I caught this story in my feedreader this morning thinking it wouldn’t be that great but after reading through it, there are lessons to be learned. The Anchorage Daily News published a story about Eileen Goode who lives in the small town of Dillingham as a public radio reporter and news director. As the story goes, Goode out of boredom decided to start a blog. She thought no one would be reading her blog but unfortunately for her, the town eventually took notice of the things she was saying and rebelled against her.

Goode figured she was mainly writing for herself and her friends back in New England. Describing this strange new place for her mom, or her sister.

For a long time, she was right. But last week, Goode’s adopted Alaska town came across the blog too. Her neighbors weren’t laughing, and now Goode is out of a job.

What’s even more impressive at the end of the story is how Goode describes how a local bar refused to serve her and how someone pushed her into a ditch. However, the article ends on a good note with Goode realizing that when living in a small town, it’s good to be polite.

One of the lessons here is that when you think no one is reading what you’re putting online, it’s inevitable that someone is. Having this notion that no one is reading your blog is a recipe for disaster because it could lure you into writing and publishing things you’ll most likely regret at a later date. Always keep it in the back of your mind that the internet is a very public place. It’s extremely tough to be anonymous so don’t say anything on the web you wouldn’t say in public or face to face with someone. This quote from high school sums it up:

The choices you make today help shape your tomorrow so make the right choice!