Blogging How-To: Blogging Safely

When does posting about your family and daily life become too personal? It all depends on what you blog about. Mommy blogs post about mommy problems and kid things, which is normal. I even post about my personal life once in a blue moon, mostly because I am a pretty private person. But I have started notice that before blogging became popular, parents would use initials instead of the child's first name, which is now the case. If the blogger has her last name listed somewhere on the blog, anyone seeing the child's first name and the blogger's last name will now have your child's full name. If put into the wrong hands, things can go down south VERY quickly.

I don't want to scare you, but a fellow blogger had to close her blog because she wanted to keep her family safe. So today, we are going to take a look at ways you can keep you and your family safe while still blogging:

1. Don't divulge too much information. Refrain from using full first names for children. Use initials or their nicknames.
2. If you do use your child's full first name, don't put your last name on your blog. Use an initial instead.
3. NEVER put your address in a public media kit. If you have to, make sure the media kit is password protected or just send it to those who request one. 
4. Try not to make any enemies in the blogging world. This can be hard, but we never truly know who is behind the blog.
5. When you talk about certain personal problems, keep the details to a minimum. Don't talk about certain places, unless their widely known, especially if you live in a small town.
6. Don't take picture of things that could point out full names, addresses, or numbers. If you take a picture of your new car, blur out the license plate number.
7. Be careful when complaining about a company. If the company believes that you are doing it out of spite, they can legally sue you for defamation. 
8. NEVER agree to meet a blogger or reader alone. Always use the buddy system and meet in public. Let others know you are going to meet them and keep your phone handy at all times, just in case.

Blogging, while oftentimes fun, can have its dangerous side. While I never had any safety issues while blogging, it does happen and I want all of my fellow bloggers and their families to stay safe!