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So I have questions for those of you who have gone down this route. For example, what happens to your followers? Do they still get blog updates in their dashboard and are "they able to read along like before? I guess if someone isn't a follower they would need to become one in order to read, right? Is there something I need to do (like send you all an email) to enable you to continue to read? I know I can always go back to making it public, so it might be worth a shot.
Those of you who have thought about it but have not made your blogs private, what has prevented you from doing so? All your thoughts at this point would help me out. Thanks ladies!
22 fabulous blogger's comments:
You would have to give us access to your blog with our email addresses. I have a couple of friends who have done made their blog private after a few months of blogging and I do not receive updates on my dashboard or google reader when they have a new post. I just have to remember to go back and check their blog periodically.
If you did go this route, you could send out emails to all of your subscribers when you have a new post.
I've been struggling with this as well. I don't have near the amount of followers you do, and my blog was originally started as a venue to keep my family and friends back home updated in our lives. Lately, however, I feel I've been having to "sensor" myself as to what I say (a post a while back insulted a friend back home causing unnecessary drama). But I feel for my situation going private would be silly since they are the ones who read it consistently.
I think it's a matter of what feels right for you. I know of blogs that have gone private, and I think all you have to do is collect email addresses of those individuals who you want to "extend the invite" to have access to your blog.
Good luck making this decision. I know it's hard, but you'll find comfort when you have made your decision.
I don't have the first clue about the logistics of making your blog private, though I have seen some posts that are "password protected" where the author will tell people to email her if they want the password.
Good luck with this tough decision! I have a few blogs that don't update in my reader, and I'm pretty good about going and checking them once every other day or so.
Please let us know if you do become private because I love following your wedding! Honestly - I go through this all the time too. I work at a university and I have over 300 students and countless alumni that are all pretty computer savvy. I know that a few of my students secretly follow and I just got an email from an alum asking about our save the dates.
I struggle with this too as I do have a life outside of work and I hope that by this level, my students and coworkers are able to discern between my work life and personal life. Of course... I have learned to censor - a lot!
I haven't had a private blog but I've followed a few and I believe they had to email me an invite to read their blog where I put in my information and then I could follow it but it didn't show up in my google reader, I just had to keep checking it periodically.
If you do go private I would love to be able to continue to follow along.
ohh, dilemma! I understand the appeal of blog anonymity though, but please let us continue to follow! I don't know how private blogs work, but I like PPG's idea of a password. Much easier than updating us all when you have a new post?
I understand your dilemma and thought about this issue in the beginning myself. But my blog isn’t private, and my personal policy is that if there’s something I don’t want people who know me to read or find out, I won’t write about it. My thought is that even with making things as private as possible, it’s always possible for it to get out or be linked back to me. So, I just put my name and everything else out there, knowing it’s all information I’m comfortable sharing. My family, vendors and friends all read my blog, and I actually really love having their support while still giving an honest recounting of the facts. I know that's not the case for everyone, though.
I do believe you need to e-mail those you want to allow access to the blog and then somehow they have to be 'approved' to access the blog I think.
I also have found out that even though I never gave out my blog site address originally, somehow random relatives I knew nothing about googled our names and the word 'wedding' and were able to find my blog! I didn't even realize I had put that info on my blog to be searched but when it came to my attention, I immediately created a separate blog that I did in fact e-mail out to friends and family.
I post most of my articles on both sites but the 'sensored' ones only go on my original public (anonymous) blog. I had to remove my blog links from any of my profiles and such so that if anyone viewed my profile, they wouldn't see my anonymous blog listed.
It is a hassle but totally understandable. There have definitely been things I wanted to blog about that I would never want the fam to read :)
Alas, I don't have an answer but if you go private, please allow us access cause I really love your blog and would love to continue reading.
I believe that once you make it private, you'll need to give us access to follow you and keep receiving your updates.
It is a dilemma, but whatever you decide to do, please keep me on your list LOL. I love your blog!!
~lilian~
I keep mine public because there are some people who read that don't have blogger or gmail and I want them to still see it. But trust me, I have thought about going private more than once!
I have thought about it more than once. I don't think anyone I know IRL knows about my blog but I'm not sure. I get paranoid sometimes. I never use my real name, and try to remain as anonymous as possible.
Honestly - the only reason I didn't do it is because I'm too lazy.
I would love to be able to still follow your blog though. Although I do think the other ladies are right, I believe we'd have to subscribe via email to know when a new post is created.
Good luck whatever you decide!
I have no idea how to do this, but good luck! Being private would be so nice, to leave some surprise for your guests! I sort of wish I had been able to do that, but once I started blogging for Weddingbee it was all over, and my mom told EVERYONE to read everything. There were very few surprises for a lot of my guests, but oh well!
I dont know anything about making it private but if you do please let me still read!
I am not really sure what happens when you private-ize your blog, but please please PLEASE send me an invite so I can still read!!
OH man, I hear ya. My google analytics tells me I have some, ahem, stalkers.
I try to be discrete about what I post and hope that no one is reading too much into what I write, and only using it for good.
Regardless, whatever you decide - I want to keep reading! :)
Good luck in this decision/process!
I'm not too knowledgeable on the privacy things but I would hate to lose access to your blog as I really enjoy reading (even though I might not comment as often as some). Keep us updated on your decision!
If you do, I need to be on your reader list!!
I have thought about going private but I never follow through because well, it is overwhelming! and not everyone comes over....Way too many people I know read my blog, but I dont say anything too out of line which can be annoying because sometimes I want to get WAY out of line haha ANyway whatever you decide let us know! I am coming too =D
Touch wood no one I know in real life has tracked my blog down yet (that I know of). But it would freak me out too. And I hate having to censor myself - I'm a bit too tell it like it is - be that good and bad.
Let me know what you decide. I adore your blog!
I believe you would need to send everyone an email that you want to follow the blog. That may be worth doing if you want to keep some people out that you know, but what if they ask to follow as well? Hard decision to make.
I personally wouldn't do it as it would stop newbies (like me!) finding and following your blog.
I sympathise though. Anonymity is one of the nicest, most liberating things about blogging.
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