Good Decision/Bad Decision: Proof of Concept and Oversharing on the Internet

Good Decision/Bad Decision

Today’s subject will hopefully be part of a regular series of Monday (sorry, fell behind this week) posts.  As you recall, I recently started Gratitude Wednesdays.  This series will focus on my past decisions to shed light on some financial and emotional wins and losses.  My hope is to discover what I did right, and help others avoid my mistakes.  Whether epic fail or triumphant victory, these were my decisions. The topic for today is oversharing on the internet and proof of concept.

Proof of concept (PoC): evidence, typically derived from an experiment or pilot project, which demonstrates that a design concept, business proposal, etc., is feasible.

Personal finance blogs are very common these days.  It seems every morning I read great new content on my twitter feed.  As a community, we are quick to post about our victories and origin stories.  We talk gloriously about how we achieved or are in the process of achieving financial independence.

But the other day, I was lucky to talk to a few folks who were wondering if there was more to the story.  We discussed how maybe what the PF blogosphere is missing is proof of concept.  Real life stories of successes and failures. Real posts about the true dollars and cents of our  public struggles.

But are there risks?

Good Decision

I like the idea of proof of concept.  Those of us who write about personal finance need to get granular to show our audience that financial freedom is achievable in an imperfect world. I have tried to be upfront and honest with both my financials as well as the emotional struggles regarding personal finance.  I have no problem posting my monthly income reports because I think they are instructive, as well as put a real dollar value on my business ventures.  This is the place I can share some of my economic wins and losses in a transparent manner.

I also feel a certain amount of relief posting about what I consider to be the dark side of personal finance and financial freedom.  I can share my stealth wealth fails and admit publicly that concepts such as frugality and travel hacking are not my fortes.

And I can explain how reaching financial freedom has not solved all my problems.  In fact, it probably has created some new ones.

I see these admissions as fruitful, instructive, and cleansing.  Oversharing on the internet has the happy side effect of bringing the writer closer to the readers.  It makes the bridge that divides us seem just a little bit less onerous to cross.

 

Bad Decision

Proof of concept can also alienate.  How many times has  a reader looked at the particulars on my blog and seen nothing that they can identify with?

Sure his doing well, he’s a physician!

Well, if I had an income like that!

He grew up in a wealthy neighborhood!

As opposed to pulling people in, I may be creating even further fodder that separates us.  If my life and circumstances are not relatable, they may be providing the exact opposite kind of proof that the everyday Joe who reads the blog is looking for.

Oversharing on the internet also opens one up to criticism, critiques, and often anger.  The veil of anonymity is only so durable.  At some point or another, I certainly suspect my  anonymity will be a thing of the past.  Then my financials, my business details, in fact all that great proof of concept, will be public weaponry for any who would choose to do me harm.

There is no simple solution here.

In Summary

I think we who write in the personal finance community owe a certain amount of proof of concept to our readers.  I think we need to provide our stories in a granular, open way to stimulate conversation and instruct.

Yes, this is oversharing on the internet.

Yes, this puts the writer in a certain amount of peril regarding their personal information and opens us up to gobs of criticism and hate.

I think this is the cost of showing up and writing in this space.

How about you?

Readers: Do you feel that the blogs you read should give specifics and numbers when they talk about their side hustles and path to financial freedom?

*Writers: Are you wary of oversharing on the internet?  Do you feel that you owe it to your readers to provide proof of concept? *