Using Blog Safely

A blog is a convenient place to write and publish an online dairy, and share views with cyber friends. However, be aware that the information you post on blogs will be read by anybody, including criminals who might make use of that personal information, if any for malicious purpose. In addition, any information that you post on blogs may cause unexpected harm to other people, and you might ultimately be liable for that.

Be a smart blogger, and use the Internet within the bounds of the law. You should:

Always remember that you bear any legal liability for the articles you write. Check that you do not accidentally release private or restricted information about anyone, including yourself, and that your article won't cause harm or defame someone. The articles that you are going to post must not contain any illegal content, e.g., nudity and illegal download links.

Always bear in mind that criminals may collect information from your blog and use it for other purposes. You have to protect the privacy, and personal information of yourself and other people.

Always check whether any text, videos or pictures you use in your blog are explicitly approved by the intellectual property owner.

Protect your content by establishing an access list, in particular for your photos and your personal profile.

You should always remember that once your blog article is published, it may be cached or archived by Internet search engines, even after you remove it from your blog some time later.

Some blogs contain discussion forums or guest books for visitors to post their comments. However, spammers can abuse this function by posting messages with harmful or inappropriate content. You may have to consider turning off such features, or establishing an access list that allows only authorised persons to leave messages on your blog.

Don't get into a situation where you regret posting something on your blog, so remember to cross check your content with these tips, and think twice before posting.