The Privacy Guy

PhD candidate Allan Friedman is an unlikely blogger. A Kennedy School student of Internet privacy, Friedman likes having boundaries in his life. “I like to control my identity and public persona as much as possible,” he says. But if you venture on the Web, http://allan.friedmans.org/mt/, you’ll see Friedman’s daily or weekly “musings of an aspiring academic and determined dilettante.”

Why is the self-professed “privacy guy” airing his thoughts on the Web for all to see? Friedman considers his blog an extension of his work and identity. It’s like a Web page with “new dimensions of expression,” owing to the medium’s interactive nature. “Every day I have a small idea that’s not large enough for an academic paper,” he says. “So you put it out there and see if someone else picks up your idea and builds on it. Basically it’s a way to push yourself to have a good idea every day.”