Blogging
Blogging safely
Unlike your parents and teachers, you don't need a course in blogging basics. You've likely visited your share of blogs or have your own. Millions of teenagers maintain their own blogs; in fact, a study done by the Pew Internet & American Life Project shows that 19% of people 12-17 created a blog, while 38% of teens read blogs regularly.
Why are so many teens blogging? Well, on a blog you're free to express yourself almost any way you like. This kind of independence is liberating, but it also means responsibility. Even if you already know the basic safety guidelines for blogging, the following tips will help you understand your personal rights as you navigate the blogosphere. With this knowledge you'll be a more effective blogger all around.
Privacy controls
Privacy controls give you a say in who can see your blog. Check with your service to see what restrictions you can put on your blog. In most cases you can communicate with your friends or your friends' friends without opening yourself up to the entire Internet. Choosing who sees your blog is good, as there are probably lots of people you'd rather not have looking at your page.
Careful Posting
It may sound obvious, but posting something that will haunt you later is not a good idea. Once you put something on the Internet—a photo, your thoughts, a video— it could be around for a long time. Anyone can copy and repost it, even if you delete it later. Future employers, college acceptance committees, and parents could find those incriminating photos you posted.
Meeting People
Be very careful about relationships you establish or information you give to people you meet through blogs—you could be talking to anyone. Meeting people you only know online is also risky. If you do decide to meet someone, make sure you meet in a public place and bring along at least one friend - preferably a huge one with bulging muscles.
Blogging Rules
If you break the rules or "terms of service" that most blogging sites have, you'll get kicked off. Most rules are pretty obvious: don't send spam; don't distribute viruses and other harmful code; don't stalk, threaten, or harass anyone; and don't turn your blog into a porn site. Just because the First Amendment guarantees your right to free speech doesn't mean you don't need to be careful about what you say and post. Check out the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which has a FAQ for Student Blogging that outlines your legal rights and restrictions, including what your school can and cannot do to restrict what you put on your blog.
Parents
The best way to minimize potential drama is to talk to your parents about your blog. Besides being interested in your blog, parents have some legal rights and obligations, so it's best to be upfront with them. Tell them about your blog, tell them what you're doing on it, and reassure them that you understand basic safety and privacy rules. This will help put them at ease and help them trust you more. You might even point them to a few blogs they would find interesting. In the end, the more you help them understand technology, the more comfortable they'll be with you using it.
