Blog safely

Got a blog? Don’t take risks.

Blogs are springing up everywhere and they are a great way to communicate, but these user-created websites have hidden dangers. Learn how to avoid them.

What is blogging?

A web log, usually abbreviated to ‘blog’, is a website that is regularly updated with new post like a diary or a ship’s log. Services such as Blogger, WordPress and MSN Spaces have made it easy for people to set up their own blogs.

While you can read a blog online, a program called an RSS reader allows you to read posts from many blogs in one place.

The majority of blogs are created by private individuals who write about subjects that matter to them but corporate and commercial blogs are also very popular.
What are the risks of blogging?

• Privacy. Even if you write under an assumed name or keep it anonymous, there’s no guarantee that your details can’t be discovered. For example, blogs that are stored outside the EU may not be covered by the same data protection or privacy regulations we enjoy in the UK.
• Embarrassment. You might write something that you later regret. There are instances of people failing job interviews because of embarrassing revelations on their blogs. Others have lost their jobs because their employer has taken exception to something they’ve written online. The same thing applies to personal relationships.
• Legal. The laws of libel apply to blogs too. So do confidentiality clauses in contracts.
• Persistence. Once something is posted on the internet it is, effectively, permanently public. Even if you subsequently delete the post, it may have been cached in a search engine archive, a company server or in the internet Archive.
• Universal access. Blogs are public and, thanks to search engines, it is very easy for people to find information on them. You may think you have a small audience for your blog, but you can’t choose who they are.
• Spam. As search engines rate sites that are widely cited and linked to, spammers will try to use the 'comment' feature on blogs to include links to sites they are promoting.
• Young people. Young people are much more likely to blog than their parents. However, depending on their age, they may not be conscious of the risks they run, especially when it comes to giving out personal information or even posting photographs of themselves.

How to protect yourself

• If you’re new to blogging, start cautiously. Understand the features of the software you use and how the blogging community (the ‘blogosphere’) works.
• Don’t post confidential information that might be used to steal your identity. For example: credit card numbers, passport details, home address.
• Don’t say anything that might cause you embarrassment later. As a general rule, if you wouldn’t say it to your boss or your grandmother, don’t say it online.
• Use the features built into your blogging software to restrict anonymous comments.
• Take extra care when allowing young people to blog.

Source : Get Safe Online : Blog Safely