I have been contemplating this ever since I decided to embark on the blog world. I really want all of your opinions on this. I wonder why people dont use their real names. What can someone do with our names? I am genuinely asking. I got a ton of hits on my blog a couple weeks ago sunday and monday due to linking with the Not Me! Monday and am wondering if I need to be concerned. What is your reason for using fake names or for those of you using your real names? I originally felt that someone knowing my kids names is not a big deal. Lots of people I dont know know my kids names. There are a ton of Chandler's friends at school (and their parents) that know his name and I dont know theirs or their parents names. He may, but I dont. But that was when I started this blog solely for my family and friends. Now that I have perfect "strangers" lurking, I wonder. Anyway, any input is appreciated on this matter.
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I know there are varying opinions on this subject. I personally am not that concerned about it...but maybe I should be. My facebook and myspace accounts are set to private. I just figured less strangers would stumble upon my blog. Plus, I want family members who don't have a google account to be able to read my blog. Hmm...
I feel the same as the other comment. I don't really worry about it and in fact become confused keeping track of a bunch of pseudo names on other blogs. My myspace is private but I moved my blog here awhile back to get rid of some of my crazy in-laws! :) I just transferred my blog to blogger and I am hooked!! I am probably one of the "strangers" you were talking about but actually I found your blog through an email sent to me at the beginning of the school year from a Mom at my son's school in BA. Small world! ISuper sorry if me commenting freaked you out!
NOT AT ALL ANGELA! I actually meant people from CHINA! that commented last week. Hello? China, England and tons of other countries. Weird. I enjoyed reading your blog as well, and actually felt like we had met before?!? Maybe.!?
Well, I have often wondered the same thing. We tell our children, never give your name to anyone online... don't tell anyone what school you go to... don't even tell them the mascot, they might be able to figure out where you are. But yet as parents we have our names on our online sites and often include our kids names as well. I did a google search on my daughters name and even though she is in 8th grade now I can still read an online article written when she was in 1st grade that has her name and what school she was in at the time via the local news paper. So the two big things that we tell our children not to give out is out there.
I watched a 60 minutes on internet predators a few months back, and in the end they said that most of the things that do happen are from children in live chat rooms. However they also pointed out that the percentage of children that are preyed upon because of the internet is much lower than parents think purely because of the publicity that it has gotten. I don't remember the exact statistic however it was something like 1% of all crime committed against a child can be linked to the internet.
So all in all, even though it is something to be aware of, Im not sure its something that puts our kids at any more risk than daily life.
Thanks Pam, thats true, and as a friend and i were discussing today... They say that most of the time, if someone attacks your kids or is a predator,its someone you already know or is in your family. Sad statistic, but true.
I agree with the above lady. I'm careful to not mention my town or the name of schools, etc. But, if someone were actually hunting me or my kids down they would figure out a way no matter what I do.
As far as the out of country lurkers, they really don't bother me. I figure they are a long way away and stumbled onto my blog by accident.
One thing I've contemplated doing is watermarking my photos so they don't end up anywhere else. But, other than that I feel pretty safe. :)
I agree with the other ladies. I think you just have to be careful what info you include with your childs name. We had a TPD officer speak to our MOPS group and she said that you shouldn't list your child's name with the school they go to, or your child's name with their school, sport they play, specific team number (Like those stickers that people put on the back of their cars. You don't have one of those do you?)
But unfortunately crazies are out there, but I think a blog would be safe. I don't know some people from other countries found you!
I believe that there are perverts everywhere. We, as a society, need to remember this and use common sense. Our addresses and phone numbers are listed in the telephone books. The internet is used by virtually everyone and there are hundreds of millions of people in the world-- so if a couple hundred look at your blog from all over the world-- odds are they are not perverts-- just curious.
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