These days it feels like everyone I know is discovering my blog. Pretty much everyone outside my workplace is aware of it now, and for the time being I need to keep it that way—I don’t want my colleagues to know yet.
I say I’m no longer anonymous because many of my friends know who I am and I’m easy to find on Google. I’ve also been posting more pictures lately and plan to share our engagement photos when they’re ready. Those will be the first official photos on the blog that clearly show my face. I’m kidding, of course—there’s no need to be dramatic about it!
Sprinkled through this post are some reactions and comments from readers who answered my last post, “Should I still be anonymous?”
Not long ago, we were at W’s friend’s house and his friend casually said, “Hey Michelle, I heard you have some writing thing going on.” More recently someone pulled out their phone and showed me my own blog—on their phone! I wasn’t sure what to say in that moment.
Just last week a reader emailed to tell me that my blog had been helpful. We chatted back and forth, and it turned out she attended the same high school and lives in the same town as I do. Small world. Between that and the people who’ve already found my site, it feels like I’m running out of places to hide.
Word has spread—W’s parents asked for my blog URL, my friends have discovered it, and it probably doesn’t help that typing “Michelle finance blog” brings my site up on the first page of search results.
I blame W for a lot of this.
He mentioned my blog to people and gave out enough hints that it wasn’t long before everyone knew. Still, while many people are aware of the blog, I don’t think most of them read it closely—hardly anyone has brought up things I’ve written about.
I actually like that. It feels good not to be constantly hiding. I haven’t posted direct, identifiable photos of my face yet because I want to be cautious about my job, but I’m friends with many bloggers on social platforms and some readers already know what I look like and even my last name.
When I started blogging, I used anonymity to process and vent about difficult personal topics—the loss of my father, painful family experiences, and so on. Writing privately made it easier to express myself during that time. Now I’m moving forward, and being more public feels like a natural next step.
Benefits of being more public
- I’m less mysterious. Many readers prefer blogs where the author is open and identifiable. Being more public lets me build a stronger connection with readers, and once I move to full-time freelancing I’ll be able to share more personal photos and updates.
- I don’t feel like I’m leading a double life anymore. That was exhausting. Now I can mention the blog openly to friends and family without constantly worrying they’ll find out another way.
- It’s simply more fun and easier. Blogging openly removes the need to edit every post to avoid revealing personal details, which makes writing more natural and enjoyable.
Risks of being public with the blog
- Financial details become more exposed. I’ve shared our net worth, side income reports, and job-related information in the past—now I have to consider whether I still want those figures public.
- Some posts reference difficult family situations. Although I’ve edited content to be considerate, there’s a real risk that certain people could see what I’ve written and react negatively. Even if I’m in the right, revisiting those topics publicly could open old wounds.
- Less privacy overall. Once you’re public, personal boundaries become harder to maintain and more people will know details about your life.
- There’s the possibility that my workplace could discover the blog and read posts about my passions or finances. That would make for an awkward conversation and is something I’m careful to avoid.
Are you anonymous or public? Which would you choose, and why?
I’m curious to hear how others handle this balance between privacy and openness. For me, becoming more public has allowed me to be honest without feeling like I’m hiding, while still weighing what personal details I want to share going forward.