My bloggy world has been slightly jaded. I recently encountered an experience that totally spooked me…
Remember I wrote a post about my near obsession with stats and the numbers game? Remember how in that same post I mentioned you can use your stats to your advantage as long as you don’t compare yourself to the numbers in the process? Well, I was doing a routine stat check recently and I noticed I was receiving some incoming traffic from China on a very strange referral. At first I didn’t think much of it but when this same referral started to hit my blog daily it began to concern me. I never clicked on the link (just in case it was something suspicious) but instead I did some research on Google Analytics and found myself in a support forum.
Apparently, I was not alone.
I was one of thousands of website owners from all over the world who were being attacked by this highly suspicious traffic out of China with the SAME referral.
I went back to my stats and over the next few days I had a surge of traffic coming from this suspicious site. They were hitting my blog on the hour, every hour. At that point I knew they were not coming to Theta Mom to read my latest post or to meet a blogger through TMC and as it turns out, my presumptions were correct.
It has been reported that these were indeed hackers, crawling websites and probing for passwords in an attempt to add malicious scripts. I immediately started to block the IP addresses but the problem was this site was running on thousands of servers so the IP addresses kept changing with every hit. After heeding the advice from Google Analytics who was investigating this issue for thousands of webmasters, I was advised to block all traffic from China to ensure these hackers couldn’t access my site. Needless to say, this unnerving experience has brought a couple of things to light for me.
It reinforces the idea that our blogs can be seen by anyone, anywhere at anytime – including this kind of “unwanted” traffic.
In addition, I’ve had some really nasty Google searches recently (so nasty I can’t even repeat them on this blog) with the word mom in them which ultimately lands them to MY blog since “mom” is in the title. These are especially the kind of peeps I do not want coming to my blog viewing pictures of my children or reading about me. However, it’s the kind of thing to expect since we are putting ourselves out there on the internet for ALL to see.
So I think this begs to ask the question, what standards should we have set forth on our blogs for ourselves? What are the limits?
There is no right or wrong answer here but for me, I do not share my children’s names, my place of employment or any of that other personal information. Furthermore, anything I add to Facebook I presume can be seen by everyone so I don’t add anything there that I wouldn’t add here. But I do post pictures of my children on this blog and although in recent months I watermarked them, I’m beginning to wonder if I should even post pictures at all.
So if there is EVER a post I would like you to comment on, please make it this one and share with me – I really want to know how you deal with this. As active bloggers, where do you draw the line? What are you comfortable publishing on the internet and how do you do so without losing your authenticity as a blogger in the process?
Good question yet a bad situation to experience for sure! I too am tender about what I post, no dates/names/details. etc., yet I do post pictures.
Ultimately they are looking for passwords, etc and maybe there really isn’t any genuine interest in the content- for those bad guys. I think there will never a situation that doesn’t come with it’s challenges and we just have to do what we are peaceful with. Some people never post any pics at all and some are an open book.
I do think that this may have me consider an occasional clip art though :).
This is a good question, it’ll be interesting to see what other people have to say!
.-= Bree @ Buzzin’ about my Babies, Binkies & Boxes´s last blog ..Room Re-Do Post #2 =-.
Oooh…that is not good! I have to get back on Analytics. I checked it out once, but haven’t been back.
I post pictures and stories…I started watermarking the pictures too…Husband is kind of insistent about that. I have no idea how people are coming to my blog though…I just always thought it was through other people’s blogs.
I don’t really censor myself. I write what I want to write and hope for the best. Sounds naive after reading your post, but it’s my blog and I want it to remain authentic b/c eventually I will be sharing this with my babies (as this is their baby book)! Thanks for posting though…it definitely makes me think.
.-= Rebecca´s last blog ..The Sagas of Peen and Vag – 1st Edition =-.
As someone who has a regular troll, one who created a MySpace account pretending to be me, I can assure you that if it’s not an attack fro
China or weirdos landing on your blog, it will be something else. Even if you chose not to blog because of your concerns, someone in the real world could be just as weird/nasty. I, too, neglect to share my kids names though I don’t care about mine as much. I used to watermark my photos but I hate the way that looks.
I’ve been through the ebb and flow of these decisions as I’ve been blogging since 2001. I was password protected at one point. You will find what works for you. And then what works for you will change! That’s life for you.
I’m sorry you’ve been experiencing some icky Internet hullabaloo and I hope you can find your safe space soon!
.-= FireMom´s last blog ..Happy Birthday to Me! =-.
FireMom – Thank you SO MUCH for sharing how you have dealt with this. I am still on the fence about the pictures – and you’re right, today it was China, who knows who it will be tomorrow. Hacking will always be a potential threat, true. But I’m more concerned about the gross google searches who not only land on my blog, but stick around and go through some page views – and by being on the internet, this will not change.
Food for thought – I know for sure I will never use our full names, but some of this does spook me from time to time.
HHHMMMMMM I decided before even beginning to blog, that the places and names will be changed to protect the innocent, or guilty (wink)… (- I try to watermark all my pictures, and quite frankly, that’s one f the reasons it takes me sooooo long to put up posts… I wait till I have the photo ready, and before you know it time has gone by, and the post has come and gone (from my mind) hehehe… I will have to check our google .. hmmm.. I’m still a novice at all of this, and frankly have so much to learn.. I agree with the need to keep our family safe, but you are right were do you draw the line… how authentic can it be if EVERYTHING is a lie… then it’s just a bed time story… lol.. I’m very excited to see were this goes, and see if there are any pointers out there… Thanks for posting..
Lisa – Well see that’s the thing, when you said eveything is a lie, I don’t change names or include any “fake” pieces of personal information, I simply don’t share them. I think ther’s a big difference. For me, it’s easy just to refer to my children as son and daughter. I think we need to strike a balance and do what feels comfortable. I am happy with the decisions I’ve made thus far, this is just more food for thought…
Thanks for sharing.
Oh, I didn’t mean it THAT way.. you know when they say sarcasm doesn’t translate well.. lol.. This is were that Sarcastic FONT would have been AWESOME.. lol I was being extreme… I agree with you that there has to be a balance, cause IF everything was fake and a lie, it’d just be a story, not YOUR story… lol
.-= Lisa C.´s last blog ..Menu Plan Monday =-.
Yeah – would love to have fonts for online code that would not get lost in translation! LOL <—– Now that's one we ALL relate to! 😉
Oh, this is just SO scary!! I have to ask how you could tell where that traffic was coming from and also how you block IP addresses? I have Google Analytics but don’t know how to do that.
My 2nd blog has been getting a lot of spam comments and I’m wondering if it is these same people?
The photo thing has really been worrying me lately and I’ve seriously thought about going back in and taking out every last picture of my son. I may have to do it for sure after reading this post!
.-= The Mommyologist´s last blog ..Mom Sexy Is Not A Number =-.
See, that’s why I am on the fence. It’s MY blog and I like posting pictures, but when is it too much?
I have sitemeter and I love it – but google analytics shows referrals as well. The IP address will show in each referral – you have to go to your hosting account to block IP addresses.
And this was much more than spam – that I can deal with. But, these specific google searches are gross people looking for gross things.
Ick and Yuck. I’m sorry you’ve been dealing with this crap.
This is the NUMBER ONE thing that holds me back as a blogger. Thank you for this post–I was just thinking about this LAST NIGHT as I was falling asleep…the ability of some malicious person to manipulate my information to harm my children or family.
So, I don’t post pics of the kids from the front. Their names have been changed. Hubby is Hubby and never his real name. I don’t use our last name or city. But sometimes I think that’s just a naive band-aid, pacifying my fears, since anyone who really wanted to could…
So, I tread carefully, breathe and try to be smart. I have Google alerts set up for my blog and our names. But I don’t do the analysis you mention above–I will start today. Thank you again.
.-= musingsdemommy´s last blog ..Redo: SNL, Meet Henry =-.
I would be interested to know how to set up Google alerts like that.
.-= Lindsay @ Just My Blog´s last blog ..My Grumpy Girls =-.
Lindsay- go to google.com/alerts and you will create a free account and sign up for any alert for any “key word” or site you wish. I have this set up as well so any link posted about Theta Mom I will receive an alert for.
.-= Theta Mom´s last blog ..Scentsy Review and Giveaway =-.
Oh! A google alert, that’s a great idea. I have them set up for work, but never thought about doing that for my blog.
.-= Krista´s last blog ..Peek A Boo =-.
I’m sorry to hear this. It does make you stop and think. I’ve had a few nasty remarks within this last year. Always anonymous. I’ve noticed some women block and or do not allow anonymous comments. Watermarking is also a good idea. And although I post pictures of my children – I limit the amount – and I do not use their real names.
It’s a hard call. I’ve seen your real name mentioned in this blog – if that is your real name – that might be something you want to limit. I’ve been naive in using my real name. I do not use my last name – not even on facebook.
Thanks for sharing. It’s important we know about this. I’m heading over to look over my archives and make some changes if need be.
.-= Jasmine´s last blog ..THE SECRET OF PRAYING =-.
I’ve struggled with this since I started my blog, and I still do struggle with it.
I love seeing pics of other people’s families, and I love sharing pics of my own family. My blog would be really boring without them!
At the same time, I totally understand the apprehension behind posting too much personal information. I remember watching an Oprah episode once where an internet expert said he would NEVER post pics of his kids on the internet. Ever. That’s a serious statement.
For now, I’m living by my own rules, I guess. I think my plan is to just take things as they come. If/when I experience something that gives me pause, I will re-evaluate then. Until that time, I am as open of a book as I can be. Again, for me, that is a crucial part of this process.
.-= songs about beets´s last blog ..The elephant in the room =-.
Excellent post! Especially as a newbie to blogging, I really appreciate the insight. Prior to creating, I had decided to not post any pictures of my kids.
I’m motivated to explore analytics further; just learning about the various points of information. Password analysis may also be in order.
As always, I enjoy your posts!
Thanks,
Tsue
.-= Terri´s last blog ..Don’t blink or you’ll miss it! =-.
I’m the same way with my blog…nervous and unsure about how much is too much. Personally, I asked my husband what HE was comfortable with and then went from there. My children’s names are never mentioned…just nicknames. Hubby’s name is never mentioned….just nicknames. I have posted pictures of the children in the past, but hubby asked me to stop so I did. Now you’ll only ever see them from behind or something where their face is blocked.
.-= Lindsay @ Just My Blog´s last blog ..My Grumpy Girls =-.
I am actually in the process of building my mommy blog and it’s taken me so long because of this one reason. I don’t want weirdos knowing about my little one but I still want to share all the adventures with the blog world, there has to be something to protect us more…Thanks for posting this!
I think we all struggle with this one. I do have a lot of pictures of my daughter on my blog as originally I wrote it to keep in touch with Family members abroad. I don’t use her name or those of my close family and I never mention location or my workplace by name. I thought I was being paranoid but obviously not!!!! I won’t be taking any pictures down just yet but will be keeping an even close eye on my Analytics!
.-= Emma´s last blog ..A Lesson in Feelings =-.
Emma – Thanks for sharing that I am not alone! And I don’t mean to “scare” anyone to run and take down their pictures – it’s just something I am struggling with right now – One of my bloggy friends have suggested a good compromise is to post the pictures, but once the post is archived, to go and remove them, which is something I cam considering.
Until I started blogging, I never realized how exposed we are when we surf the internet. I’m not just talking about what I write on my blog and Facebook page, but also what happens when I visit the blogs and pages I like. I also have an analytical tool on my blog and the amount information it gives me about my readers ASTOUNDS me. I don’t have to reveal information about my employer on my blog, all I have to do is surf somewhere from my work computer and my employer is revealed to all as the ISP! I have other readers who surf from work, and I can tell exactly where they are and who they work for, and because my blog is still small and I still get mostly people I know, I know who’s reading and who isn’t.
I’m not sure what the answer is for this. My blog isn’t too personal so I only have the one picture of me and my son on it, but every time I sell something on eBay the buyer gets not only my name, but my full address as well. I don’t think there’s a solution, other than continue to exercise judgment and be vigilant as you have been thus far.
.-= Elisa´s last blog ..Finding Unexpected Treasures =-.
This is a great post, Theta Mom. Yes, I do worry about this kind of thing, but I never imagined your specific problem. I’m too cyber-illiterate for that. It’s scary. Now I know why people keep so much anonymous, and I’ve wrestled with how much to tell, how much to reveal about my life. (I know that if people really tried to find me, they could.)
I love the blog world, but this is the downside. That we give up our ability to be anonymous in the world, our ability to pass through unscrutinized. In general, our society’s reliance on technology and computers worries me. (I wrote about it in a post, http://www.anattitudeadjustment.com/2010/03/apocalypse-coming.html).
But I don’t know how much we can resist it; it’s a part of life now. I think you’re asking the right questions and I am looking forward to hearing your conclusions. It might be easier than trying to figure out my own.
.-= Jana@An Attitude Adjustment´s last blog ..The Unbearable Lightness of Swinging =-.
I struggle with this, too. I just went to my e-referrer site and filtered out quite a number of porn sites (!). This was not the first time I did this,, but they just keep popping back up under different names. I don’t totally understand what the implications are, but I don’t like what I’m seeing.
On the other hand, there’s the Pioneer Woman, who uses her real name and also posts her children’s photos on her blog… and I wonder if she has ever any problems with spammers and these weird referrers.
.-= Buckeroomama´s last blog ..Relaxin’ with Tonin’ =-.
I have found the more my blog has grown, the more I am running into this sort of thing so I can bet to say she sure does run into this! I think you have to strike a balance and be comfortable with it. Dooce is another perfect example of who’s life is an open book and she is famous for blogging about her family, posting pictures and full names and it doesn’t seem to affect her. I’m not sure I would be as comfortable with it.
I have to be honest, I am struggling with this one. I don’t think this is one size fits all – we each have to find a space that works for us. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts – it DOES help to know I am not the only blogger to feel this way!
I rarely, if ever, post photos of my children’s faces, and I try to be very careful about what personal info I put out there.
.-= Maria´s last blog ..QwertyO Reusable Ready Mop / Swiffer pads / Produce Bags review & giveaway! =-.
For me, I do have pictures and first names but that’s it. There are no last names and I don’t have our location (other than USA) listed anywhere.
Is the watermarking you are talking about putting your website on the pic or is it something different? I might start doing that.
Oh, I also only share pics where the girls are fully clothed – no bath tub or anything like that. While I love those pics of my kids, there are too many weirdos in the world and they might be taken out of context.
My personal facebook page is set to friends only so I feel like I don’t have to worry about that, right?
.-= Ellie-Town´s last blog ..Bugs! =-.
Ellie-Town – Yes, watermarking is adding text to the pic and FB is Friends only but I have many “blogger/business” friends who can potentially share my links with everyone, etc…
At this point, I think it’s smart to use caution and post what you feel comfortable with. When in doubt, my answer will be don’t. Thanks so much for sharing.
Wow -this is scary – I have my blog private in terms of you can not search for it. But now that I’m getting followers and doing bloghops my name is getting out there so now I wonder how much I should share????
I do have a feedit on my blog to see where people are coming from and usually it’s been local friends (I can tell who they are) but with the blog hops I’m getting other places and gaining followers so now I wonder what is the right thing to do.
I do have my kids pics and names on my blog. I have my facebook badge which lists my last name and before none of that worried me but now you are making me think!
I enjoy the new connection to new moms and I comment alot on others blog developing a new blog community of friends but I don’t know these people whereas before – I only visited my friends blogs and vice versa so having all that info out there was OK!
What is the right thing to do and I’m def. not as big as you but still it does creep me out!
.-= RunningonMTT´s last blog ..Post it Note Tuesday….. =-.
I have been blogging under my own name for two years. It was a decision I made because I am trying to get my writing published and I wanted to be google-able (is that a word?)
However, I do not share pix of the kids, nor their real names. (they have a different last name from me). I have a FB group for my blog, and my own personal FB is protected and limited to only those people who I know.
I am always shocked at the blogs out there that share everything, from when they are taking a pregnancy test, to refusing sex with DH and all things in between.
I have a line that I do not cross. If I blog about the kids or my DH I ask permission first, If I want to blog about someone I know, I change identifying details and get their permission.
If someone truly wants to spam you and hack you – they will find a way no matter how many IP addresses you block.
You need to find your own line, and respect it. Good Luck!!
.-= HSM´s last blog ..Would you know what to do? =-.
Thank you for sharing – I have found my own space and thought I was always cautious until I saw with my own eyes these disgusting google searches – and these freaks were actually reading my blog! That’s when I took a step back to think this out some more…
As far as the hackers, that is par for the course. We are all not immune to this, but I guess I thought it “would never happen to me” kind of thing and the reality is, this is one aspect of blogging that will always be present.
Wow, that IS very scary! I guess I don’t know what to say. I know a lot of people are not comfortable with pictures of their kids on the internet- I never put my students on my blog for this reason (and the fact that their parents do not know about my blog). I personally think I would put pictures of my kids on my blog if I had them, but wouldn’t share their names like you do or anything that could help someone find them (where they go to school, town we live in etc). But I don’t know…
Interested to see what others have to say.
.-= Kelly´s last blog ..Let’s Try Again =-.
I’ve always been afraid of these things. Starting in 2000, I joined a bulletin board. I became quite close with those women and we even moved to our own, private bulletin board. About a year and a half ago, we all moved over to facebook. So I’m used to the whole info on the internet thing. Sometimes I get scared and I’m careful, but then I sort of forget about that and relax. My husband is a computer guy and talks a lot about how NO internet site such as these is safe and how I need to be very careful. I left facebook for several reasons. One is that it was too addicting for me, I couldn’t control my time on there. Another was that I found that I had very little to talk about with my in real life or in person friends and family. They knew everything already from what I put out there on facebook. I stay away from it 100%, but kept my blank page open and do log in only to respond to those who write to me on there. I have NO personal info over there. I don’t use twitter. As for my blog, I only share it with 2 in real life friends, the rest are strangers. But you’ve reminded me of how careful we need to be. We all need to reminded to stay on top of our game. Talking about our families and sharing our personal pics helps us seem more “real,” helps us connect with others a little better, but maybe I need to rethink that a little. Thankfully my blog is not a “family” blog. I think I’ll take a look at it to see how I can make it safer
.-= Walking Through Life´s last blog ..Carbon Neutral Blogs?! =-.
Oh lord…. now you’ve got me worried. I always wondered if I posted too much, I mean like you, I never post my children’s names or any super personal info. But I do post pictures like you, I post them to share with friends and family that come to my blog…
Such a tough decision to make with regards to standards. You’ve got me thinking now….
This issue has scared me from the very start … I’m still aware of it all the time. Since I’m a writer trying to establish myself, I do put my name out there (I write articles about parenting/family issues for pubs so it’s out there anyway). But I hardly ever use photos of my kids on my blog and I am VERY CAREFUL about how much I share. I want to be transparent and I try very hard to do that without sharing anything that makes me feel vulnerable to people with nefarious intent. It’s a boundary I am very concious of drawing everytime I write a post. We live in a scary world.
Hey, on a happier note, I gave you a shout out on my blog today! ;0)
I’m fairly new to the blogosphere, but I am very much concerned about privacy and safety. I don’t mention my children’s names in the blog. I just recently added a photo of them so my readers knew who they were reading about. I have given them “stage names” as well, so I don’t keep calling them “the 3 year old” and the “1 year old.” On my personal Facebook profile, I’ve eliminated some personal information and have been very sensitive about what I’ve been posting. For a time I wasn’t accepting friend requests from people I did not know, though I have started to accept them as of late, since I’m trying to grow my network and increase traffic to my fan page. I “defriended” someone for the first time yesterday. He was sending me all these invites to join strange groups. I have now arranged my FB friends in lists, and only send pics or info about my kids to a select group. Since I am a writer and I am trying to build a following, I do have a bio on my blog, though sometimes that makes me nervous. These are all very vital concerns and the threat isn’t going to go away, unfortunately.
.-= Maria Karamitsos´s last blog ..Mommy, Why is Your Butt Big? =-.
I was thinking about this over the weekend, when a piece I submitted was selected for Write for Charity. I want to promote my blog and like someone else mentioned I would like to write more frequently for publications or other websites, but I don’t know if I should use my full name. We live in a small town, have a different last name and I work in PR, so if you Google my name (or my husband’s) you learn a lot about me. Including my child’s name, birthdate, etc. and that makes me nervous. So… what do I do?
.-= Krista @ Not Mommy of the Year´s last blog ..Peek A Boo =-.
Krista – I don’t mean to scare you, I was just pointing out how I feel and that’s why I love my blog – I am able to share my thoughts and experiences wit others who can relate. You have to do what is comfortable and if you are trying to establish a name for yourself, then I would do so, but just exercise some caution in the process.
I don’t think they’ll ever be a “right” answer, just one that works for you and you can live with. I’m still trying to figure mine out.
Oh gosh. I am VERY careful.
I don’t use real names, and I am pretty careful about locations. I try to keep everything as anonymous as I can in that regard, although I do use pictures.
I have a friend who is a police officer, and she was pretty impressed by how much information I DON’T share, which is comforting.
It’s a sick world. People are nuts.
.-= Jennifer @ three pugs & a baby´s last blog ..{ my love/hate relationship with martha } =-.
Here’s the thing – more than likely, they are not after US or our families.
They are after the information our websites hold. IP addresses of readers. Emails. Etc. They are harvesting IP addresses.
They’re not maliciously after me or my family, they’re after the off-chance that maybe someone that comments on your blog comments under an IP address & email & perhaps they work for the state of RI or something similar.
On the other hand, I do watermark my pictures & have made sure that my information is not public on WhoIs. When it comes to that – you’re right, you need to decide what you are comfy with & make sure you put protection into place. I’m looking into getting a PO Box & I’m also working to become a trademark & LLC. There does come a point when a blogger has to legally take care of herself.
.-= Blair´s last blog ..The Best Parts Of Life Are The Little Moments All Added Up =-.
p.s. my IT girl was fighting China & Wisconsin all week last week. She is GOLD.
.-= Blair´s last blog ..The Best Parts Of Life Are The Little Moments All Added Up =-.
WHY THE HELL DOES MY ADDRESS COME UP AS SOMETHING ELSE ON YOUR SITE? lol. ::headdesk::
I think I fixed it…
.-= Blair´s last blog ..MomNom: When Mommy Bloggers snack on other Mommy Bloggers. =-.
So glad you fixed the name/site in your comment – THAT was freakin me, too! 😉
Ok, about the China traffic, yes – these peeps are only interested in hacking. Period. BUT, the google search peeps who end up on my blog and actually spend some time and lurke through page views? Um, not so much – it’s these sick peeps that freak me and this is something that will not go away.
PO Box, LLC, sister – I am right there with you.
I tweeted about this the other day. Someone found my blog by googling “Mommy Sucks me” which I thought was slightly disturbing, but they didn’t stay on my blog so I didn’t think much of it.
Now that I read this, I am slightly freaked out. I totally understand that people in South Bend Nowhere can find my blog and read it, but I don’t know why they would want to unless they have a child the same age as mine–you know?
I don’t think I have a specific place where I draw the line. I do know that these hackers are the reasons you should back up everything you do!
.-= Alissa´s last blog ..Are You Okay? =-.
Very scary! I too have in the past (even as of last week) posted pics of my girls, and on occasion used real names. But I am seriously thinking of making some changes in the way I do things. Thank you for making this issue known and helping us, your readers and fellow bloggers be aware of such issues.
.-= shirley´s last blog ..Music Monday =-.
What an interesting post here today. Thanks for doing the research and writing this. For myself, once my blog started to get noticed, I immediately arranged to have the blog makeover, took my face right off there although you can still see my photo on facebook . I have NEVER given my daughter’s name, only her age, NEVER a recent photo of any of my loved ones. When I started blogging last year, I knew there were risks, that every and anyone who wanted to could view my space. I don’t share where I live or photos of the outside of my home. I’m getting several comments from China on old posts, look like advertising or sex sites. I delete them immediately although somedays, that can be a chore on its own, there are so many. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
.-= Menopausal New Mom´s last blog ..Embarrassed…Who, Me?? =-.
This is scary stuff. I think no matter what we do, there will always be some unwanted person looking at our websites. Unfortunately that’s just how the internet is. That doesn’t mean we can’t take steps to protect us somewhat.
I love showing off my kids, but I have cut back a bit. And I have started to watermark my pictures – at least the personal ones. I also use nicknames for my kids and try not to share anything that’s too personal and can lead someone directly to where we are.
I think I’m going to go check out some of the suggestions mentioned in some previous comments. Thanks!
.-= All You Need is Love´s last blog ..Sunflowers and Dandelions =-.
The amount of information out there is staggering, and honestly not all too hard to find. With just my first and last name, anyone could find out where I live, a picture of my house, how much I paid for it, where I work, and how much I make, among other things. (apparently, though, I don’t care too much because I just gave you my name in the email address! but I digress…) With the explosion of information readily available nowadays, social networking, etc., noone is ever truly anonymous on the internet.
I totally agree Lisa – which is another reason I don’t include my last name on this blog, FB or on Twitter. I don’t want to add to what is already made available. I think as bloggers though, we should exercise some caution and do what is comfortable…whatever that may be.
My husband and I have talked about this recently. I told him I wasn’t sure if we were posting too much personal information or maybe we should have used pen names. He said that we’re already out there and it’ll be tough to “hide” this stuff from the world. He’s a major tech geek and also my IT guy. There are a lot more ways to find people on the internet than a personal blog and we can set up parameters to help our privacy but really the only way to stay private is to not be on the internet at all. So with that I decided to just keep on writing and keep on doing what I do.
You and the other bloggers bring up some good points, and I think for me it’s just about being aware and setting up blocks where needed. I will continue to write, continue to share pictures and continue to be cautious.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
LCW is far more organized & eloquent than I am
.-= Blair´s last blog ..MomNom: When Mommy Bloggers snack on other Mommy Bloggers. =-.
thanks Blair!
Oh and I wanted to add, I only keep a blog, I choose not to have fan page to link to it. I had Twitter long before a blog and I enjoy writing for myself and helping others write for themselves as well.
.-= LCW´s last blog ..Busy, busy bees. =-.
Since mine is a small blog (only about 700 views/month) I don’t encounter this all that much…yet. I only use the first initials of my kids’ names to protect our identity and I don’t put our city in my bio section. I don’t name where my husband works or where we live. But the thing is, saavy individuals (like thsese disgusting hackers from China) are better at the game then we are…it’s how they make a living…so they have access to information (or how to get information) than we do. I had a children’s book author track down my personal email once through my blog-even though I didn’t have it listed. That spooked me a bit. Thank goodness he was legit, but who knows next time. I agree with you about removing my kids’ pictures. I’ve been thinking the same thing. We can NEVER protect ourselves and our babies too much when it comes to the public (and strangers) at large!
So sorry you are having this problem. Unfortunately, there is always someone who will take what is meant for good and pervert it. Maybe it’s worth it for me (and others) to go ahead and block all traffic from China? I don’t even know how to do this…
.-= MandyP´s last blog ..Friday Follow =-.
To block IP adresses, you would do that through your hosting company. But, since blogspot is owned by google, I have no idea how blogspot users would be able to access this – unless you are self-hosted on your own domain.
I also want to share this little tidbit of info. I have heard that gmail accounts are being hacked in to. The worst that seems to be happening is that spam is being sent to everyone on your contact list. What is being sent out seems to be more embarrassing than anything else. It was suggested to me to change my password.
.-= All You Need is Love´s last blog ..Sunflowers and Dandelions =-.
Creepy! Yes, I use photos of my family but I am careful about what photos I use, I never use photos of my girls in the tub, with underwear showing, in a swimsuit — nothing that could be used by an internet pervert. I also don’t use my kid’s names on my blog or my daughter’s school name.
I guess I need to figure out how to check my stats and see if I need to block anything — this is when I wish I was more tech savvy.
.-= pink and green mama marylea´s last blog ..Spring Garden With Kids =-.
What a great post – this is such a scary world we live in! This is a topic I always think about – I post pics of my kids but I don’t use their real names (or my hubby’s). People know the general area I live in (state) but not the town. But even without my blog, it’s amazing how much information about us is out there. Recently a friend of mine sent me a link to this site (www.spokeo.com) that had a bunch of info on me – all of my old addresses, phone numbers, etc w/ family’s names and where they live – very scary! You can go over there an opt out, but again, even if you opt out of that one, I’m sure there are many more out there that we still don’t know about.
.-= Jackie @ 3 Little Ones´s last blog ..Postless In Seattle, But At Least a Blog Makeover…. =-.
Oh wow. I better go check my google analytics. I’ve checked within the last week, but I better check again.
I had a post title once that was directed at some not-so-nice boys in my hometown. Unfortunately, the post title is also used in some BAD websites. I had so many google hits from that title. I was going to go in and change it, but then they magically stopped. I was happy about that, but it also made me realize that my blog isn’t coming up anymore because so many other websites have posted more recent stuff with the same title.
The real world is creepy!
.-= Kmama´s last blog ..Week in Review: 4/24/10 =-.
i’ve come to a grim acceptance that it happens… blogs get hacked eventually and there are creepy people who will look at an innocent blog for all the wrong reasons. i want to post pictures of my children and myself… but in the end, i decided against it for all the reasons you laid out above. i also try not to use our names. i facebook with all the bloggy and message board friends whom i’ve met over the years, and built a trust with so that they aren’t denied pictures of my beautiful children. 😉 i think this type of realization is something every blogger goes through eventually, and handles it their own way. i chose to censor out pictures and names, and some people i know have stopped blogging all together. don’t let it freak you out too much… even getting in your car in the morning is a risk, but we take it anyways while being very careful.
.-= Nobody´s last blog ..My Children Are Stress. =-.
As a beginning blogger I really struggle with this. I honestly have not decided yet how much to reveal (except for my own name and picture). So far I have not revealed my children’s names or pictures of their faces. But I love seeing pictures of other mom blogger’s kids and would love to show my little cuties in action. I almost posted their pictures a few times, but chickened out in the end and deleted them. So I guess until I feel comfortable with it I will remain slightly anonymous, but I really hope to share the pictures I love so much in the future. I just don’t know what it will take to get me there.
.-= Kim´s last blog ..When Daughters Become Mothers: Game On! =-.
I thought of PW, too, as a previous commentor did. I know that she’s mentioned in the past all of the weird searches she’s found regarding her blog analytics. I think it’s just the nature of the beast. You’re popular? You’re going to face the possibility of weirdos and trolls and the rest. But it’s a chance we all take and the best we can do is be responsible – I think you’re being as responsible and thoughtful as you possibly can.
.-= Mrs. Jen B´s last blog ..Pesto Gorgonzola Pasta Salad – Taste and Create =-.
Thank you SO much for that – it’s reassuring to know I am not the only blogger to think about this and you’re right, I should be confident with the precuations I have taken thus far.
And yes, this IS the nature of the beast – hacking and gross peeps with ill intentions are par for the course – I have surely seen this more and more as my blog has grown. Thank you again for proving that I am NOT alone.
My mouth is hanging open in horror!!!
.-= Rose´s last blog ..And Lyon says… =-.
This is a question i was just struggling with yesterday. I am unsure on how much to share. I have not put my kids real names up nor have I shared any pictures where you can see their face. I am comfortable with this – i have wondered though if my readers don’t feel like they are getting to know me. I know that i can not compromise what i am comfortable with for my dedicated readers — i am just struggling with where to draw the line.
.-= Devan @ Accustomed Chaos´s last blog ..Product Review: Jaxn’s Twice-Baked Potato Stix =-.
wow. i am going to look into the google alerts. i didn’t even know you could do that.
i think you have to do what you are comfortable with. i wonder how they go about finding which blogs they want to hack. i mean, was there content on your blog that they were looking for?
.-= Work, Wife, Mom… Life! (Julia)´s last blog ..$110 $330 =-.
I was one of thousands from all over the world – no rhyme or reason, I just happened to be one of lucky ones. 😉
To set up a Google Alert, go to google.com/alerts and you can set them up for as many “key words” or sites you would like. I do it for my blog so I can see what is out there linking to me –
I agree with a lot if the ladies on here, the people coming from China are merely hackers set on making life difficult for your blog. My main concern would be the creeps that are finding your site thru inappropriate searches. Due to the nature of my husband’s job and from talking to some savvy bloggers about security last year at BlogHer (Toni from HappyHousewife) I am selective about what I reveal on my blog. I have also quit posting pics of my children. You wouldn’t believe some of the pictures that these sickos will save to their own computers. I am not going to allow any of the photographs I take to be used that way.
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..Breastfeeding =-.
I think I just came over from Twitter.
Me, I dont worry about this type of stuff too much. What is someone going to do by seeing pictures of your kids or knowing their names? If a perv wants a child, there are easier ways of getting them. NOt to sound rude or flippant, but i just dont see how sharing your life on the internet will cause something like that to happen….I may be naive.
HOWEVER the chinese thing…weird. I was hacked on Facebook so that kind of stuff i watch out for.
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..The Biggest Loser-We meet again =-.
This is scary stuff. I have done certain things to keep my family “safe” but there’s only so much I can do. I know that. Just this week, I’ve been getting TONS of spam comments of a completely new sort (upwords of 50 a day). They are copying previously posted comments, but using their own web address. The comments look normal, but the names usually don’t match up. CommentLuv is actually what is helping me identify these bad comments. It’s unnerving!
.-= Lolli´s last blog ..How to Achieve Perfect Focus – A Bloggography Tutorial =-.
Wow. This sure is eye opening. My mom called yesterday to share her concern over a recent photo I shared on my blog with our street address. I told her she was being such a mom and that I’m sure it was fine.
I barely have 50 followers. Not that big a deal, or so I thought. I try to protect my children at all costs, even removed their names from my blog.
Thanks for the info. I’ll be more vigilant now.
.-= Alicia´s last blog ..Did you know? =-.
Well, clearly I have some work to do. I’ve thought about all of this, but not in enough detail. It’s a little overwhelming! Tonight when tech support (by which I mean the husband) gets home we are going to work on this issue.
I’m reading a book right now where the “bad guys” have used blogs and other social media to destroy lives. Last night as I read, I was thinking about the future of social media, what it will mean for my children and how we continue to take advantage of the benefits without suffering from any unwanted side effects.
My brain hurts. Need a good, long walk. Or some coffee. Or both!