Blog Talk Tuesdays: Part II

Good morning!

It’s Tuesday and time for the second installment of Blog Talk Tuesdays!

• Part One: How to Start a Blog, Blog Focus, Self Hosting and More

Part two of this new mini-series on the blog addresses blogger safety. Let’s get to it! 

Blogger Safety

• You share so much on your blog. Do you ever worry about your safety? 

My safety is always on my mind.

• You share a lot of your personal life on this blog – from your wedding, to your high school and college, to pictures of friends and even the city  where you live. How do you still make sure that you are ensuring your safety?

I make it a point to keep the following personal information private:

• My home address
• The location of our gym (I only revealed the location of our Orlando gym after we moved)
• What kind of cars we drive
• Place of employment

I also never show pictures of the outside of our home or the homes of my friends and family. I make sure street signs are not visible in pictures taken close to home.

Additionally, when Ryan goes out of town, I never talk about him being gone until after he gets back.

• I am scared to even put a picture of myself up on my blog! How did you get over the fear of sharing so much on the internet?

To be honest, my dad and Ryan were the ones who were nervous about me posting so many pictures for the public to see. They now serve as my “checks and balances” and I will get a phone call or an email from one of them immediately if I post information that they feel could jeopardize my safety.

As long as I blog with safety at the forefront of my mind, I feel as though I am doing the best I can to ensure my personal safety. If any of you ever notice something on my blog that you feel could put me at risk that I may never have even thought could be an issue, please, please let me know.

Also, as a blogger you should know that when you post an original picture on your blog that you took, you automatically have the copyrights to that picture and no one else can legally take your picture off your blog and post it somewhere else without your permission.

• Has anyone ever stolen content or photos from your blog?

Yes. A simple cease and desist email from a lawyer typically works wonders in this situation.  

As I mentioned above, when you publish photos or original content on your blog, you automatically own the copyright to the content and pictures and no one else may legally reproduce your content or pictures without your consent.

I am also in the process of trademarking “Peanut Butter Fingers” to ensure additional security.

• I noticed you share your last name on your blog. Were you nervous to do this?

When I first started my blog, I kept my last name off my blog. When other websites, local magazines and publications began reaching out to me, my last name was then published for anyone to see. After that, “Julie Bream (<—my maiden name) Florida”  became one of the top search terms on my former employer’s website. I realized then that my anonymity went out the window.

I also realized that if I wanted to make a career out of freelance writing and blogging, it’s a good thing to be searchable to some extent.

I’m of the mindset that if people really want to find out who you are, they can. It’s a scary thought, but I know of blogger’s full names being “discovered” because readers searched the race results of a race they competed in and matched their name to their running bib. Seriously.

• Have you ever experienced any scary moments due to putting yourself “out there?”

Fortunately, no. I have not personally had to deal with any “in real life” safety concerns, threatening emails or anything of the sort. People have recognized me, Ryan and my sister from the blog, but everyone who has approached each of us has been nothing but kind and friendly.

• When you buy and register your own domain, can people find the information you used to register?

If you purchased your own domain, people can easily find your registration information, including the address and phone number you used to register the domain.  All of my information is registered under a former address, so this is not a concern for me, but if you’re a blogger, you may want to pay a nominal fee to make this information private. I know Network Solutions offers this service for $10 a year and replaces your personal information with their contact information. 

If you’re a blogger, try typing your domain name into this website. If the information that populates is your personal information, I would highly recommend making this information private.