The Blogger’s Compromise: Privacy Posted on October 30, 2017May 14, 2024 Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... I am keenly aware. To be a good blogger, I have to maintain a balance between good, relevant content and how much of my personal life I share with you —the readers. Blogging usually includes the family in some way. And this is regardless of their willingness to participate. Good bloggers strike a balance between relating to/ and connecting with their readers and privacy. Here are a few tips to keep a happy home– happy. The Blogger’s Compromise: When & What to Share So how do you make sure you aren’t betraying their confidence or privacy and still convey the personality and honesty that makes a lifestyle blog successful? My hubby doesn’t use social media, no FB, no Twitter, not even IG. He likes his privacy. It still surprises him that his co-workers read my blog. Both of us have seen people get in trouble with what they share via social media. And we’ve had a couple of lively conversations about when & what WE share on my blog. He is, however, insanely proud. Total strangers approach him expressing how much they love the blog or how much it’s helped them plan a trip. And don’t forget all the calls he makes TO ME saying such and such wants to know… Here are 7 Privacy compromises Bloggers Should make before Writing Every Blog Post. 1. Set Boundaries The simple answer is to ask, right? You have to respect someone’s privacy. Have a discussion on what you both expect to include in the blog. Set some boundaries beforehand so there aren’t any misunderstandings later. Date night might not be the best time to take a lot of pictures or interview the restaurant owner for the blog. But you can ask for a business card and email some questions later. 2. Pictures It never fails, my husband gets irritated when I stop to take pictures of my food. So much so that I hardly take pictures of his food anymore, unless he asks me to. I’ve never understood why he is irritated by this. To this day he has never missed a meal. He also thinks I am too critical of his photography skills if I ask him to take my picture. The latter is true. I can take amazing pictures of him, but his pictures always seem to make me look really fat. 3. Bloggers and OPSEC Privacy takes on a whole new meaning when you’re in the military. OPSEC is just one of the trillion military acronyms that stand for operational security. We live in dangerous times. Social media is an easy way to target people in the military for both their personal and professional movements. I get around this by only blogging or posting about our activities AFTER it’s happened, never giving dates or times or sharing itineraries. 4. Our time-traveling together Contrary to what it looks like, I don’t share everything I do. Trust me, I like my privacy too. I am keenly aware not to spend too much time on my blog when we travel. However, I don’t want to live behind a camera lens when I am on vacation. And I know from discussions and side-eyes that it’s no fun for my hubby either. Instead, I take a few pictures but save some for my mind’s eye where the moment lives in my memory forever. We also started a “thing” where we spend an afternoon or two apart doing our own “thing” and that allows me to concentrate on my blog without inconveniencing my hubs. 5. Our time at home together That also goes for our time at home. You can’t really watch a movie and write a blog post at the same time. So don’t. 6. Alcohol We love to visit wineries and breweries, but we are always cognizant that he, more than me, is in a position of authority, so I never include pictures of us actually drinking. Blogging should never create moral dilemmas. 7. Family and Friends I have both and they are definitely the stimulus for a lot of my stories. But when they say, “they don’t write about this” two things go through my mind. 1. Am I being a jerk for not asking if they want to be a character in one of my stories? 2. Duh, no one needs to know what you did… it’s illegal and immoral in at least 30 states and 10 countries. lol. Related Content The Blogger’s Compromise– How to Keep a Happy Home Happy, How to Find Travel Topics When You Aren’t Traveling They Will COMmEnt, LIKE and share Follow me on Facebook and make sure you Subscribe to the Duffelbagspouse Travels RSS feed and get updates delivered right into your inbox. Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe! Share this:FacebookXLinkedInTwitterPinterestThreadsEmailPrintLike this:Like Loading... Related Discover more from Duffel Bag Spouse Travels Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe NOMADIC TRAVEL Content Creation and Bloggingwork from home
What a fantastic post. So many lifestyle bloggers are facing these exact same questions and situations about what and how much to share about their personal lives, families and friendships. Reply
I used to keep my personal life completely out of the blog. Recently though we bought a new house and got married so I did blog about those. Now I’m back to being more private though. Reply
This is something bloggers should consider. It’s important to be real to your audience but also to have personal boundaries. Reply
Exactly, its important to make sure you don’t take the people and relationships for granted in the pursuit of a greater audience or a few dollars. Reply
This is really solid advice! Thank you so much for sharing your perspective and there are points I need to discuss with my husband! Reply
Thanks, communication is key and if you come up with something that helps in your blogging, please share. Reply
Such a great post full of important reminders. I think this is relevant to not only bloggers but anyone on social media. I see over-sharing all the time and think, “Do you really realize the potential problems that could come from sharing this?!”. Reply
Great thoughts here. I think its so important to make sure you aren’t sharing TOO much. There are safety concerns as well. I have friends who will post pictures of their homes with addresses showing etc. I think that is taking things a bit too far for my personal taste. Thanks for sharing. Reply
I fought with saying the town I live in, but you can get that off public records. You can get a lot of stuff from the Internet without having a blog or a social media account. My husband doesn’t have either, but we’ve checked– there is a lot of stuff floating around the blogosphere anyway. We’ve found old phone numbers, addresses, etc… I just hate the idea of something I love to do be a sticking point in any of my relationships with hubs, family or friends. Reply
This is a good post and well needed. Sometimes I cringe at some of the things bloggers post. We must protect our loved ones when we are blogging because they did not ask for this. Again, great post! Reply
Thanks. I’ve read a few cringe worthy things too and I feel terrible because that stuffs stays in the blogosphere forever if just one person passes it on. Reply
I’ve never seen a post like this. It’s such a good idea and has so many good points. Thanks for sharing. Reply
Thanks Crystal, have you ever experienced friction for family or friends over a blog or any other hobby? Reply