I LOVE to read all your blogs, and LOVE to comment, to help keep you (and me) inspired, but can someone tell me, is there a way to Comment, without leaving my name all over the Internet World? I just did a Google Search and am dismayed at the plethora of 'connections' to my blog name, by a multitude of search engines, that have absolutely nothing to do with me, etc.
Do I need to comment using only personal e-mail?
I am a quilter - a retired widow living in the Nebraska Panhandle. I am surrounded by beautiful semi-arid ranch country, and treeless hills and fields under incredibly wide blue skies, located far from the upheaval found often in large towns or cities. I am blessed to have delicious time to quilt and to appreciate my peaceful moments in an unpeaceful world.
It is scary to have your info out there. I use my nickname on my blog and no last name and no address. I have a secondary email from yahoo that I use. I keep our main home email only for close friends and relatives and use the yahoo one for anything that may generate junk emails. So even if I leave my name “Lizzy” all over it’s not my legal name. Nor do I worry about giving out the yahoo email it’s not our main email. I understand that some people in blog land quilt as a business and it’s how they get their name out there helps sell their products. I blog and quilt for me I don’t want my personal info out there so I use my yahoo id.
ReplyDeleteI hear you! I sometimes will do a search on my sisters/myself and am amazed at what comes up... comments from public meetings, various links, newspaper announcements (weddings, births) and shockingly - once a map with a big red X right where a sister's house is!!! I think it is best - for personal internet use - just to drop your last name, etc. Now, if you are trying to generate business, that is a different story.
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Evelyn
This is a very interesting post and one that I'm seriously considering writing an entire post about it myself. I'm thinking about turning off my comments section completely. Although the encouragement is nice, it IS yet another personal risk. And wouldn't it be nice to be able to surf the blogs without the pressure of having to think of a comment? I like to surf in the morning when I'm trying to wake up--and at my "unwittiest." It sure would be nice to be able to just relax and take it all in without the pressure of commenting. Anyhoo, there's my soapbox. Elaine, I adore you and I'll visit your blog and you can visit mine...and I know in my heart you're there, so please feel free NOT to comment on my blog at any time. I set you free! I'll know you're there and you'll know I'm here...whaddya think? Should we start a "lurking only" revolution????
ReplyDeleteI do exactly what Lizzy does. Plus, I have 3 email addys. Once once gets a lot of spam I move things to the other. I keep the home one private only for family and close friends.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it amazing what we can learn about ourselves? A bit scary I agree. I do the same thing with keeping my last name off and a seperate e-mail yet I still find come up in google :-(
ReplyDeleteCan't you just check the anonymous button and leave your first name in your comments?
ReplyDeleteI don't really worry about people being able to find me, after all they can look me up in the phone book (or yellowpages.com). Maybe I'm not understanding what the concern is because I've never felt the need to be anonymous on the internet. I always use my name and location on my internet groups too.
ReplyDeleteHowever, recently I added an email link along with my signature on each post (I added it to the template so it pops up automatically) so people can easily send an email versus leaving a public comment.
I think you could just hit the anonymous button and then maybe sign it Elaine. Or you don't even have to sign with your name maybe you could just sign it
ReplyDelete"a friend".
:)
dawn
It is a tough question of privacy - how much do you want people to know about you, especially if you don't know who these people are. If you did want your name to be a bit more anonymous, you could create another blog id with a more generic name - just your first name or a nickname, and use it when commenting. But then people wouldn't know to come to your blog as much, or at least they would have to do several clicks to get to your blog. I don't have my last name on my blog - except in a picture or two of a label so I can't be googled for quilting, but I can be googled for genealogy.
ReplyDeleteI always think if they want to find out about you they will do it somehow. How many times do you sign you name and details snailline, so online is much the same. I do use a nickname and have given nicknames to my family to protect their privacy I hope. Another thing I always try to avoid is using words that spammers or people with no good intent might just tpye in their google searchbox. and my dear little blog :) comes up amongst all those nasties. lol. Isn't it a great pity some people stoop to low intentions, when all my blogging friends are such caring and sharing people.
ReplyDelete