How to Stay Safe when Using a Blog
Keep private things private., Be respectful of others., Expect respect in return., Deal with spammers., Deal with stalkers., Link with other bloggers in your topic area, your local area or just because you're fellow bloggers.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Keep private things private.
Be very careful about what you share on a blog.
Information that can identify where you live, where you shop, what car you drive, where you kids go to school, and so forth can be open to abuse in the wrong hands.
It's a good idea to think ahead about the things you won't reveal and decide to code them, change identities or simply not mention these things at all.
Some things to consider include:
Do not show a photograph of the front of your house or give out your street address in your blog.
Do not give out secure information such as your Social Security ID, bank account information, work address, credit card details, and so forth.
Think twice before sharing images of your family members.
Do they want to be so exposed anyway? Always blur identifiable things such as car number plates and the mailbox number.
Avoid stating where you are going on such and such a date.
Do not give out children's drop-off or pick-up times or locations.
Some bloggers refer to family members and friends using aliases or substitute names.
For example:
DH (dear/darling husband), X, the ducklings, my three little mice, Aunt Broomhilda/Esmeralda, and so forth, can be used in place of real names that identify the persons involved.
For example: "My mother-in-law so reminds me of Cleopatra, that I am going to refer to her as such from this point on." Readers who regularly follow you will know who you mean, and you can make an occasional reminder comment now and then to update new readers, or answer questions in the comments section, if appropriate. -
Step 2: Be respectful of others.
Do not mention people without their consent.
It's one thing to be friends with people, quite another to start discussing their personal lives online.
Ask before you publish.
To avoid problems, always write respectfully about identifiable people, to avoid the potential for defaming them or upsetting them.
Moreover, by being respectful, you will avoid attracting nasty comments or trolling behavior based on the things you've said about people.
Be aware that anyone can find your blog and that even if you have tried to de-identify a person by changing a name/place of work, etc., by providing details of incidents and character traits, it can often still be possible to piece together who the person is, especially in relation to who you are.
If it's gossip and it's malicious, humiliating or nasty, don't write it and definitely don't publish it, regardless of how much you've tried to cover up the tracks.
It is possible to limit a blog to friends only, to those persons who have been accepted and given the link to your blog.
You may also wish to protect such access with a password. , Do not let the comments get to you and be sure to manage them well.
While it's useful to get feedback, not all of your comments will be constructive or considerate.
Sometimes people are in a bad mood, sometimes they're trolling and sometimes they're genuinely mean people.
It's not a good idea to take any of it personally, as this is the lot for anyone who publishes.
It's important to manage your comments.
You have a right to remove comments that are spiteful, nasty, contain curse words or generally display vileness.
Your readers don't need to read that, and you don't need such comments to hang around reminding you of the baseness of some people's uncontrolled impulses. , Spammers can spoil your blog, especially if you don't clear out their spam.
Be on top of it at all times and clear it away whenever it lands in your comments boxes.
If your blog provider allows for blocking of spam, use that resource without mercy. , Nip stalker behavior in the bud quickly.
First, don't engage with such persons––make it clear you're not interested in being part of their twisted exchange of abuse or baiting.
Second, contact the service providers, both for the blog and for the internet connection, and inform them of any such misuse of the communications system if someone is persistently harassing or bothering you.
Third, if these actions do not prevent the person from stalking and harassing you, contact the police and see what else can be done. , It can be helpful to have support from other bloggers and you can share stories, solutions and safety tips among one another. -
Step 3: Expect respect in return.
-
Step 4: Deal with spammers.
-
Step 5: Deal with stalkers.
-
Step 6: Link with other bloggers in your topic area
-
Step 7: your local area or just because you're fellow bloggers.
Detailed Guide
Be very careful about what you share on a blog.
Information that can identify where you live, where you shop, what car you drive, where you kids go to school, and so forth can be open to abuse in the wrong hands.
It's a good idea to think ahead about the things you won't reveal and decide to code them, change identities or simply not mention these things at all.
Some things to consider include:
Do not show a photograph of the front of your house or give out your street address in your blog.
Do not give out secure information such as your Social Security ID, bank account information, work address, credit card details, and so forth.
Think twice before sharing images of your family members.
Do they want to be so exposed anyway? Always blur identifiable things such as car number plates and the mailbox number.
Avoid stating where you are going on such and such a date.
Do not give out children's drop-off or pick-up times or locations.
Some bloggers refer to family members and friends using aliases or substitute names.
For example:
DH (dear/darling husband), X, the ducklings, my three little mice, Aunt Broomhilda/Esmeralda, and so forth, can be used in place of real names that identify the persons involved.
For example: "My mother-in-law so reminds me of Cleopatra, that I am going to refer to her as such from this point on." Readers who regularly follow you will know who you mean, and you can make an occasional reminder comment now and then to update new readers, or answer questions in the comments section, if appropriate.
Do not mention people without their consent.
It's one thing to be friends with people, quite another to start discussing their personal lives online.
Ask before you publish.
To avoid problems, always write respectfully about identifiable people, to avoid the potential for defaming them or upsetting them.
Moreover, by being respectful, you will avoid attracting nasty comments or trolling behavior based on the things you've said about people.
Be aware that anyone can find your blog and that even if you have tried to de-identify a person by changing a name/place of work, etc., by providing details of incidents and character traits, it can often still be possible to piece together who the person is, especially in relation to who you are.
If it's gossip and it's malicious, humiliating or nasty, don't write it and definitely don't publish it, regardless of how much you've tried to cover up the tracks.
It is possible to limit a blog to friends only, to those persons who have been accepted and given the link to your blog.
You may also wish to protect such access with a password. , Do not let the comments get to you and be sure to manage them well.
While it's useful to get feedback, not all of your comments will be constructive or considerate.
Sometimes people are in a bad mood, sometimes they're trolling and sometimes they're genuinely mean people.
It's not a good idea to take any of it personally, as this is the lot for anyone who publishes.
It's important to manage your comments.
You have a right to remove comments that are spiteful, nasty, contain curse words or generally display vileness.
Your readers don't need to read that, and you don't need such comments to hang around reminding you of the baseness of some people's uncontrolled impulses. , Spammers can spoil your blog, especially if you don't clear out their spam.
Be on top of it at all times and clear it away whenever it lands in your comments boxes.
If your blog provider allows for blocking of spam, use that resource without mercy. , Nip stalker behavior in the bud quickly.
First, don't engage with such persons––make it clear you're not interested in being part of their twisted exchange of abuse or baiting.
Second, contact the service providers, both for the blog and for the internet connection, and inform them of any such misuse of the communications system if someone is persistently harassing or bothering you.
Third, if these actions do not prevent the person from stalking and harassing you, contact the police and see what else can be done. , It can be helpful to have support from other bloggers and you can share stories, solutions and safety tips among one another.
About the Author
Catherine Harris
Brings years of experience writing about DIY projects and related subjects.
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