How public is your blog?
Photos, real names, where we live...no secrets -- 8 (21%)
Have photos, but use kids' initials or nicknames, not detailed on where we live -- 16 (42%)
No photos, no real names, very vague about where we live -- 2 (5%)
I avoid topics that would require me to name my kids or discuss where I live -- 0 (0%)
My blog is private (invited readers only) -- 3 (8%)
I don't blog -- 8 (21%)
About two years ago I wrote a post about being public vs private in the personal information that we share on our blogs. At that point, I was always very vague about where I lived (I just said "western USA" though I've since specified the state); since coming to Pelican, however, I've been a lot more open. The reasoning is simple--if some creep wanted to come steal my kids from here, they would have to go to a LOT of trouble to do it (6hrs each way on the ferry? Not likely. Expensive seaplane ride? Even harder--the seaplane folks know my kids and wouldn't let them board. ) If someone in town wanted to swipe my kids, all I'd have to do is go door to door for 20 minutes until I found them. Really, I just don't worry about that kind of predator out here. (The bears are, admittedly, a whole other issue, but they don't read this blog!)
However, now that we're preparing to move--to a place with roads this time--I'm going to get more vague again. No photos that show our house or our neighborhood, nothing too specific about our town... I'll probably just stick with "Alaska" (it's a nice big state!) and leave it at that. The chances of a creep going to the effort to try to track us down is still minimal, but I'm not going to do anything to help, because those creeps are out there.
I will continue post pictures of my kids from time to time, but I will also continue to use nicknames for my children--they are minors, and frankly their names are not any of your business. ☺ I don't mind mentioning my own name, or my husband's, because 1--we are adults and 2--we both have really common names. But my kids, well, I reserve the right to be a protective mama bear for my little cubs. ☺
SO, yes, we are moving. No, I am not going to tell you quite where...but we are leaving the bush, and we're oh so happy about that.
Privacy is such a tricky issue. There wasn't really an option in the poll for what I do, which is that I use photos and real (first) names, but am vague on our location. I had my blog private until recently, and even if I'd switched to using initials, I would have had to go back through the previous 100+ posts and change all the names. I don't worry too much about people stalking my kids, but I am still a bit uncertain as to just how widely I want to advertise my blog. Part of me wants more readers and more comments, but I also don't want to invite negative commentary, especially when I talk openly about adoption. I've had several friends whose blogs have been hit by anti-adoption people, and they can be vicious. I don't advertise my blog on any websites like Mormon Mommy Blogs or other blog network sites, and I go back and forth over whether to include it in my profile (it currently is). I suppose I could have separate blogs, but that adds more work. I do have another blog to share updates with my dd's birth family, and I'll probably be creating yet another one as an adoption profile since we will soon be looking to be matched with a prospective birth mother. But then I don't necessarily want readers of those blogs to be directed to my main blog either. Agh!
ReplyDeleteSorry for the long comment!
Yay for moving to a better place (not that Pelican wasn't an interesting experience though, right!?) Good luck with the move.
ReplyDeleteOh My Goodness... Where, Where WHERE??? :) I'm so excited for you.
ReplyDeletePrivacy is a good factor to consider.
ReplyDelete"Putting it out there" on a blog, in any way, shape, or form, can be dangerous. I think some privacy self-checks are a good idea, but where each of us draws the line is going to be different.
I'm probably 85% open about where I live, my family names, etc. I have near 300 blog posts, and I've thought of going through and changing the personal info (at least my kid's names to code names) but it's daunting.
On the other hand, I've blogged about my bra size and personal home life, but I don't mind it. It's who I am. ;)
Hmm, this is an itneresting topic! I think it's great what you do to protect your little cubs! I wonder what I'll do cause I imagine we'll talk about baby names when our first child is born and before then... Actually we already have them picked out! haha. Maybe I'll say "this or this..." and then go to a nickname. Minime or Minihim. I dunno.
ReplyDeleteI don't use my husband's name, not so much for privacy but cause it's my blog not his, haha. It wouldn't be easy to find though as people who know me have commented with it before. I KNOW I won't be able to keep from posting pictures of my cute baby! haha, AND I'm on TV so if some creep in my TOWN wants to hunt me down they probably can, not because of what I'm writing on my blog, but because I'm on TV 5 days a week. I dunno... I imagine they'd come first, but let's hope neither is the case :)
PS: I do mention my dog's name though! :)
ReplyDeleteI am there with you-actually everyone's names on my blog are nick names and though I do say the city I live in, it is big enough I'm not worried about it. But I agree, my kids' names will be private always, though it is unlikely someone would decide they want my kids, you just never know about the weirdos out there. I think you are being a wise mama :)
ReplyDeleteAnd for Lisa, I am so sorry there are anti-adoption people out there making you feel badly-how very horrible! Good for you doing adoption, regardless of which side you are on, giving a child a better life instead of killing it or not being able to care for it is a wonderful, selfless and difficult thing to do-Good for you! * would have commented on her blog, but her profile isn't public and couldn't get to it, hopefully she will see this or if you know her you can pass it on*
ReplyDeleteOops, I didn't know my profile wasn't public. That was an accident, I think I've fixed it now.
ReplyDelete