When Jimmy Hoffa disappeared, I’m sure my name appeared somewhere in the list of suspects, my tender youth notwithstanding. I always seem to find myself deeply in the mix of things that have absolutely nothing to do with me.

The brouhaha between one Poi and one MentalAcrobatics is no exception. One day I’m whistling in a corner minding my own business and the next, thanks to a heads-up from MKNN (Miss K News Network) I find myself deeply in the mix.

Putting personalities aside, this is a matter with far reaching ramifications as well as lessons to be learned. If consenting adults want to be adventurous online then a giddy-up to them! Onward! But if one party is unwilling — well, that’s another kettle of fish altogether. Totally unacceptable. We would not accept it in an office or on the street and i see no reason to accept it online. In fact Njoki Ndungu had better amend her bill to include this sort of thing. Its harassment, plain and simple.

I have received a couple of emails on this matter from very distressed individuals and quite frankly I have no idea what to do with them. There is a problem somewhere.

As blogs grow more and more interactive, we seem to fail to notice that blogging is speedily approaching the realm of internet chat rooms.

Most of us at one time or another have been to chat rooms, and some of us still visit them. When did you last give your phone number, postal address or worse still physical address in a chat room? Why should blogging be any different?

Quick, how many people that you have never met, never seen, and never heard have you give up personal contact information to?

“But I know these people!” You say.

Well, sorry to disappoint you but you don’t know squat!

All you know is exactly what the other person wants you to know. No more no less. You cannot purport to know anyone on the strength of a few blog posts and a couple of email address!

“But these are Kenyans!” You say.

So what? I hate to burst your bubble but Kenyans have as high a percentage of yahoos and loonies as any other country.

One thing we tend to overlook is that the anonymity that blogging affords gives people carte blanche to behave in ways that they otherwise wouldn’t. To create totally different identities of themselves. To say things that they otherwise would not. To seek some sort of sense of liberation.

This is something that we should not lose sight of.

Don’t get me wrong — there are lots of wonderful people blogging. Trust me. I know. There are many. I have made some very good friends from this blogging thing, and I have met some of the most aMazinG people. For this I cannot even begin to be grateful.

But like most treasures they take time to discover. Time.

So do take the same precautions you would in a chat room. Ask yourself how many people you’ve never met, don’t know their full names and can’t even confirm if they are male of female know your home phone number or worse still where you live.

There’s a fine line between being friendly and being naive.

AOB

For the past couple of months, Kenyan Pundit and yours truly have been working on Mzalendo.com, an initiative whose main aim is to keep track of what those appalling members of parliament of ours have been doing as they purportedly work for us. This is a project that came to birth over a breakfast or two at Java House. There’s something in that coffee …. Anyway, it’s very rough around the edges and is very much in beta, but do check it out and give us some feedback. To be specific any errors or features you’d like. And please do link to the site and spread the word.

AO AOB

We lost. We put up a fight but we lost. Hats off to Barcelona. Congratulations. Till we meet again. Team Venger & Co – ROCK ON!

AO AO AOB

About this time last year I wrote one of my all time favourite posts, The Name’s Al. Al Koholic.

PIC OF THE DAY

While we were in Mombasa we came across this new cigarette company that clearly targets the bottom end of the market ….

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Commentator at the Barca-Arsenal game:

“The referee has made a couple of decisions that have incensed Henri, including booking him.”

Mozart – Cannon In D Minor