To Go or Not to Go Private

In an earlier post I explained my reasons for going private. It was something that I had considered for several months after reading a post on the Guatadopt information site and since going private others have told me that they have wondered if they should make their blogs private as well. I thought I'd share the information that originally got me thinking about making my blog private. Even if you never make your blog private, there are some really good points made that I think you might find helpful as you post to your personal blog.

Blogging Considerations

When I first got involved in blogging, it was only really popular among techies. Like others, it was such a great way to have the software manage quick posts to your site.....and it was how Guatadopt got started. Yeah, it was just me back then and I was posting information that I found during my own adoption research. My intent back then was just to provide updates and information for friends, family and the occasional question about the process. But blogging can be powerful and with it, there is a certain amount of responsibility for the blogger.

Today, blogging is the #1 way for online family journals and it is a wonderful way to journal about adoption. There are now thousands and thousands of adoption blogs on the Internet and with it are thousands of links to other adoption blogs! But there are unseen risks and considerations that families should be aware of....

If you are blogging or considering it, here are some things that you should think about:
1) Unless you have it configured to be private, it is public to the world.
2) Most public blogging sites have very good webcrawlers that will catalog phrases, names, etc. from your site. That includes full names, birth names, embarrassing comments, etc.
3) It will also catalog photos (by your comments). So, before you load them, would you show those same photos/posts on your blog to a stranger in the supermarket? How about the US or Guatemalan government?
4) Can a child predator trace your child to your home if they found your site? Is your schedule of daily events visible?
5) Did you know that semi naked pictures from innocent family blogs have circulated the web? Look again at those wonderful pictures of your kids!!!

I know many of us blog with the thought that unless you advertise it, its really just going to be friends and family. However, that is not really the case. So please, please be careful out there. While most of our readers enjoy sharing our experiences with other adoptive parents....we may be sharing a bit too much!

General tips:
Avoid posting full names
Don't use last names or identifying information in your blogs
If you are using it as a personal journal, consider making some posts private if that is an option
Make sure the pictures posted are decent
Use aliases for family members