Airing your dirty laundry

No, I'm not talking about the kind of Mount Foldmore that is threatening to overtake my spare room. What I'm talking about is the social media type of laundry, the posts that make me pause when I'm scrolling through my feed(s) and think "Really?!"

I'm sure we've all seen such posts, or know someone (who knows someone) who has posted something online that probably doesn't belong there.

Sure, it's easy to do these days with the prevalence of social media access on our phones, tablets and laptops. It's a simple thing to snap a picture and add a quirky caption, or in a cranky or inebriated state post a ranty status online. At what cost though?

Once something is online, it's online for good. You can't control it, or stop other people from sharing it. Even if your privacy settings are high, all it takes is one person in your network to forward that message out or to tag you in one of their own pictures for their network to see. It's done, it's out there and being cached and crawled and searched - getting it back is like trying to herd feral cats or protect your nice outfit from your children's sticky fingers.

When I'm reviewing people for hire, I usually do a quick Google search to see what turns up. In fact, I regularly Google myself too. Let's just say, there are some interesting results out there. I worry for the social media users of today, some of who think nothing of drunken selfies, of public berating and pointed rants, and the publishing of information that might not belong in the public domain. Truly, I love technology, but what I don't love is the way that some people forget that behind every post/image, there is a flesh and blood human who has feelings, a reputation and a life.

I know, some might say, but aren't you a mummy blogger? Don't you have Facebook and Instagram and post photos and stories about your life? And this is true, I do. But I'll be honest, I vet my stories. I only share what I'm comfortable putting my name to. Pictures of Ellie are watermarked, and the face of Mr Fork is never shown, at his request. I don't even use Ellie's full name. It's a fine and personal line to draw, but I try to step carefully through the landmines. I still allow unrestricted comments because I believe in free speech but I may change my mind one day.

I post with my name, both on my blog and when I comment on other's work. I only say what I'm personally happy to stand behind. I choose what I put online and what I keep private. I try to keep my dirty laundry where it belongs - in my laundry basket, within the walls of my own home. I shudder to think how I will teach Ellie to do the same with the mixed messages out there and the way that technology is already so ubiquitous in her life.

Given that this is Stay Safe Online Week, let's discuss. What are your thoughts?

What makes a blog readable

I've been doing a bit of thinking and analysis lately into what makes me want to read a blog, and cross referencing my thoughts with which of my posts seem to get the most interest.

I've narrowed it down to six main characteristics:

1. Be honest. The things that I like reading about the best are real. I don't want to read about a perfect world, because that only makes me feel bad when my own goes pear shaped or doesn't compare. For the same reason that trashy magazines sell so well, I want to read about something honest and real, warts and all. I love peeking into other people's worlds.  I don't think that anyone has a perfect life all the time, and if yours is, then I don't really want to hear about it! Only joking, but really, the most appealing blogs are honest about what's going on with them and for bonus points they have a bit of meat to them and give me something to think about.

2. Be yourself. If I'm reading your blog, it's because something in it grabs my attention. I like reading about you. Tell me about your life. Use language that you'd usually use. Write the way that you speak and inject your own personality into your prose. This also links into the topics you choose. Write about things that interest you, because when you're interested, other people will pick up on that enthusiasm and passion too. Besides, who wants to write about something that isn't interesting to them? Let alone read about it.

3. Be timely. If you're going to post about say, a summer heat wave, make sure that you do it when it's still summer and still hot (for you). Sure, some of your audience might be in a different hemisphere or weather pattern, but if it's timely for you, that's going to show through in the language that you use. I can't even tell you the number of times I've had a post sitting in draft for so long that it's just embarrassing to post. More often than not, I junk them, but sometimes I can re-write it to make it more topical and relevant. Also, when writing about a recent topic, it's going to be fresh in your mind and you'll have a much better ability to make it sound interesting and appealing for your audience.

4. Be relevant. Sure, maybe I'm harping on the same characteristics, but hear me out. Think about the audience that you're trying to appeal to, or the readers that you have. What sort of a blogger are you? Are you a food blogger? A mummy blogger? A fashion or lifestyle critic? Are you aiming to appeal to others interested in the same things? Then write about things that are going to appeal to your audience. People come to your blog because they want to read about what you're up to. You've obviously written something they want to read about... so keep on with that relevant writing!

5. Be consistent. There is nothing more annoying than finding a good blogger, only for them to post sporadically. When this happens, I tend to stop checking them regularly, and drop them off my feed. If they do post something else, I'm now likely to miss it and they drop off my radar completely because I just stop caring. So if you've hooked me and I care about reading you, don't hang me out to dry waiting for an update! Share what's going on!

6. Involve me. Blogging isn't always just a one way interaction. My favourite bloggers have built themselves a little community of people who feel like they know this person. Friends if you will. Friends converse. They ask each other's opinion and they talk. Involve your audience. Let them comment on things, ask them questions and interact with them. Who knows, you might even gain some new real life acquaintances out of it all!

What hooks you on a blog? Where do you spend your valuable internet time?