What is a blog?
The word “blog” is short for “weblog”, and refers to an online journal created and published by groups and individuals. A vlog is a blog in which users post video along with their commentary. Moblogs – or mobile blogs – use new internet publishing capacities on mobile phones.

How can I set up my own blog?
Many sites offer tools for creating and publishing content as a blog. Take a look at www.blogger.com which provides tools for blogging and moblogging. This site gives step-by-step instructions to help you create an account, name your blog and choose an appropriate template to get you started. You can then compose, add or edit content from a central webpage using the user-friendly tools provided. Images and hyperlinks will make your blog more interesting. If you want your Weblog to be interactive, make sure you choose a tool that has a built-in commenting feature so you can invite others to discuss your posts. Visitors to your blog can then comment on content by clicking on a comments link at the end of each entry.

What are the benefits of blogging?
A blog provides a perfect opportunity for personal expression, allowing users to collaborate, share and learn in a virtual world.

What are the risks if I set up my own blog?
One of the greatest dangers of blogs is the temptation to reveal personal information that could be disseminated across the world and used to locate or identify you (e.g. Identity theft, see “eCommerce” FAQ.). You may wish to use a pseudonym to protect your identity. Blogs can be used by both adults and young people anywhere and published content can be seen by a worldwide audience. Remember that everyone has the right to privacy. If you are planning to post information (including images) about someone else, you must obtain their permission first.

Another risk is breach of copyright. You should never use material (e.g. text, music, video) or a blog design from other people’s sites without their permission. Further information is available about copyright laws in the “Copyright” section of this FAQ. Be careful never to include offensive (e.g. racist material), inappropriate (pornography) or illegal content (gambling, child sexual abuse images, etc.) on your blog.

What can I do if I find my personal information on another person’s blog?
Publishing personal information about other people is an infringement of their right to privacy. Before publishing personal information about other people, you should always send them the information you plan to publish in order to get their permission.

If anyone publishes personal information about you on a blog, contact them immediately, preferably by email to ask them to delete the offending information. Blog sites usually provide a contact address. If not, you could contact the blog provider to request that action be taken. Don’t post a comment about the unwanted content except as a last resort, as this would further aggravate the problem by drawing even more public attention to the unwanted data.

What should I do about undesirable or illegal comments posted on my blog?
When you are choosing your blog software, make sure that you will be able to delete any comments that you consider unsuitable. If someone persists in putting up offensive comments, contact the blog provider. Some blog software sends the blog owner an email each time a comment is posted. If you check your mailbox regularly, this is very useful alert system which would enable you to get rid of unwanted comments quickly.

If anyone informs you that you have personal or offensive information on your blog, check it out immediately and take the necessary steps (e.g. delete the data). You don’t want to be prosecuted for defamation or breach of copyright.

Can I limit the amount of people who have access to my blog site?
Many blog software providers enable you to make parts of, or even your entire, blog accessible only to people who have the password, i.e. those you have invited. Bloggers who wish to exchange more personal information (e.g. family or holiday photos) should think carefully about whether they make their blog public or private.

You can prevent major search engines such as Google showing your blog in search results by creating a special file that tells these search engines to ignore your domain. Your blogging software will provide details on how to do this.

Where can I find out more?
Your national Safer Internet node can provide advice and further information (see relevant country page on this website).

Blog providers also give tips. Check your provider’s website for general advice, and to find out what special features are offered by their blogging tool. Electronic Frontiers Foundation (EFF) has an online guide for bloggers which gives specific advice about keeping a blog anonymous.

Also see www.blogsafety.com for more information. This site is a forum where parents, teens, educators and experts can discuss and learn about safe blogging. It is possible to access many of the articles without having to register to the forum.

Now go to your national node’s website to find useful links and further information: