Given my recent knowledge that uninvited, extended family members – of the boys’ family, I mean – are reading my blog, I am giving some thought to moving myself to a new location altogether..
The downside is that anyone I don’t know, personally, won’t be able to follow me along to the new location.
The upside is that I’ll be certain that those who shouldn’t be reading won’t be.
Your thoughts?
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I don’t know about a move… Would you be “found” again? What about placing a password on the posts that you would like to remain private? Just a thought….
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Ah! This has potential! Hmmm…
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That’s a tough one. I’m always worried about that myself, and I’ve tried to take my blog off any search engines (I think it’s not indexed, does that sound right?). I haven’t shared our blog with the birth family that we are in contact with and I’m not sure if I will. But I have some time to decide that.
I probably depends on why you’re blogging and if you’ve got concerns about birth family doing inappropriate things with the info. I keep my blog up to keep my & Dave’s far flung family and friends up to date, not really to reach a new audience. Although I think of things to blog regularly, I don’t often, so it’s not a real outlet.
Whatever you do, it’ll be the right decision for you (but please make sure Dave & I can find you — it’s very helpful reading from someone who’s been there done that).
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As a reader who doesn’t know you personally, I’d be sad to see the blog go. Also, as someone who probably wouldn’t be granted password access, I’d be sad too.
But, unless you password protect, there is no way of ensuring that “uninvited, extended family members,” or anyone else for that matter, will not be reading. If these people have not been bugging you, then perhaps you should just keep things as they are. The fact that you’ve mentioned it leads me to believe that the facts are otherwise…
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I agree, you’ll be found again. I would go with password protection on posts about the kids. Or anything you don’t want them to read.
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Track their IPs, block them, and send out your loyal readers to tar and feather them.
Failing that, go for password-protected, but as a subscription service. Charge $0.50/year for it, payable only by credit card. That way you know each person who’s reading those posts (and have sushi money to boot – win-win!).
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Please DON’T follow Andrews advice or those of us without credit cards would be left out.
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I look forward to your posts and would be sad to see you go to a more invite only system. But, if that’s what it takes to protect the boys, then that’s what it takes.
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I support you in whatever you decide. I can deal with any of the options above…as long as I get to follow or have the password, of course! Kind of sucks to have to make this decision, doesn’t it?
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I second (third? fourth?) the comments about being sad if you moved/removed the blog, but I understand your reasoning behind it. i know we haven’t met, but I always look forward to your posts and file away your parenting dilemmas and strategies in case future-me ever needs your sage advice. But a password system seems like it might be a good balance!
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Blogs are mass media. They can be and are read by anyone who finds them. They are not private communication. A newspaper editor once said if you don’t want it printed, don’t do it. In your case, if you don’t want it read, don’t write it.
The cumulative amount of personal information on a great many blogs, including mine scares me as it could be used for any number of purposes. -
I think you have to do what you feel is best for the boys. Everything else is incidental.
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Follow your gut. Protect your family.
I have seen blogs that say “This post is password protected – Contact me if you want to read it”.
However, there is no saying what *that* person will do with the information.
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oh – I’ve also seen blogs that are invitation only.
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Can you add a password to your entire existing blog? Then you don’t have to change anything. I agree you need to protect your family. Talked to May-B last night. Hence my change of heart. Sorry about all the shit you have to put up with.
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I think you should do what you feel is best… but a suggestion I have is IF you chose to move your blog, perhaps put up a post a few weeks in advance allowing your readers to give you their email? Then you could email the new location to those who would like to follow?
Just a thought :)
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Hmm… invitation only blog sounds like a solution, that way you must approve your readers. I want to continue reading-especially since I’ve been contemplating adoption myself (international adoption).
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Would we need to send in photo identification to get access to a password protected blog? ;)
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What is the guarantee that whoever shared your blog (with family members it should not have been shared with) won’t do it again?
I vote for password-protecting the posts you don’t want the boys’ extended family to read, and only giving the password to non-family ;-)
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I think you should keep the same location (however you were found, you’ll be found again), but you should password protect anything you don’t want the boys’ family to see. I think that you would miss some your random search engine traffic if you protected the whole blog. Besides, the majority of your entries wouldn’t need protection.
My two cents, a tad late. Although, like some of your other commenters said…as long as *I* have access to everything, I’m good with whatever you decide. I’m selfish like that.
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