Like many of you, our blog 4tunate originated as a efficient way to communicate with our family and friends after being shocked to the core with news that we were expecting multiples. It saved us from making ten’s of phone calls each time we visited our perinatologist or had an updated prayer request. I was naive to the privacy risks that accompanied putting our photos and written posts on the internet. I wasn’t familiar with a “private blog”, nor did I guess that people would be “Googling us” on a daily basis. I simply wanted a way to document our unique journey.
Blogging has been a wonderful creative outlet, a source of friendship with mothers of multiples across the country, and even helped slightly lessen our grocery bills through hosting ads. However, it’s also been a source of pain, frustration, and disgust when our content has been stolen. I’ve learned a few lessons along the way, and I hope that if you decide to continue with public blogging, you might take a few of these suggestions to heart.
1. Put a Copyright on Your Blog.
Your content is already protected under the Constitution, but I think an extra reminder in your blog column or footer is a wise idea.
For more information see the: Creative Commons website.
2. Watermark Your Photos
A watermark claims your photos as your sole property, and discourages unauthorized use. I use Windows Live Writer to create my watermark. (Example Below)
For more information see the Live Writer website.
3. Disable Right Clicking on Photos
You can enter a simple code in your website’s html that will disable someone from right clicking to save your images.
For more information see the About.com page on Javascript. (Note from MOST: Disabling the right-click feature of a browser might be okay for a personal blog, however this is not typically done with organizational websites for a variety of reasons. See the Multiples in the Public Domain article linked below for details.)
4. Set up A Google Alert for Your Blog
An email is sent to your email address to help detect new activity on the web using your key words. Words that you might set up an alert for may include: your last name + your multiples title (Murray Quads), or something that is unique to your situation/blog (mono-mono twinning).It’s also a great way to keep your eye out for the community.
For more information see the Google Alerts page.
5. Refrain from Blogging Your Exact Location
If you are vacationing, out of town, or home alone, take precautions on reveling this information to your readers. For example, you may want to inform your readers of your vacation after you have safely returned. Do not post pictures of your home that reveal your home address (mailbox, house number, street sign).
6. Ask for Verification
You may feel silly asking a new mom who has emailed you with questions about a multiple preganancy for more information, but it’s a precaution that I highly encourage. Ask for their Facebook Account, Blog Address, and ask personal questions to see if their stories align.
7. When You Uncover A Faker, Call Them Out
Leave a comment warning that their blog is participating in illegal activity and is being reported to authorities. We’ve seen blogs shut down almost instantaneously after being stood up to. Contact Blogger (or the hosting site) and file a formal report.
Jen blogs about the adventures, bloppers, joys, and challenges of raising quadruplets at www.4tunate.net. Since delivering quadruplets, she’s been actively involved in MOST’s multiple birth community as well as started a NICU Survival Kit Project, to support families facing the uncertainties of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Related Links
- MOST Public Attention Cards
- MOST FAQ on Handling Unwanted Attention and Dealing with Multiple Birth Fakers
- MOST Statement on Media Exposure and Multiple Births
- MOST Online Safety Pledge
- MOST Supertwins Bill of Rights
- Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998
- Plagiarism Today Website
SUPERTWINS article Multiples in the Public Domain - Do you have a personal blog, family website, or social networking profile containing personal information about you and your family? If so, don’t miss this easy-to-use guide on ways to protect that information while still getting the most out of your online experience. Available from the MOST Supertwins Store.
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Thanks for posting this subject. I had been looking for good information about it.
Thanks for the tips! I know I can be a bit naive about sharing info. It is so disheartening to hear stories of peoples photos being stolen or blogs being copied. Fortunately I’ve found the multiples community to be pretty tight knit and I’m glad we look out for each other.