Internet Safety in 2026

I've been thinking about how much I share about myself on this blog and elsewhere from an internet-safety standpoint. Growing up, I was taught never to share any details about myself online, including my name and the city I lived in. Now, though, I'm a published writer, so my name is out there and I kind of need it to be in order to be recognized for my work. I could've used a pen name, and sometimes I wish I had, but it's too late for that now, and besides, I prefer having my writing associated with me without there being any question about my identity. I used to keep my home city a secret, but I recently decided to abandon that as well, because I want to talk openly about some of the places I visit here. It's not difficult to discover the city I'm located in, but I try very hard not to pinpoint my exact location or mention where I'm going to be on a specific day. I've seen various levels of openness from other people online. I suspect privacy is largely contextual. If you're a…