An Ounce of Prevention

I'm still quite new to blogging, having started this blog at the beginning of this month. Prior to having my own, I spent the last couple of years bloghopping and commenting on a number of blogs the authors of which I greatly admired for their eloquence and style of writing and, more often than not, who shared the same interests/views as I did.

Since this is a public blog, I would like to let the reader(s) know that I had observed some serious flaws on quite a number of blogs, specifically the failure of some bloggers to protect themselves from potential harm.

Through bloghopping, I observed that quite a number of bloggers fail to take the necessary precautions, even the most basic ones, to protect themselves from unscrupulous people who prowl through cyberspace for potential victims.

I noted that quite a number of bloggers posted photos of themselves, their friends, and family members online. A number of the photos even had captions with the names of the individuals on the picture. I had likewise observed personal information such as names, phone numbers, and the companies they work for were discussed/mentioned on blog entries or shown via photos posted on their blog sites. I also saw a blog where the owner took a photo of the invitation card for a children's party where the card clearly showed the owner's cellphone number, home phone number, and home address. All of the above were shown on blogs aimed for public consumption.

I am pretty sure that these bloggers were very decent people who meant well. They saw their blog as a means of communicating with friends, relatives, and other acquaintances. However, they need to be mindful of the fact that by posting very personal information in a very public manner, they may be opening themselves up to some serious problems down the road.

The following is a list of suggestions. Though this list is by no means a complete one, they provide a blogger with a few steps to start minimizing his/her digital footprints.

Photos

Bloggers basically have the following options here:

1. Refrain from posting a photo of yourself online;
2. If it is unavoidable to post a photo with you in it, block your face out of that photo. You would not want unsavory characters, such as online stalkers, from getting a very good look at you; and
3. Unless you're in a profession that requires a high public profile (acting and politics are examples), post your photos in a photo album and restrict access to the photos only to people personally known to you.

Name

Instead of putting your name on a blog entry or using it as your domain name, make one up. Come up with a pseudonym or nickname that is totally unrelated to anything about you. Don't even put your actual initials on your blog entries. Extend the same courtesy to friends and relatives you write about on your blog. Protect their privacy by coming up with nicknames totally unrelated to who they are and what they do. Again, get creative and make names up to protect them.

Place of Work

It is never a good idea to provide hints on where you work, especially if you have the habit of complaining about your boss, the people at work, or the company as a whole. This could get you terminated from your job should your boss, a jealous co-worker, or a disgruntled subordinate chance upon your blog.

Addresses/Phone numbers

A big NO. You're putting yourself at serious risk here. Posting your home address is tantamount to handing a criminal or a con man the keys to your home/condo/apartment. By posting either your cellphone or home phone number, you're providing those characters direct access to your person. If they're technically sophisticated or geeky enough, they may even be able to track your whereabouts.

To provide you with additional information, other safe blogging tips could be found on these sites: Blogging Mommies, Get Safe Online,and Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Again, posting photos and information about yourself on a public blog would only be necessary if you're in a profession that requires the maintenance of a high public profile. This applies to actors/actresses, musicians, athletes, fashion models, and politicians, to name a few.

In the interest of full disclosure, this is not a paid post. These are but words of caution that I want to share with everyone out there. A well-written blog will never find itself wanting of an audience. Like water seeking its own level, a blog will eventually land the audience it deserves based on the quality of its content.