If you want to know if you’re developing a fanbase, start checking out the statistics on your blog visitors and visits. I like http://statcounter.com/ and have been using it for years. google.com/analytics/ is great too, and a newer kid on the free-stats block.

The neat part is, you’ll probably be able to see in the stats exactly when your deployed husband sees the kids’ pictures.

Some of the other moms in the battalion have information about how long their husband is gone right on the front page. I don’t say anything about the fact my husband is on the other side of the world, but it wouldn’t be too hard to figure out if someone read my blog regularly.

I count on the fact that there are a million blogs to help with privacy. Out of all those available, why would anyone pick me? I’ll worry more about weird neighbors in real life.

I went private with my blog last fall after getting a post by some guy with an ad on their blog “datenicewives.com,” and a weird spam after I posted the first pictures of our newborn son. I am enjoying feeling a little more safe that way, and I think most people I’ve invited to my blog don’t mind that they have to log in to read it. I should emphasize “a little more” because at least two people I’ve invited have no qualms about showing my blog to other people. Duh.

It seems ridiculous for someone to complain to the bishop about somebody’s blog–good grief!

There is something about blogging that is a call for attention–I don’t want to be inadvertently marketing my children along the way. And, as my children are getting older, they have their own social reasons not to want to be posted about, under any nickname.

I made this post almost a year ago. I see more of the other side now, but not enough to overcome the ick factor of putting any pictures of my own children on the internet.

I’m sorry your friend was asked to seclude her blog. I wish we’d all stand up to people who complain to leaders instead of speaking to each other like normal people. Or like people who’ve read D&C 42:88.

ClistyB is on the right track, privacy is an illusion. Your child could be the target of a preditor far more easily at the park than on cyber space (in the manner you specifically referenced- from mom’s blog). Yes there are certain sensible things you should do, but to hide is ridiculous. Teaching your children the basics about safety is as important as thinking about what you post.

On a side note, I have a friend who had to take her blog private because she is RS pres and someone in her ward read a post and was offended. Of course ‘the offended one’ ran to the bishop who then asked my friend to make it private. To this day she still can’t figure out what was so offensive. Nothing like standing up to be counted, in private.

Blogger has a relatively new feature called Blogger Play (http://play.blogger.com/) which is a continous slide show of the pictures people are posting on their blogs. One evening I sat for about 15 minutes and watched the pictures (please note, they do have some filters in place but they do not guarantee anything. I didn’t see any objectionable pictures, but it is possible they are there). I would guess that 50% of the pictures were of babies and children. Blogger Play is completely user friendly, which means you can go backwards, and you can click on the pictures and go directly to the blog which posted them. Not only did I see pictures of babies and children, I saw people in their front yards with their house number displayed, and other pictures that would make people easy to find. Truly, I felt sick to my stomach after watching this slide show, just realizing much people are putting themselves out there for the world to see, and they don’t even realize it!

Oh, and I’ll chime in that comments are searchable. Maybe not from your blog header, but I routinely have hits to my blog because of comments people have made.