Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Blogging Your Baby
Oronzo recently sent me a link to an article, Blogging Your Baby, that he came across and wanted to share with me. Go ahead, take a moment to read it yourself!
At first I thought he was not so subtly telling me that he was uncomfortable with the content of my blog. So, I asked him.
Me: Do you think my blog is too personal? I try to protect our privacy by blogging anonymously and I don't usually post head on pictures of Snuggle Bug, but what do you think?
Oronzo: No, I'm not criticizing your blog. I just thought you'd find the article interesting.
Whew, that's a relief! Reading this article did make me stop and think. Do I share too much? What will Snuggle Bug think when he's old enough to read this? I have no intention of hiding it from him when he's older. Will he be embarrassed or upset with what I have written about him?
When I write, I do so mainly to process my thoughts and feelings on certain situations. I know I'm not always positive and upbeat about all those situations, but I try not to be hurtful towards others. I do think of the privacy of Oronzo and Snuggle Bug, trying not to cross any lines. I also write to gain the support and advice of my fellow bloggers. I love that aspect of blogging!
Perhaps I'm paranoid, but I do worry about sexual predators trolling for children online, so you'll notice that the pictures I post of Snuggle Bug often are at side angles or altered to not show his full appearance.
I'm curious, do you ever feel at times that you get too personal in your blog? Do you worry about what your child will think later? Do you filter what you write about in the interest of privacy?
Labels: blogging, family, Oronzo, Snuggle Bug
14 Comments:
Interesting article. I do worry sometimes and I try not to share too much personal info. I do post pictures, but I've been doing it less and less or making them more obscure face shots (farther away, etc). I worry about lots of things. I worry about using first names and I try to do it less and less. Maybe I should come up with nick names. I try to use Little Man and Older son, but then I slip into conversation style writing and use names. I try not to post anything that would seriously embarras them when they get older but this is my diary of sorts so I do post some things about day to day struggles, but I would never post potty pictures or anything of that nature. And I never post pictures of anyone else's children or names. That's not fair to them. I also try to leave out struggles with extended family. We are having in-law issues and I am not posting about that right now because should they come across my blog, I don't want to add anymore hurt to what is going on. So yes, I do censor my life. The blogworld does not the WHOLE of Our Story :)
I try not to worry too much. But you're right there are alot of people out there that I would not want to visit my blog and I try to be careful in the pictures I do post of my girls because there are sickos out there. I do share pictures, because this is a blog mainly for my in-laws and other family that are far away and only get to see the girls once or twice a year. I don't share our last name, nor do I mention where we live, just because I don't know who may come across my blog. But I think people who post on more blogs or join different blog "happenings" are probably prone to be more private, because they have more "traffic". I pretty much only post on certain blogs that I frequent. Right now since my girls are so young I don't think I'm sharing anything too personal and I definitely don't talk about any problems with family or what not, its really just an update for family. I am surprised sometimes things that people will post on their blogs though, wondering if their extended family ever reads it -- because you know they can come across it. :) And I'm also surprised at the nature of pictures that people post or when they will mention their last name, where they live, etc. I think as the girls get older, I definitely would want to be more private with things so as not to embarass them and probably will end up making my blog private so it is just family and friends that could get to it. It definitely is alot to think about.
Oh yeah, I worry about being too open on my blog. Especially because I know that my husband, his co-workers, our TSS and a lot of others read it. Sometimes I wish I had a little dirty anonymous blog to write the stuff that I don't put in mine. A lot of times thing stay in draft form until I have calmed down enough to see if anyone would be embarrassed by them.
And I worry about the photos, but I still post them.
I write about the girls all the time and I do post some pictures.
I try to not write anything that might cause them embarrassment and there is a lot going on in our lives that will never become blog fodder.
Not that I have secrets, I don't. I'm just careful about other people's business.
It's a middle ground.
I worry about it sometimes. I have never posted my son's reals names, or hubbys name (they are manly man, oldest boy, middle boy, youngest, etc...) I try when I talk about them to be in a positive light or to say 'we are going through one of these stages' (like I recently did on Bringing up boys). The people who know my real name and my kids are people I have come to "know" I know their address, I know their family names, etc... we exchanged Christmas cards. So there is a handful in bloggyworld I have never met that do know all these things, but in return I know and have seen pictures of their family.
It is a balance. You can be too overprotective which makes blogging difficult sometimes, or too nonchalant, there needs to be a middle ground. Great article though.
I think everyone has to find the right balance for themselves. I started the blog initially for family and friends, so I do post photos and I try not to worry about doing that. As for the content, it's a pretty "Family-friendly" blog...I don't post anything that I might regret later or that Joe would be upset/hurt by...and I hope everything I post about Kayla she will appreciate years from now ... just being able to look back on the little girl she once was :)
De-lurking....been here many times. Found you through Praying for Parker. Wanted to say great article. I started my blog to keep in touch with family half way across the country, so I try to keep it family friendly. Are there times I vent..of course, but never anything I would dread coming to light. I shared the link with all of my family, so I do keep that in mind. I post pics of my family, son, neices/nephews, but have consent from them/their parents. My son enjoys the blog also...he loves when I put his artwork on, he plays Sunday Six weekly and loves it, etc. It also works in the reverse...he is six, and if he is refusing to clean his room and it is getting out of hand it is amazing what pulling out the camera to take a pic of the mess can lead to. Horrible mom, huh? He yells, I'll clean it I'll clean it, don't put it on the 'puter for Grandma to see! Works like a charm. Hopefully it won't embarass him in the future, I don't think it will as I keep it tame.
That's my opinion I guess. Love all your recipes and your blog!
Jamie
I do not use kids or hubbies real names. And sensor anything that would use their real names. As for today I took a picture and was about to post it when I realized it had my son's name on something nearby. I went up and retook the picture without his name showing.
I think our kids are going to cherish the fact that we took the time to share snippets of their lives and will appreciate having those memories.
They currently LOVE IT when they get mentioned on the blog. Especially pictures. If it is on the blog it must be important and it sends the message of I value you and want others to see what I see in you.
I am always conscious that the person I am writing about could one day read this. I usually don't write anything that they don't know already. At the same time, I try to keep myself free to express whatever is on my mind.
I am not worried ... maybe that will blow up in my face, but for almost three years I have maintained my blog and have no bad experiences (eeps one lady was a freak and TRIED to scare me but my husband just banned her IP and that was the end of that).
People have found me from my past through the blog...both good and bad ... It has been well worth all of it being able to stay in touch with our family, and develop these connections with other bloggers.
I blog carefully for another reason: I'm a minister. There are quite a few ministers who blog, but we have to be careful because our careers and the rest of our lives are so closely linked, and our own privacy and the privacy of our congregants is important.
Many of us blog anonymously, but I've seen people figure out who's who, who's their minister, etc. so I just out my name out there so that I would never be tempted to post something that I shouldn't.
But then add on the posts about my daughter and things get odd...I want people who know me as a minister to appreciate the role my daughter plays in my life--it's a subtle reminder to them that I need time for myself and my family outside of time for my congregation! But her name and stuff are right out there, and I can imagine the nightmare scenarios.
By the way--you're in my thoughts and prayers with the move. You will all be fine, though! Hope it goes well as the transition begins!
I do worry, yes. I wish I wouldn't have used my name or my fiance's name or my location in blogging whatsoever. We have issues with his family and his sister found me via Google search and left me a horrible comment which is why my blog is down right now. I'll probably be missing FIF this week due to the complications until I can figure out what to do about the comment and my current blog, I sure can't keep that one anymore.
I just realized you can find COMMENTS through Google too.. so I'll sign this one the "Northern Southerner"..hopefully you know who I'm referring to! =)
I'll have to go read the essay.
I have become insanely careful, and I do think it takes away from my blog:
I self-censor to protect their privacy, to protect stories they might not later be glad I shared, and because I once read about how painfully boring most mommy blogs are and I'm afraid I'm painfully boring!
And then there's the fact that you can't control who stops by anyway -- since I've added statcounter I've been really horrified by the bizarre google phrases that have brought a couple people to me. (I've subsequently rewritten a couple phrases to make their meanings unambiguous).
After all the pedophile things - stealing photos - that have happened at flickr I am being more careful. I have my friends and family list and only those people can see pics of my granddaughter.
Hugs to you!
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