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Comment by MarkPNeyer | Hacker News Reader

i figured a while ago that any notion of online privacy was silly. i said 'fuck it' and decided to just be totally open about who i am and what i think online. i talk openly about having bipolar disorder and experiencing psychosis, about beliefs i have that are considered unusual or downright insane, and about whatever i'm feeling at the moment.

it seems to work out pretty well for me. i was even thinking of publishing everything i buy for the world to see, both as an exercise to control my spending and for fun.

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So you've now attached your name to admissions of psychosis. I understand your motivations on some level, but I sincerely hope that you don't regret doing so in the future. You wouldn't staple your medical information on your business card, but I feel you've done just that here. Good luck, and I mean that sincerely.

i've done this so many times it's not funny. it hasn't stopped me from getting a job yet. my thinking is that this stuff will come out eventually anyhow, so it's better to be up front about it.

people seem to like honesty.

Do you feel like you might be enjoying a privileged freedom that many can not hope to take advantage of?

For example, I bet you enjoy both a solid competency in your field, and a relatively free or permissive social environment.

Things may be a lot different if an unskilled worker in a repressive society were put in a situation where their social life was highly exposed. I don't know what the exact balance is here, but I feel wary of taking your example as an all-clear on the privacy alarm.

"Do you feel like you might be enjoying a privileged freedom that many can not hope to take advantage of?"

Do you feel that you might be someone who likes to ask leading questions?

i agree that you're probably a right. a lawyer probably couldn't get away with it like i've been able to do.

my naive hope is that by being open like this i'll encourage others to do the same - if everybody was open about the struggles they faced as human beings, i think we'd all be struggling a lot less than we are.

Unfortunately, in many walks of life, admission of one's struggles is seen as a sign of weakness, and there are lots of people who want to prey on the (perceived) weak.

As a fellow human being with faults and weaknesses of my own, Thanks!

Ive done the same myself. To me, the real issue was how time consuming it was to "cover my tracks", so to speak. After taking a look at it, I decided there wasnt much to hide. Sure, you may not want everyone to know you were at the movies last night, or that youre a regular at dubstep shows, but what are the possible negative outcomes? Having people know more about me hasnt been as dangerous some make it out to be. On the other hand, its given me plenty of opportunities to connect with similar people. Also, the idea of activities in your personal life interfering with your work image is outdated. Everyones got a personal life, why should we back away from that? Its who you are.

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