control

[opabinia]

I won't say whether or not I've commented on any of those OMG U TELL ME SOMETHING ANONYMOUS entries, because I don't want to ruin anyone else's fun. I don't want people to assume I've said something I haven't, either. Here is my compromise: If you're wondering if any of those comments came from me, ask me in private.

Anticipating and receiving compliments of various sorts is fun. Learning some not-so-flattering information your friends wouldn't want to share directly, but which could be useful, e.g., "You have bad breath sometimes," is also good. The problem is that anyone who chooses to participate, and everyone who chooses not to, becomes part of the pool of potential responders. Disastrous misattributions could result. It would be more considerate (and a lot less exciting, too) if only the person posing the question could read the replies.

That all sounded far angrier than it should have. I'm not even irked -- I'm just wary of misunderstandings.