or do you still stay off certain subjects?

(Anonymous comments are welcome for this one, naturally. Ha.)

Comments

[Rhi]

I blog about my family, but I keep those blogs on Myspace, where I can make them friends only.

I might explode if I didn't have that venue to vent about the fam! (Especially the inlaws...oy!)

[nonsoccermom]

I don't ever blog about my in-laws. As far as I know they don't know about my blog, but my husband does and it would really hurt his feelings if I ranted about them. And lord, would it ever cause a battle if my mother-in-law ever found out...

[jodifur]

I don't blog about my in-l-aws. I did, but then I deleted it b/c I live in fear of them finding it. I relaly don't blog about my family eitheir. I mean, they are actually fine, I just don't have a lot to say, and my mom would be mad if I made the in-laws of limits but not then. And, my friends and family don't even know about my blog.

[cagey]

Regarding my family.... Last year, I decided to try and Lay Low more often in regard to my family. I am semi-anonymous, but figure it is only a matter of time before more and more of 'em start finding me. Talk about sinking ships - we chopped ours up YEARS ago for firewood.

Regarding my husband.... I don't blog about our bickering. The core of marriage is an awesome one and I treasure the sanctity of it, but we are normal and bicker over Stupid Shit. Once in awhile, I will blog about it for humor's sake, but I try to leave most stuff out.

Regarding my son,...I have a standard that I refer to as the High School Factor. If I tell a certain story, would he be mortified or ashamed if his prom date found it years later? If so, I leave it out. Which is a damned SHAME because in the past week he did some hilarious things which would have made for great blog fodder. Instead, I chose to email the stories to a select number of friends and called it a day.

The question I ask is this: What would Erma Bombeck have to say about the blogosphere? Sadly, we'll never know. Sniff....

[Arwen]

My family-of-origin is pretty Brady-bunch-ish, so I've got no qualms about blogging about them (even though they all read my blog) but they don't provide much material.

("Then we played a game, which was fun. Then we ate a meal, which was tasty. Then we all admired the babies, who are cute." It would get old fast.)

The one thing I don't blog about (although I think I've broken this rule once in the past) is my in-laws. As far as I know, they don't know about my blog, but it's not safe to assume they won't find it, so I steer clear.

And of course, when I had an outside-the-home job I didn't blog about that either. Now that my job is staying home with the baby... well, what else is there to write about?

[Undercover Angel]

LOL! There isn't too much I won't blog about... I blog about my family and my life and pretty much everything.

One thing I have made a point to steer clear of is my 14 year old sons arrest in December for shopplifting. He reads my blog and his friends read my blog, and I couldn't do that to him. He wound up getting off on extrajudicial sanctions and won't have any kind of record - thank goodness. He's just a kid, and kids sometimes get into trouble. It was an isolated incident, and there are not too many people who can honestly say they have never shoplifted in their entire lives. I myself stole a pack of gum when I was 4...

Lately I've been steering clear of the court case also. My husband and I are currently trying to get custody of his child from a previous marriage. The children were removed from the mother's custody by the authorities and she chose to put him in foster care instead of with his bioligical father who already had a custody case pending for the child. Yes, she still had the right to do that even as her children were being apprehended from her. We've been duking it out in court ever since, and we go to trial in June. I used to post about it a lot but I stopped for two reasons - if she were to get a computer and find my blog it might have repercussions on our case, and it's been over a year now - I don't know any more than I did then, and sometimes I just get sick of talking about it...

Other than that, there's not too much that's off limits with me...

[Annika]

I am careful what I say about my in-laws, because while they themselves have never heard of a blog in their lives, the rest of my husband's family found my blog years ago and they're a gossipy bunch.

I consult with my husband before publishing anything particularly personal about our relationship, and I try to respect my son's privacy, but those lines are pretty blurry. I'd say in general I feel pretty safe writing about it as long as neither of their penes is involved. (Oh my god, I just used the correct plural of penis. NERD.)

[fairly odd mother]

I'm a wimp about outright confrontation, so I avoid writing anything too terrible about anyone. It does mean I have to censor myself sometimes, esp. since my husband and my family read my blog, but I always remember that I can sneak into Her Bad Mother's basement if I need to vent (http://herbadmother.blogspot.com/2006/06/hangin-in-basement-primer.html).

[margalit]

I also don't blog about my family. A mention here and there, but I'd guess that most regular readers don't know where my family lives, how many siblings I have, etc. I just never feel the need to talk much about what seems to me to be private business.

I also NEVER, not even once, talk about my love life. Ever. And yes, there is something to blog about. But it's private private private. And it will remain that way.

[anne nahm]

Blogging is such a wee slice of real life. Little is taboo if is taken in very tiny doses.

On the other hand, if I ever get 'outed', I'll probably have to get "artistic license!" and "what, can't take a joke?" tattooed to my forehead and ass respectively.

[Cara]

I don't blog about my husbands family, but I do blog about my own. I don't blog about the ridiculous crap my 14 year old stepson pulls - like the time last summer when we went to visit my parents and he used my mom's SUNLESS TANNING lotion to umm...well....lets just say he was in the bathroom for an extended period of time and a few hours later we noticed that one of his hands was orange. Dummy didn't bother to READ the bottle of lotion to see that it had selftanner in it. Yeah...his hand was orange for several days and we all knew why. How's THAT for embarassing?

My babies are young enough (18 mos & 3 weeks) that they're not doing stuff that's TOO embarassing yet.

[anne nahm]

Perhaps by force.

[Kelly]

As an aspiring academic, I try to keep my blog from being traceable back to me via google (i.e. no last names). My future department chair does not need to read about my daughter's delivery or see the belly shots from my pregnancy. I write about academia only generally-- I mention I'm dissertating, but I'm not specific about what, though a careful reader could probably figure it out. I also want to keep my blog a safe space for venting about the dissertation, my director, my departmet, etc. if the need arises (which, knock wood, so far it hasn't.)

[whoorl]

In-laws, for sure. Although if I did, I would have a six-figure book deal because are TOTALLY INSANE.

[ali]

definitely work.
definitely the husband's family...because they told me not to.
definitely about money issues.

[Helen]

My sex life....ack, why do some people think we care what they do and how often? Also my marriage and the days when my life as a single mother seem like they were actually fun, I hate him one day and then get over it...thing is, if I write about why I hate him...my family don't get over it. I don't write about my inlaws either because they aren't worth it.

[madge]

No blogging about the in-laws (they read religiously). Even though my own family is rich in humorous tales of dysfunction and nobody reads my blog on a regular basis (if ever), I don't blog about them either.

If only I could find a forum, I have a hell of a post about a certain relative's acid-washed jean jacket. The back panel has an air-brushed portrait of his black lab and the chain around the dog's neck is AN ACTUAL CHAIN that hangs off the jacket.

Unfortunately, if anyone found out that I mocked him in the blogosphere, it'd be curtains for me. Sad.

Oh, and the sex life. Ew. Who would want to read about that.

[HollowSquirrel]

I don't blog about work stuff too much, just typical complaints. I definitely don't mention names (of locations or coworkers) for obvious reasons.

I also don't blog about my family besides the typical bitch-n-moan that I think they would expect... not that they know I have a blog.

I dropped the respect ball and let loose on the Evil who married my father-in-law. She's the ONLY one in our family (although, I'd really not like to count her as family) who has a blog, but she's too self-centered to consider anyone else would have a blog, so I doubt she'd find mine. As for the rest of my in-laws, I only blog nice things or don't blog about them at all. Except for my very first post, which they totally deserved and really... it was more of a Helpful Tips to My Crappy Gift Giving In-Laws than anything else... a guide! For improvement! ahem.

Other than that, i don't give out too much info on my husband because I like to keep some items private (again, where we live/work).

My depression? Third nipple? Artificial eye? Yeast infections? Come on over...read about them at my blog!

[Mrs. Chicky]

I blog "anonymously" but my husband and sister know about it so there are certain parts of my life that I don't blog about. Ex boyfriends, for instance. The husband would hate that.

I often talk about fearing The Google on my blog. I'm trying to start my own business and I'd love to vent about it but since I'm still working for someone else I need to keep it all on the down low. 'Cause The Google. It watches every move I make.

[MamaKaren]

There is a topic that is a very sore spot for me and Hubby, something that has repurcussions that crop up every now and then, just when everything seems to be forgiven and behind us. But I can't blog about it because it's too sensitive of a topic to how we deal with each other, and because it might disappoint some of my readers and lower their opinions of me.

I don't blog about my sex life on my regular blog, since some of my readers know me in real life and are not people with whom I already discuss it. But I have a private blog, one that is much less tied to me (e.g., a pseudonym that has no link at all to my real name, and no mentions that indicate where I live or work or what I do for a living or anything like that). I use that blog for anything I need to get off my chest that just doesn't feel like it belongs on my regular one.

[Tere]

My family, for the same reasons as you.

My sex life, because it's no one's business.

My marriage, because it's too fragile and personal for me to share with anyone but my husband.

How I manage to have such an awesome blog despite those restrictions is a mystery, but so it is.

[Wacky Mommy]

The Big "O."

[C.]

I was always afraid of what the family would see so I started over "anonymous". I don't really make an effort anymore to blog though and really think it has to do with censoring myself. Not that I ever reaveled anything shocking or personal on the web anyway, but thinking about it too much sucks the energy and life out. I'm pretty much an internet stalker/lurker now. Sigh.

[wilddreemer]

I generally don't write about my parents because even though, they say they don't read it, I know they are full of crap and do. I also know that anything ever said about my mother would be held against me in the mom court of law for eternity. Seriously, she once called me a cunt that ruined everyone I mets lives, because, get this, because I wouldn't ask Ben Affleck for his autograph while he was eating....Sigh

[Ash]

I won't write about my daughter's biological father because his wife reads my blog. otherwise, woooo, watch out.
Viper toungue.