Blog Stalker Anonymous

"Hello, my name is Wade . . . and I'm a blog stalker."

Shannon's recent post has forced me to pull out my soap box.

(Oh, dear! Here we go again!)

I've never understood why people are so reluctant to introduce themselves, either electronically or in person, to people whose blogs they've stalked. Possibly it's because they are afraid they'll be thought of as weird or creepy because they read blogs of people they don't know.

I'm comfortable with blog stalking because people, myself included, have posted their blogs on the world wide web where the whole wide world can read it! And I've never understood why you would get weirded out by someone you don't know reading your blog. If you don't want the unknowns to be "in the know", then I'd suggest a leather-bound journal you can keep in your sock drawer!

Getting weirded out by blog stalkers is like getting bent out of shape because your neighbors watch while you get dressed in your front yard. If you don't want your neighbors to watch then don't get dressed in the front yard!

(I know that analogy is pretty random but it's true - think about it!)

Secondly, as I tried to point out to Shannon, most people want to know who's reading their blog. Granted, if you've got a nervous twitch, a psychotic laugh and bear a striking resemblance to a serial killer then, yeah, don't be too surprised if after you introduce yourself you notice the blog has suddenly gone to restricted access.

But the truth is, most of us out here are of perfectly sound mind and want little more than an just little cyber-entertainment by the way of cute baby pictures, funny stories and an occasional comment derived from intelligent thought.

And I think it's a great compliment to say to someone, "You don't know me but I really enjoy your blog!"

So let me encourage you stalkers to come out of the shadows and stop worrying if you give someone the creeps . . . because whether or not the rest of us will admit it, we are all blog stalkers!