Tuesday, August 26, 2008

To Blog or Not to Blog -- Aug. 26, '08

This is writing too, doing it for fun, for family news, for sharing recipes, trip suggestions, for offering tips on making quilts, or writing books, or any of thousands of topics--do it with care.

Secret to blogging: write at your comfort level--but do it wisely.

If you don't mind your grammy reading the dishabille details about the night you spent cavorting with the penguins (sobering up the next am to realize you just defrocked several dwarf nuns) go for it!

If you change the names and places to hide the innocent/guilty--that's a good thing. Libel and slander DOES get prosecuted.

If you give your home addy, tel #, school or place of business, and other personal info like bank and credit cards that someone can use to fleece you, you're dumber than a bag of plastic rocks. Or you're a child who doesn't know better and that's VERY dangerous.

There are folks out there who are looking for prey, and that can be with promises of friendship, making money, giving to a worthy cause, etc, -- BE CAREFUL PEOPLE!

PARENTS! Your kids can talk to the world out there and it's not all Carebears and Barney. Kids think a stranger looks scary, talks scary. No, they look like a nice person who shows interest and wants to be your friend, telling you about their kitten or puppy while pulling snippets of information out, grooming the child to be their next target.

You want to give your child independence, you want to keep them safe. For younger children, offer to read their blog and help out with news, for older ones, explain that not everyone is as nice as they seem from words typed on the screen. For your middle and highschool kids--let them know the truth as raw and horrible as the child is mature enough to handle. You want to protect them, you don't want them running out to see 16 year old Bobby from the coast who's a 45 year old pedophile getting his kicks while strangling your child.

If you blog nasty stuff or gossip about work or brag about doing something really stupid on Facebook, Myspace, etc, chances are someone who has influence in your life can and will read it, and decide you are not the person they want as a friend, co-worker, etc. People HAVE gotten fired, expelled and arrested for their confessions.

Different blog sites work for different types of blogs: from personal family and friends news sites that you need a password to read, or public ones that are out there for anyone to look at. many give areas for favorites in music, books, movies, etc, others offer enough room for pictures though if you require more than the standard space you can usually upgrade and buy more.

Again, blog with your good sense.

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