[Lissa]

I've not had anything happen, but occassionally I get an e-mail or post that is totally from out of left field about my blog and about Lydia. Has anyone else experienced that and does anyone else worry about "overexposing" their child?

[arolloseco]

I completely worry (and my referral isn't coming any time soon!)...that's why I only share my blog with friends and family. It makes me sad though, because I love reading other people's blogs and I'd love to share mine. I just can't bring myself to do it.

[jenn2004]

We will probably have our website for a year, we started it in Dec. and then I will have a private website set up or nothing at all, I feel that Karen and Scott did the right thing to protect there child and themselves, I feel the same way

[MissyAmomChina]

Hi Lissa,

Welcome back. Though I don't blog, I do use the computer in other ways . I have a webpage and I post on adoption groups (like this one and yahoo groups) I, too, have questioned if this in Lilianna's best interest. Funny thing is, my greatest reservation is posting pictures here. I believe you can not edit/remove the pictures after a while. So, I don't have any answers--but you aren't alone in wondering about this.

Take care,
Melissa

[skingspan]

We don't have our daughter home yet but I am unsure whether I will continue to keep my website public once we get our referral and have her home. It is easy enough to password protect so if I do have any problems that is what I will do. Although throughout this process it has been very helpful to read others blogs so I would love to keep ours up. So far no problems though. One thing I would suggest if you do have a blog or website is to use a tracking site like sitemeter to see who is coming to your website. You don't know exactly who is coming to your site but you get their ISP and the town where they are connecting from(or pretty close). Unfortuately it doesn't work for aol. You also get the referring page and if they found your site through a search engine you see what search they used to find you. This way you get a general idea of where your traffic is coming from.

[jkspencer]

I have been thinking abou this lately. While I have no problem with it now (we are barely DTC) I think I will feel different about it once we are home. Right now it's our story/pictures and we choose to share it. That will obviously be different at some point. I agree with the previous post - use something like sitemeter or statcounter to see how folks are getting to your site.

[stephdpenn]

Lissa this is a very good question to ponder.

We don't have our LID yet so we are a far way from posting any baby pictures. But...we do already have sons. I have wondered if I should post their photos and at first I didn't. Once I became more comfortable with the whole blog concept I did start. I have my blog set up to where I have to approve any comments before they can be published. I do have a fear of some jerk writing some awful, hurtful comments. With the pre-approval I don't have to worry about that though. If at anytime I started to feel threatened then I would stop blogging.

Once we get our daughter I do think there will be certain things that I will not be comfortable posting. I plan on getting her finding add even if the orphanage or agency doesn't provide it. To me that is something very personal. Also the story of where she was abandoned, I think I will feel like that is her story to tell and not mine. Of course I have not been presented with any of this yet and I may change my mind later on.

[jetgirl]

Other people's websites have been so valuable and touching to me in this process. But I sadly have to say that mine is password protected for only close friends and family. I am a pretty private person to begin with, and as much as I'd love to be able to give to others what they have given to me through their sites, the privacy and safety of my family comes first.

One solution is to have certain sections of your blog open to the public, but password protect other sections that have more sensitive information. Of course, I know this is easier said than done, and I am so lucky that DH is a webpage designer!

[FaithsMom73]

I actually deleted my blog when I had a troll visiting! I created another one that only a handful of ppl have access to. I feel sad having to do that, but I feel I have no choice. It is a shame though, I want to share our happy times with fellow adopters but cant.

Danielle

[janet_blue33]

Good question. I have decided to not post images of our daughter on the worldwide web. I posted some images on this site when we got our referral, but I have deleted them. In some ways I feel that one takes away a child's right to privacy by posting their life stories and images on the web where anyone has access to them. Fact is, there are a lot of strange people out there...

[echaos]

Originally Posted by MissyAmomChina

Funny thing is, my greatest reservation is posting pictures here. I believe you can not edit/remove the pictures after a while.

You can remove your pictures at any time. If you go to "edit options", on the right hand side there is an option to manage attachments.

[Ernabel]

Can someone explain to me the difference between a Blog and a Website? Thanks!

[skingspan]

Originally Posted by Ernabel

Can someone explain to me the difference between a Blog and a Website? Thanks!

A blog really is a website. A blog is just created using a type of software that allows you to easily post pictures and updates. With a website, posting pictures and updates is more of a manual process. There are many options for people who want to blog(blogspot, typepad). Blogs usually have a template for colors, formats and styles of the page. Blogs ussually have sections to allow visitors to leave comments. With a website you would probably need to write this functionality manually. Hope that didn't confuse you more.

[kimmie11]

Lissa,
You posed an interesting question. We are at the DTC stage and yet I have already started thinking about it. Prior to posting any photos on our blog I asked my family for permission. I also made sure no one can post without being invited to do so. I attached a counter at the end of last month and was surprised to see how many people view the blog. I really enjoy reading the blogs of many of our members here, where they are in process, and the exciting life changing moments that are posted. The blogs have also been an added resource for me. That being said I do not know how little or how much I will post once we receive her referral. I may, just like a few other members mentioned, start a private site. A really important point was made in an earlier post. It is her story as well and I feel she deserves the right to decide how it is told when that day comes.

[janet_blue33]

"It is her story as well and I feel she deserves the right to decide how it is told when that day comes."

Very well said. The worldwide web has made it much too easy to post and distribute very personal information about children who, later on in life, might not want this most intimate part of their past made public. If they do, it should be by their own design , not ours. I have seen many of these adoption sites, and they are usually beautifully done -- but I still feel it's an intrusion on our children's privacy to publicize their images and private information at a time when they have no possibility to voice their own feelings about it.....