Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Poll of Relationship Disclosure Norms

Websites like dontdatehimgirl.com can perform a useful function. People love to write online diaries about their personal lives. Your interactions with other people constitute part of their daily experiences. To censor them from writing about you would be to tell them that they could not write about themselves. With that in mind, what information do you expect to remain offline?

- The real name of a former date? Other identifying information?
- The fact that you dated someone at all?
- The length or character or your relationship?
- Why you got together or why you broke up?
- Documentation of personal sexual history (ranging from "good kisser" to "check out these photos")?
- Anecdotes about incidents (good or bad) in your relationship?

If you believe it is generally improper to post any of the above online, are there circumstances in which you would find it warranted? How unusual or creepy would a person have to be for you to feel like a "don't date him, y'all" was justified?
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