Should The Meandering Blog Be Readable By The Public?

For the last nine months, Dick Jordan has been hammering out "posts" and adding photos to the "Meandering in Marin on Tuesdays" blog. The blog is private --- only some Tuesday hikers, past and present (and one from the Monday group, and a friend of Dick's who reads his travel blogs) have access to the blog. (Other Tuesday hikers get updates to the blog e-mailed to them, but they don't actually have access to the blog). So, you can't find the blog by using an Internet Search Engine, such as Google, and what we do on our hikes is unknown to the world.

Keeping the blog private seemed like a good idea initially. However, it does limit access by some Tuesday hikers, and makes access even by those who are listed on the blog as permitted "Readers" more difficult than it should be. (If you got an "invite" to read the blog, but didn't respond, or don't have a Google Account, you can't access the blog). The easiest way to resolve these access problems for our Tuesday hiking group is to make the blog public.

As far as Dick can tell, making the blog public (instead of private) will not allow anyone using the Internet to find your name (except for Wendy and Dick, who have a short "bio" on the blog) unless you are mentioned in the blog --- usually by first name only). Likewise, no one should be able to find your e-mail address (we all get enough "Spam" e-mailed to us) by reading the blog.

On the other hand, making the blog public will make it easy for you to find and read the blog directly (you'll still get e-mail updates). You'll be able to bookmark the blog's "URL" (Website address). You'll also be able to share the blog with others. You, and the public, will also be able to "subscribe" to the blog and be "fed" information using RSS or other methods for receiving updates to the blog.

If the blog is made public, Dick will probably restrict (or prohibit) comments so we don't have to read "trash talk" from folks not part of the hiking group.

During the next two weeks, let Dick know (in person, via e-mail to rhjordan@earthlink.net, or by answering "Yes" or "No" to the poll you'll find at the top right-hand corner of the blog) whether you want the blog to remain private or "go public".