BLOGGER PRIVACY SETTINGS 101
*Note: Some settings are required while others are optional. All options have advantages and disadvantages. This handout should be taken home and shared. Talk to your family about which privacy options are best for YOU.
Things to think about:
- The permanence of your digital footprint
- Privacy = security and safety, classroom purposes only
- Publicity = real world dangers and learning experiences, 21st century skills
Settings → Posts and comments → Comment Moderation → Always ▢ ( +email )
- You need to set your comment moderation to “always” so that you can always approve or disapprove comments before they are posted to your blog. This does not mean that you should disapprove peers’ comments simply because they disagree with what you posted.
- What you should moderate:
- All spamming and phishing
- All cyberbullying (please share with me!!)
- Any post that you think the writer may regret becoming part of his/her permanent digital footprint (again, share with me)
* If you are ever in doubt, ask me! :)
Settings → Posts and comments → Show word verification? → Yes ▢
- “This will require people leaving comments on your blog to complete a word verification step, which will help reduce comment spam.”
- This step verifies that commenters are actually human and not spamming/phishing robots.
Settings → Basic → Privacy → Edit → Add your blog to our listings? → No ▢
- “A listed blog may be linked to from Blogger.com, such as the Blogger home page and Next Blog. If you select “No” your blog will not appear in these places, but it will still be available on the Internet. This blog will still be displayed on your profile unless you hide it.”
- Not being listed on the Blogger home page and Next Blog is just one more step to help hinder spamming and phishing. You rarely ever want anybody to simply stumble upon your blog.
Settings → Basic → Privacy → Edit → Let search engines find your blog? (optional)
- See description in image below
- If you write a blog post about Romeo and Juliet and want people searching Romeo and Juliet through Google and other web search engines to be able to read your blog post, leave this setting as “yes.”
- If you do not want your blog posts to be searchable, change this setting to “no.”
Settings → Basic → Blog Readers → Edit
- Options: “Public” or “Private - only these readers” ▢
- If you choose “Private - only these readers,” you will need to add all of your classmates’ email addresses as readers (wait for me to compile a master list). Don’t forget to add me, belden_kara@dublinschools.net. Consider adding your parents, family, anyone else who may be interested in reading your blog, etc.
