A local "mom blogger" offers advice!
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TOLEDO, OH -- It used to be that you only had to worry about your mother pulling out embarrassing baby pictures of you if someone dropped by your home.
But in the computer age, pictures and content go out instantly to any number of people.
Information on the internet can come back to haunt you, but what's worse is that it can come back to haunt your kids.
How do you find balance in sharing information with those you trust and seek advice from and in providing blackmail content of your young ones?
NBC24 spoke to a local "mommy blogger" about what she does, how she has changed her ways and what she wishes she had done differently:
Holly Whitney starts her morning with a cup of coffee, emails, Twitter, Facebook and her blog.
Much of her life is supplemented by cyberspace.
"How do you promote yourself without an outlet? So for me, the computer is my outlet," said Whitney.
So when Whitney had her first child Gideon, two years ago, it was natural for her to start blogging about that.
"Just to be able to remember all of that stuff," said Whitney.
The effort began as a way for her to update her online community of friends but grew to be a lifeline for far-off family and is also a way for Whitney to communicate to a future Gideon.
"I write him letters about the way he's growing and the changes that I see in him and how he was actually making me a better person," said Whitney.
She loves the support and advice she gains through her computer.
"There's a lot of mothers and families that I talk to that give me the support that I may not have in my regular circle of friends," said Whitney.
But she recognizes she must watch what she does.
"His friends can't google his name and find him and go, haha, look what your mom's talking about," Whitney said.
She is careful not to share too much personal information and she alters and monitors photographs to make sure they are not stolen.
And if something gets out there that she wishes had not?
"There's always a delete button," said Whitney.
Right now, Gideon does not mind modeling with his stuffed monkey or having his development tracked for all to see.
But his mom will respect him if he changes his mind and will always do her best to protect him.
Still, Whitney says, being afraid of the risk of the internet will not keep her from taking advantage of all the great things about it.
"It really has opened up so many new doors... being able to share it with others has been a really wonderful experience for me," said Whitney.
To read Whitney's blog click here.
To read Laura Rice's new blog click here.
TIPS FROM WHITNEY TO ENSURE BLOG PRIVACY:
- Consider referring to your loved ones by nicknames. It is best if the nickname is not easily relatable.
- Do not reveal information such as addresses, even inadvertantly as with a picture of your house.
- Do not let people know when you are going on vacation; it is like telling them the house will be vulnerable!
- Put watermarks on your photos to discourage reproduction.
- Keep your photos in a low resolution so they will not look good printed out.
TO START YOUR OWN BLOG WHITNEY RECOMMENDS:
