{"id":4105,"date":"2013-05-27T10:00:23","date_gmt":"2013-05-27T15:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.walkingwithcake.com\/?p=4105"},"modified":"2013-05-27T10:23:21","modified_gmt":"2013-05-27T15:23:21","slug":"the-view-from-here-family-and-friends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walkingwithcake.com\/?p=4105","title":{"rendered":"The View From Here: Family and Friends"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/a>This week, Shayla and I discuss how to deal with family and friends when writing our blogs.<\/p>\n

Today’s question is: What Do Your Family and Friends Think of Your Blog? Do You Include Them In It? How Do You Protect Their Privacy\/Wishes?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since this question has three parts, I’ll try to answer each one in turn.<\/p>\n

First, I think (I hope?) my family and friends like and read my blog.\u00a0 I get pretty positive comments from them, and my mom and my sister are two of my biggest supporters.\u00a0 Since my blog is still newish, I’m learning to promote it more, and I still have a hard time telling people in real life that I write a blog.\u00a0 It just feels weird.\u00a0 And then, I have some friends who will say things like, “Oh yeah, I saw it on your blog,” and that still freaks me out, too.<\/p>\n

This is embarrassing to admit, but after I attended Alt Summit, I visited with a few former co-workers (who are quite a bit older and don’t spend much time online) over coffee.\u00a0 I mentioned my recent trip to Salt Lake City for a “conference,” as I called it, and when one of the friends assumed it was for Ryan’s job, I didn’t correct her.\u00a0 That’s awful, and I still cringe thinking about it.\u00a0 As Sandra<\/a> says, “Don’t sell yourself short.”\u00a0 I’m trying not to.<\/p>\n

I also have friends who will ask, “How’s your blog?”\u00a0 That tells me right away they aren’t reading it, which is totally fine, so I just say it’s fine, thanks.\u00a0 And sometimes, I’ll write all about an event on my blog, then someone will ask me about it in real life, and my first thought will be, “I wrote about it on my blog!”\u00a0 It’s as if I don’t want to talk about it after getting it down on “paper.”\u00a0 The whole thing is just bizarre, and I’m still learning to walk the line between online and off.<\/p>\n

To answer the second question, I do include my family and friends in my blog, a bit.\u00a0 You know Ryan, James, and Rhys, because they are the main people in my life, and in the above sentences, I generically mentioned my mom, sister, and a slew of different friends.\u00a0 When I write about my extended family and friends, I try to get their permission first, especially when posting pictures.\u00a0 I’ll also link to their blogs, Facebook pages, or Pinterest accounts, if possible.\u00a0 But mostly, I try to mention them casually and not by name, so they could be anybody anywhere.<\/p>\n

That leads to the third question, about protecting the privacy of my friends and family.\u00a0 I have had a couple of people ask me not to mention their names or show their pictures, so I absolutely have to respect their wishes.\u00a0 Even though I blog, I’m pretty private myself, and I completely understand.\u00a0 Everyone is different, and I never want to make someone else uncomfortable by featuring them on my blog.\u00a0 I do write often about my children, but this is something I’ll probably reconsider as they get older.\u00a0 I don’t want to embarrass my boys, and they are so young right now that I mostly just share their cuteness with you.\u00a0 As they get older, I’ll have to re-evaluate and ask them what they prefer.<\/p>\n

I think this aspect of blogging can be particularly tricky, since it’s easy to view yourself through an online persona, which doesn’t always carry over into the real world.\u00a0 I try to be as transparent as possible, and I always want to respect the wishes of my family and friends completely.<\/p>\n

Be sure to read Shayla’s response<\/a> to this question, too.\u00a0 I’m curious to see how she answers it, especially considering that she is a reporter in her small town, so she is much more visible than I am.\u00a0 And, as always, feel free to share your thoughts on the topic, too!<\/p>\n

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