My post from Friday, When You Blog About Your Kids, sparked a wonderful discussion in comments and got me thinking about all the things I do to make sure I’m blogging as responsibly as a parent can without losing the fun and communication that makes blogging an important release in my life. I hope you’ll find some value in these tips and if you have any of your own please, don’t hesitate to share in comments below.
Watermark Your Photos
What it does:
Watermarking places a faint image over top of your original photo. On a blog, the overlaid image is most typically the bloggers url.
Why do it:
In the event someone steals or hotlinks your image on another site, viewers of that image will know who it belongs to. It might prevent someone from taking it in the first place because they don’t want to share an image with a watermark on it. If you find your stolen image with a watermark on it you can contact the offenders hosting company to complain and say ‘See! The image even has my watermark on it!’
Using stolen materials is usually against a hosters TOA and they will often shut the site down until the material is removed.
Learn More – How to Watermark your Photos
Check your Subject Matter
What it does:
Helps to keep undesirables off your site.
Why do it:
It’s only common sense not to post images of your kids in clothing that might be desirable for a creepster to look at. You might innocently put up a photo of your kid in the tub and a funny little blurb in the post about how little Benjamin got into the flour and made a mess landing him in the bath. It would be cute and endearing and your readers would likely chuckle. But then along comes Mr. Creepy Googler who’s hunting down images for his ‘collection’ and voila. Avoid images of your kids in: diapers, costumes, dance wear, swim wear, the bath etc. Chances are you’ll know when you look at it with an ‘outsiders eye’ if it’s a good idea to share it or not.
Learn More – Posting Pictures Online Reveals More Than You Know
Monitor your Analytics
What it does:
Alerts you to any undesirable search phrases that lead Mr. Creepy Googler to your site.
Why do it:
If you’re using Statcounter or Google Analytics you should be able to see the search queries that bring a visitor to your site. Look at this list often and identify viewers who arrive by searching for gross and inappropriate terms. Not only will this give you an idea of phrases to avoid writing about, but it will often tell you the IP address of the offending searcher (although, the serious ones will use a proxy so they can’t be identified by a simple stat program)
Learn More: 50 Resources for Getting the Most out of Analytics
Block that IP
What it does:
Throws up a wall and a custom message to viewers with a blocked IP address. WordPress users can easily use the WPBan plugin.
Why do it:
People are lazy and I’m sure this applies to the creepers of the internet too – if they land on your site and hit a wall they will likely just carry on to the next site on the list.
Learn More: IP Address Lookup
Be Leary of Location Blabber
What it does:
FourSquare and Facebook Location applications broadcast your whereabouts to your network.
Why (not) do it:
Location based social networking is fairly new on the scene but just because people are jumping on that bandwagon doesn’t mean it’s safe to do so. Rethink your usage of location applications with your kids in mind. Do you really need everyone who follows you on twitter to know that you just dropped your daughter off at gymnastics?
Learn More: How I Became a Foursquare Cyberstalker
Put Yourself in Their (grownup) Shoes
What it does:
Ensures you re-think what you’re about to publish
Why do it:
Your children might be babies right now, but how will your daughter feel as a teen when the ‘mean girls’ find her moms blog post from when she had a crush on Justin Bieber at 11 years old? I’m guessing she won’t be very happy about it. In writing about our children we’re essentially creating an online presence for them. One that ‘mean girls’ or dating candidates or even future employers might come across. It will do our babies well to rethink what their 14 year old self might think before we hit publish.
Learn more: Most Canadian Tots Already Have an Online Presence
These are REALLY great! I’ve never signed up on foresquare, I think it’s a ridiculous and pointless service. Why do I want to tell the world where I am all the time?? Obnoxious!
Obnoxious is exactly the right word. And to broadcast it on twitter when most of your followers are in other cities and have no idea what you’re talking about is just rude IMO. Rude AND unsafe
I really need to start doing this. I never do because it seems like such a hassle, but it really is worth that little bit of extra effort. Great post!
I have to admit I don’t put myself in their grown up shoes. But by the same token, they have every right to open their own blog and rebutt everything I’ve ever written.
I also don’t get 4 square or FB locations. the only location I’ve used is “Bloorview’ through instagram, since my FB status already said I was there. :p But, I would never disclose our home location, where Lauren will be going to school, etc. I think it’s just totally unsafe, and I share A LOT on my blog.
Great post!
I didnt know about the IP address look up, thanks. I have been guilty of posting a few racy topics and it brought in a slew of spam and crazy people, fortunately I dont post pics of the kids. My husband made me promise that when I started my blog.