However I think many bloggers out there feel the tension between wanting some readers and yet not wanting others. I will explain....
When I first started this blog back in June 2006, I was extremely wary of sharing the URL with some people that I know in the 'real world'. The reason I know I'm not the first blogger to feel this way is that I have found and read the blogs of others I know in the 'real world' even though they did not tell me where it was. If they wanted me to read it, surely they would have shared the URL. The fact that they didn't seems to indicate that they like to blog in as much secrecy as the net will allow. And sure enough I have read blogs which contain some rather unsavoury things that are obviously about particular mutual acquaintances of ours.
I don't blog so I can bitch dramatically about friends and family on the internet. Rather I intend to share about general joys and problems that I experience. Even though I have realised that I cannot have everyone I know reading my blog. In order for me to enjoy blogging I need to be honest. Otherwise what's the point? I could build up a fake persona online and brag about how perfect my life is but I would much rather be real and hopefully help a reader along the way.
But some people I know are far too argumentative and if I am to voice my opinion on a certain issue then I'd never hear the end of it if they disagree. I'm fine with people disagreeing but it really gets my goat when people leave controversial anonymous comments. If people want to be anonymous that's fine but if you've got something confronting to say, then say it but at least have the guts to put your name.
So how can you limit who finds your blog? Well, it's on the net for a start so the potential is there for anyone to find it when just a random Google search can pull up any number of blogs. But you can be careful about what names, words and phrases you use in your posts. Here's what NOT to put.
- Your full name. Yes, people do get bored and Google their friends' names. If someone searches for "Joe Bloggs" and that's your blogger username, then chances are they'll find your blog. That's why I'm just 'Sarah' and I also don't put my surname for security reasons.
- Your workplace. Yep, your workmates could get bored too.
- Your church or any small group you belong to. For example, 'Salvation Army' would be fairly safe as that's a huge organisation but 'Fremantle Anglican Church' is much more specific.
- If you want to read others' blogs secretly, then don't link to them from your blog. Otherwise they can just go to Technorati and see who is linking to them.
A lot of people have found my blog through Duncan's because he linked to mine and then sent out a mass email telling everyone that he'd started a blog. At first I was like "Noooooooooo" but now I don't mind people reading as long as they are prepared for posts that they might not like. If people randomly find my blog I don't mind but I do ask all my readers NOT to share the URL with everyone they know. Yes, it's on the internet and chances are they could find it anyway but I'd rather people randomly find it. I'll do my advertising myself.
Oh and it's a lot of fun seeing what people are Googling when they randomly end up on your blog. I might just have to make a list someday.
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