So a number of times I have considered making my blog more private... I have never really had anything weird happen, but I realize that there are a lot of weirdos out there and I wouldn't want to endanger anyone by putting the information out there for all to see. My brother-in-law Boyd's words keep echoing in my head "Is the risk worth the reward?" I keep going back and forth on this issue because on one hand it is really fun to get in touch with old friends when they "find" your blog... I really can't decide... so I need some feedback. I know some of you who read this have a private blog and others are public. I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions on how to keep it more safe, and any good websites I could look at that could help me make up my mind. What should I do???
3/14/08
So a number of times I have considered making my blog more private... I have never really had anything weird happen, but I realize that there are a lot of weirdos out there and I wouldn't want to endanger anyone by putting the information out there for all to see. My brother-in-law Boyd's words keep echoing in my head "Is the risk worth the reward?" I keep going back and forth on this issue because on one hand it is really fun to get in touch with old friends when they "find" your blog... I really can't decide... so I need some feedback. I know some of you who read this have a private blog and others are public. I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions on how to keep it more safe, and any good websites I could look at that could help me make up my mind. What should I do???
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
14 comments:
I'm torn too. I think if you are going to make it private you should give people notice. That way they can get in touch with you for an "invite" to your blog beforehand. I think they can also email you after it's private if someone finds you and wants to look at you blog.
Those are my two bits!
I've thought about this a couple of times, too. I figure that as long as I don't give out details like addresses or phone numbers it should be okay. I don't know.
Well let's see, I just went to whitepages.com and typed in Charlyn Ames, Oregon. Lucky you, you're the only "Charlyn Ames" in Oregon! And up popped your address and phone number and a map to your house. Also a link to click on for driving directions there. Sometimes an actual arial view of your neighborhood is shown. And thanks to your blog, I know what your whole family looks like and even your cool purse and new elliptical machine!
Good thing I'm your friend. I'd say go private. I agree "is the risk worth the reward?"
well I work for the county am constantly using the internet to find people. so unless you want to unlist yourself from the phone book and every thing else you are probably going to be accessable to bad guys. just be sure to mention that derek has lots of guns and a history of violence. they will leave you alone. hahah
I just went private and I am also torn. I have to admit that I have had a lot of different people find me, some I don't even remember. I am hoping by going private I wont have to be as careful about my posts. Good Luck!
Char, My blog is semi private. It doesn't stream to google or anything so you have to actually know the site address or click the link on someone else's blog. Somebody couldn't just google my name and find us. Plus I have a stat counter that shows me where and when people have visited. Some days I get a person or two from a friends blog but for the most part it's people that I have given my blog address to. I also don't post my last name on my blog anywhere.
Brook
I just wanted to put in my two cents-- although this is something I'm struggling with myself! First of all, like the last comment- I went through on my settings and made sure that my blog couldn't be googled, and that it could only be found by the links other people have on their pages, or by directly typing in the address. I also put sitemeter on my blog, which is free, and gives you a pretty good idea of who is checking it out. It tells you an isp address, location, referral page, and length of time- so I have a really good idea of who looks at my blog. I also took everything off my profile. Of course, you can't control who looks at your blog unless you go private- but my problems with that are that whoever looks at your blog has to have a google account- and that would prevent a lot of people I know from looking at it. It's hard enough for our grandparents to type in our blog address, I think if they had to sign up for a google account, that might be too much for their computer abilities. Also, if someone does come across your page (after you've made it private)- there isn't a way for them to ask for an invitation unless they have an e-mail address or other way to contact you (like your 1st comment)- which is something I hope blogger comes up with eventually. Anyways, I'd love to check back and see what kind of feedback you get, since it's something that I am also considering. It's a tough one!
Just do what we used to do before blogs. Send out a yearly Christmas form letter.
This is a tough one for sure. I've been thinking about the same thing myself. A lot of people have a public blog but don't post pictures of themselves for the kids. They also don't use real names even if it's just the first.
It's a hard one for sure. I wish you luck deciding.
check your email! woops i posted this comment on the wrong one...
Char,
We kind of have the same thing that "shosted family" said. We made it on our blog that it couldn't be found just by doing a search on the Internet. I've tried searching for ourselves and nothing comes up, which is good. I also try not to put too much personal information on the blog, but I think sometimes you can't help it. For instance, I blogged when my nephew was born, but was careful not to mention his date of birth or his middle or last name. But then I blogged about my husband's grandpa and ended up mentioning his last name and the city he lived in. So I don't know. I think the least you do is make it so that it won't show up on a search. I also think it's a good idea not to put much of anything on your profile. And I like the idea of a site meter. Can anyone shed any more light on how to put one on?
Kristy
For Kristy- go to sitemeter.com and sign up for a free account, it takes you through all the steps- I'd definitely recommend it, gives you a little peace of mind about who's looking at your information.
Like I mentioned, I am checking back to see what the feedback has been, I'm curious to see if there are any horror stories out there!
I am all for the above mentioned precautions, after that I think we are getting paranoid. It's sad/frustrating to come across someone's blog and not be able to view it and no way to request an invitation. Obviously there is some risk but the odds that anything will happen to you have got to be extrememly low. Just remove anything to personal.
Post a Comment