I bumped into a couple of dear friends yesterday and had a surprise Valentine's Day 'date' with them. I was walking near their place, so I should have somewhat expected it, but it was still a wonderfully unexpected meeting. Over Thai iced tea (yum), I found out that one of them knew about this blog! I was so pleased (hello K if you read this)! It feels safe and warm to know that friends occasionally pop in.
As someone who keeps a blog for the primary purpose of keeping in touch with family and friends and reflecting on my personal life, it is important to specify what this blog is and what it isn't. Although I do not post my name, address, medical school, or other identifying information for the world to see (and Google), I am fully aware that someone who really wanted to know who I was could find out based on clues and the sieve-like nature of "secure" information online. The Dr. Lindeman case (read his interview about it on ScienceRoll) illustrated perfectly why blogging, especially blogging anonymously about controversial topics, can lead to trouble.
Essentially, he is a Yale-and-Columbia-trained pediatrician who blogged as "Dr. Flea" for a few years. He had a straight-talking approach to the medical world and his commentary was often somewhat controversial. A lawsuit was brought against him by the parents of a 12-year-old boy who died of diabetic ketoacidosis six weeks after an office visit where his diabetes went undiagnosed. Because his team did not think it was true malpractice, it went to trial. During the trial, Dr. Flea blogged about the case, the jury, the attorneys, and the defense strategy. The prosecuting attorney then found a comment that linked Dr. Flea to the person on trial! I wonder if the person who posted that comment had any idea how much trouble it would cause. Basically, the attorney unveiled Flea's real identity in court, and he settled the suit. This whole saga made the Boston Globe. I have no more knowledge of or connection to this case, as far as I know, than the information available online. I feel bad for everyone involved.
That said, I do believe that medical students, residents, and doctors have a unique view of society and should try to participate in conversations about topics important to them. It's just that in a shrinking world of increasing internet fluency, it's utterly naive to think that you can post opinions that will never be identified with you. This is why I rarely blog about patients, I don't publish scathing critical reviews of anything, and I assume that my boss's kids will one day print this out and hand it to her! This blog is not a forum for me to rant about medical school or to air personal vendettas against specific people (which I don't really have, anyhow). I write to create a place online where people can check in and perhaps find something to think or at least smile about. But I have no desire to be an infamously controversial blogger; blogging, like so many things in the context of medicine, may be best done in moderation.
With all this in mind, I have drafted the following pledge:
The Sane Blogger's Pledge
1) I will not write anything 'anonymously' that I would be ashamed to have attached to my name.
2) I will not disclose secrets that do not belong to me.
3) I will remember who I am in real life and not let my blog identity overwhelm it.
4) I will blog about my past and present while remembering that what I write may affect my future.
5) Uncharitable thoughts are no less uncharitable in written form.
Does this mean no hot-button issues? No, it just means that when I take a stand, I do so knowing that to most of the people who read this blog, to our circle of friends/family/colleagues, and to anyone who does enough hunting, I am not anonymous.
Which brings up another issue: should I just post my name as the author? Would you consider blogging under your real name? What do you guys think?
Yours online,
Nia
I've been thinking of going back through my old posts and removing anything identifying, or just making it all private and starting over. I have it set to not come up on search engines, but still. I think it's too risky to name yourself or where you work - because what you write reflects not only on you but also on your employers, mentors, educators, etc. Even if you only write things you are willing to have associated with your name (which is a good rule), you may not want your blog to be the first thing that patients find when they Google their doctor's name.
ReplyDeleteMichelle Au wrote about how medical professionals interface with social media (it was a while back but I just read it: http://theunderweardrawer.blogspot.com/2011/08/more-perfect-union.html).
I think your observations are all good. I'm not a blogger myself but it seems to me that using a pseudonim is safer. For sure, search engines and social media are going to become increasingly intrusive, and one has to be very careful. The prinicples you have enunciated are good...So, my vote is for Nia... happy blogging and avoid hot button social issues...
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ReplyDeleteOops, deleted my reply. Here goes again:
ReplyDeleteMichelle Au is right that we need to engage with social media, but I'm also intrigued/scared by her strong web presence -- blog in her own name, photos of her kid, her book publicized on the site. I don't know; it's a powerful tool but it seems too private-made-public for now. Will her kids be pleased or upset? Has writing become her second career (I mean yes, clearly)? Perhaps I'll remain Nia for now. And Che, so glad your blog is back up!!
Right? I'm really surprised she is that open on the internet. Most bloggers I have read who talk about their kids don't post identifiable pictures at least. She never writes anything embarrassing or super private, and I don't think she ever writes about patients, but it still seems weird. I feel weird blogging about anyone other than myself, without their explicit permission or without disguising them.
ReplyDeleteTotally. I know a lot of blogger-moms who post photos of their kids online. And while I'm sure they do try to conceal their identity, it also creeps me out because there are scary people who could target those children. Also, in a less scary context, those kids have a right to privacy as well, and to not have to share their embarrassing baby photos with literally the entire world. If Kid's friends get wind of Mom's Blog, then their school friends might know things about Kid's family that should stay private. I mean, one day, the President might have to deal with embarrassing photos and written anecdotes of his or her entire childhood coming out during a campaign.
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