Comments on: I am not my workplace.

By: Anna

Anna — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:53:34 +0000

This is the type of reaction that made me super-paranoid about remaining pseudonymous when I started blogging. I think anyone could figure out who I am now, but my last name isn’t directly associated with my main blog or twitter account.

By: Anne

Anne — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:29:06 +0000

This so sucks, and I’m so sorry that you’re having to go through it. I wish I had any sort of helpful advice to impart, but alas, I do not. Shit.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:54:58 +0000

All jokes aside, I have some follow-up questions! Do you think that this is just a throwback reaction by the aged population of your industry? As with progressive politics, e.g., gay marriage, legalized marijuana, do you imagine this stereotypically prudish and Luddite reaction going away with the next generation of socially aware and connected leaders?

By: Lisa

Lisa — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:51:57 +0000

So, shit.

I’m struggling with the same thing as a soon-to-be graduate of my MLIS program in May. Do I change my username? Do I lock the account? Stop dropping the f-bomb? Lock myself down to the point that I’ll become one of /those/ people who uses %)&(*@# instead of saying fuck?

To me and about me, the way that I see it is that if I stop using the f-bomb, start censoring what I’m saying, stop being me — I’m selling out. And I’m personally beginning to reset the fact that this may be my ONLY as my ethics certainly can’t pay back $75K in student loans when they come due.

@pnkrcklibrarian

By: Amanda

Amanda — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 03:10:29 +0000

I’ll show them from indecent! But then again, I only answer to one man, and only when I want to. I wish I was closer so we could go have that beer and be horribly, inappropriately, vulgarly and incredibly indecent, ‘cuz we haven’t done that in a long, long while.

By: Prairie Pirate

Prairie Pirate — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 03:00:37 +0000

I was having the opposite problem. Too much self censoring made me feel boring. But still I don’t feel as though I could have a barstool convo on twitter no matter what. Somehow the internetz has ways of finding you.

By: Shana

Shana — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:54:13 +0000

I had a very similar conversation with my supervisor over Twitter. My response? Irritation. Annoyance. It made me cranky. Mainly because I was being told to censor myself. For the “good of the library” and the “good of my position.”

I also think it is a bit short sighted of our administrators. This apparent fear of being honest. Fear of acknowledging that not everything is roses all the time. Frankly, I wouldn’t have gotten to the place I am professionally (and on a national level) if I had censored myself. Leaving behind the fear of speaking up and being honest with my colleagues is a major part of the foundation of my career. Speaking my mind has gotten me on committees.

I’m struggling with the request, much like you. I don’t know how to balance what my administration wants with who I am and what I want my career to be beyond the 4 walls of my current library. All I can do is try. And bite my tongue a lot.

By: Anne

Anne — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:48:44 +0000

I would love to buy you a beer sometime, I think we’d get along well. It sucks that daring to be human and having a personality while also being a professional backfired so unpleasantly.