Question for bloggers

[Kissy]

Do you worry about internet safety? I would love to blog but I am paranoid about putting pictures of my kids out there and anything pertaining to our lives. Yet I look at so many other people blogging and wonder if anyone has had any scares? Is it relatively safe?

[kewb]

Sometimes I have concerns. I don't use my kids full names. Based on where we go and what we do it is pretty easy to figure out what State we are in. A psycho can be picked up anywhere. Statistically it will be someone you know. Yes, a stranger can happen but the chances are greater that it will be someone you know.

[Frontier Mom]

I can't tell you if it is safe but I can say I don't worry about it too much. I remember growing up and my parents stressing over someone taking their mail. We would have to sit home and wait for the mail person before we could go. Why? They were worried about mailbox safety.

 

Just saying that each generation has their fears and worries. If you are the one affected, then it is a huge deal, both then and now. However, I figure crime has been around since man and probably won't stop anytime soon. I just live my life and try not to share more than necessary. The rest is pretty much out of my control. Someone could rob your home just as easily as they could get your info. off the internet and use it maliciously.

 

For me, it just isn't worth the worry. I worry more about all the time I spend on the 'net!!

[KrissiK]

I don't worry much. However, I use nicknames for my kids, I don't give my hometown's name. There are so many blogs out there that I'm not sure how likely it is that a psycho will find mine and want to stalk us.

[Hen]

I don't worry too much. I take some precautions, like I use made up names for my kids and husband, no mention of our last name, only a general reference to the area we live in-no mention of the actual city. I blur out addresses and license plates on photos if they are showing.

 

at first I was worried about putting up photos and hardly did, but I realized that I am drawn to the blogs that have beautiful photography. As I get better with photography, I want to show that off a little. I figured that some of those big bloggers have their names out there, because they are so famous now, and they have photos of their kids and they seem to be fine, figure no one is going to be interested in me. I do try to keep photos a weirdo might be interested in, such as bath photos, bathing suits etc off my blog.

 

I really enjoy blogging.

[caitlinsmom]

It has crossed my mind but like someone else said I don't use my kids full names or even where we live. I just say "we went to town" however I do mention Idaho so it probably could be figured out. I have a site tracker on my personal blog, that way I can see who is coming and going. There have been a few odds ones that have come up but I have found that I know nearly everyone who visits. I still stay relatively annoymous I guess.

[Guest Cindie2dds]

I don't use my kids real names, but I do post pictures. I have our city on there. I should probably put our region instead. No last names, but I use my husband's and my first name. My family loves to read it and see what we do. It's actually nice for them to see what home schooling is like. No one in our family has ever even thought of home schooling, quite the opposite. It's more of a personal journal to me. I've heard you can print it out, which is great for me since I'm not a scrapbooker at all. I would love to eventually have a few albums of our journey.

[ocelotmom]

Do you worry about internet safety? I would love to blog but I am paranoid about putting pictures of my kids out there and anything pertaining to our lives. Yet I look at so many other people blogging and wonder if anyone has had any scares? Is it relatively safe?

I take my children to the park, let them participate in scouts, play in the front yard, go over to friends' houses, etc. I consider these to be more likely sources of real-life predator problems than posting pictures on the internet.

 

I've done a little poking around, and have not found any instances of strangers using pictures of kids on the internet to harm them in real life.

 

I have known people who have had seemingly innocent pictures of kids in diapers or something getting way more views than other pictures, implying that someone is passing the link around for people to view. I've also heard (though secondhand) of faces of kids from innocent pictures being copied and pasted into porn. And then there's the people who take pictures of other people's kids and pretend that they're their own kids. Those are the type of dangers you need to be aware of when posting pictures online.

 

I do use fake names in my public blog, but that's more about not making it easily findable and identifiable by people who know me than protection from strangers.

[Wheres Toto]

I use my kids real first names but no last names and no city (I don't put oldest dd's school name, etc.). If someone looked enough between my blog and forums, they would be able to figure out what state I'm in. I don't think my last name or city appears anywhere on the web. Even if someone did know our full names I know there are 5 others in our state with DH's exact name and since NJ is such a populated state, we wouldn't be that easy to find.

 

I don't worry about it too much. My blog isn't that well visited so I figure the odds are pretty long against it attracting a wacko.

[myfatherslily]

I had a public blog, but started having similar concerns. I didn't like not knowing who was viewing all these pictures of my beautiful children. So I set my blog to private. I was happy to send out a blog invitation to anybody I knew. I just liked KNOWING who was reading.

 

The downside is not being part of social blog activities with a bunch of other bloggers. And not being able to post here:)

 

I know someone who, in addition to not using her children's real names, does not post photos of their faces. And she has very beautiful photos! They'll be from the back or from the distance or whatever.

[Amber in AUS]

I do have some general concerns but nothing that stops me. I don't use the kids real names. The only real name i use is my own. I don't say where we live exactly. I don't mention the exact name of places we visit. I blank out car rego numbers and house numbers. I do put up pictures of myself and kids.

 

Several years ago when i had an online business i was very open about the information i provided, it was a necessary evil but i am not trading anymore so can be a little more anonymous.