I'm not a cowardly custard, honest.

As a journalist I know better than to slag off people unless I have facts to back my opinion up, (I’ve no time for blogs that rant and rave without a purpose), so you’ll never read anything negative on this blog unless I truly believe in what I have to say, be it a show review, complaint about an inefficient press office (Topshop anyone?) or a completely objective (hmm) whinge about an ex-boyfriend.

But the reason that I anony-blog isn’t because I want a licence to say rude things about people with no comeuppance, swirling my cloak of anonymity El Zorro-like around me, but rather because I fear the mighty Google.

Pop my real world name into Google and page after page of relevant entries appear. (The only other person with my name is a female sportswoman from the other side of the world). Even though my Facebook is on maximum privacy, if you scroll through Google you can find immediately articles I’ve written as far back as 2000, my cell number and even hear my voice, talking on in a radio interview syndicated from the BBC World Service. I find this ready access to such minutiae disconcerting.

When I internet date, I use a blind email address, and never, ever divulge my surname before meeting. If the date goes badly or I’m not interested, I want to walk away with my privacy intact, rather than leave my life wide open to Mr Random. I've also found that men have been intimidated by my real-world job, and I don't want to be pre-judged by what I do to earn a living.

Can you imagine if my blog was under my real name? One quick Google search and my personal & professional life over the past year would be unfurled before anyone who cared enough to search in the first place, whether potential datee, employer or would-be psycho . No thank you.

And a coda: whilst I FERVENTLY admire Susie for putting herself out there, I fear I am just too old for that style of personal blogging. So, I wanted to add to all the lovely commentators who have asked for pics of me in outfits: sorry my feet
are about as far as I'm going on that tip!