Date: 8 September.

Location: Krua Thai 2. Outwardly waiting primly for family to arrive. Actually salivating at the very thought of Panang curry.

I always knew, but it’s been re-brought to my attention that my parents and extended family sometimes log on to unsettlinglybigplace to have a giggle at my most recent escapades (/at my expense) or, or so I like to think, be prompted to explore new issues. (Even if those issues get about as deep as whether it really is too soon for the nineties to be back in fashion and did you really throw out those denim overalls/at what age is it no longer ok to wear knee-hi socks?)

My mother seems to think that this blog is akin to a conversation between just the two of us and that anything my mind throws up here is fodder for breakfast conversation. I feel it’s more like a journal. When my mother tried asking whether my local barista — who is, as you should know by now, the subject of my largely fictional romance — was actually single, I felt violated. But was I allowed to?

This prompted me to ponder blog etiquette, and online etiquette (‘netiquette’) in general. Clearly there’s a line between our online lives and our real lives. But where is it? I’ve placed some examples on the ‘totally fine, nowhere near the line’ to ‘really not ok, you passed the line twenty minutes ago’ scale below.

Totally ok: While jogging with a friend from school, mention in passing that you saw her pictures from Mexico and she was so tanned and skinny she looked like she should be on the front cover of NW in one of their ‘Sexy Celeb Beach Bodies’ specials, and where did get her Triangl brand bikini because it’s awesome and you want one?

Probably ok: At a girls’ lunch at The Botannical for a friend’s birthday, upon being seated by someone you’ve never met but frequently seen tagged in aforementioned birthday girl’s Instagram, confess to having clicked through to their uber inspiring Instagram account and also loving green smoothies.

Probably not ok: Accidentally reveal on a first date that you’ve stalked his Facebook/LinkedIn/Twitter and note his love of French Bullldogs/comment on his past employer/suggest that he cool it with the Anna Kendrick retweets.

Really, really not ok: Upon introduction to someone at a Saturday night house party, casually mention that you saw their name on the ‘attending’ list of the Facebook event, proceeded to stalk their profile (public profile = basically an invitation) and how, based on your common interests, mutual friends and corresponding level of attractiveness, you’d be perfect together.

And they’re all true anecdotes.

Love

Alex

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