Trying To Protect My Children While Blogging

So. (sigh)

At least once a week, someone comments on the one thing that seems to annoy EVERYONE about my blog — the disabled right-click.

That’s right — in case you haven’t noticed, each time you attempt right-clicking to copy/paste text or correct a misspelled word, you get this cheerful little pop-up:

Need to work on a more witty message for that pop-up, don't you think?

So why the sudden rudeness? Why am I forcing you to leave words misspelled in your comments? Forcing you to do complicated things just to paste a Twitter link?

It’s not that I don’t like you. I like everyone. Really, I do.

But, I love my children more.

When I started this blog, nearly 6 years ago, it was a completely private set-up. Only a handful of people knew about its existence and that’s the way I wanted it. I was a newlywed who treated this blog like a diary: no real story-telling took place — just random entries at sporadic times. Nothing special.

Then we adopted the Little Lady and I learned blogging was the perfect way to share my tales of Toddler Jedi-Mind Tricks or the ways I can “Out-Gross” Little Boys. I started sharing with everyone: family, friends, and strangers the blogosphere.

I set up some precautions to protect our privacy — yes, even with some of my over-sharing, I do maintain a certain level of privacy:

There are MANY subjects about my life and that of my children/husband I don’t share. . .

I don’t share the names of my children (although, I know of at least one or two posts where you can find their real names) . . .

I don’t talk about upcoming trips or other times our house will be empty. . .

I don’t share my husband’s name or place of employment . . .

And while I do share that we live in Houston, I don’t discuss the particular area and I try to make sure pictures of our house don’t reveal the street name (though, again, this is info that could be easily found since I know my address is out there on the web).

There are those who would argue (and rightly so) I don’t do enough to maintain and protect my family’s anonymity. And there are those who have learned first hand just how easy it is for anyone to get around the “false privacy” many of us have …. learning every personal detail we bloggers try to hide.

But, still I try.

And, disabling the right-click is one more way I am trying to protect my family.

Several months ago, I read a chilling tale of how a British police found pictures of an innocent American toddler on a pedophile’s computer. The mother, Heather Spohr, was horrified — as we all were. When I read her post, I thought about all I share here: stories and pictures. Lots and lots of pictures.

I contemplated a “cease and desist” approach with my scrapbook approach to blogging, since this photographic journaling style of Mom Bloggers has been likened to a Disneyland for pedophiles. But, like Heather Spohr, I decided I wasn’t ready to end it all. Wasn’t ready to stop sharing the funny, craptastic moments of my life.

BUT . . . I did want to make it just a little bit harder to use my photos.

Enter the WordPress Plug-in, PreventCopyBlogs.

This is the culprit behind the annoying pop-up each time you right-click. It keeps you from checking a misspelled word and keeps you from saving a photo.

Yes, I know . . . I know. There are ways around it. There are always ways around everything. But, it does make it just a little bit harder. And, for now, until I decide what other precautions I am willing and able to take, it works.

In the meantime, my apologies for making you feel bad with misspelled comments — my apologies for making it difficult to copy information you want to tweet.

But I am not sorry for trying, in such a small way, to protect my children.

p.s., In case you’re wondering, I do ban the IP addresses of people who find my blog through weird searches or leave disgusting, inappropriate comments on my blog. Yup — I’m not afraid to enforce the ban.

p.s. #2: I failed to mention an important part about using that WP plug-in; make sure when uploading your pics to delete the picture URL. If you don’t, a person can “left-click” the image, bring it up by URL and then save it. With out the hyperlink, it can’t be downloaded.