Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Possibly Going Private??

I don't know...someone talk me out of it!!

You girls that have stat counters...do you get TONS of hits on your blogs? I'm noticing that I am getting hits from lots of foreign countries...is that weird? I can't even retrace where they came from...I average about 78 hits a day...sometimes lots more (I can't blame all of those on Meagan while she is feeding Olivia ;) )...

What's your take?

So, place your argument, and I think I'll add a poll (I've wanted one for a while, but had nothing to poll worthy...).

51 comments:

Ondriawfd said...

We actually had a stalker from Mexico for awhile because of my husband's stuff so we did go private for awhile. It took all the fun out of blogging. Part of the fun is finding people and people finding you but if your blog is private there's no way to make those connections. So after about a month we went public again. I check sitemeter and stuff. A lot of those foreign countries are not staying on my site so I figure we're good. Hope I didn't just confuse you more. Do what you think is best for you. Just make sure if you decide to go private that we get an invite. :)

Katy said...

EEK stalkers!! I don't mind blog stalking...I mean, I do it ALL the time, and I love finding friends and family...

So, do you get a lot of foreign hits too?

Sabrina said...

I get a few random foreign hits. Maybe if you stop teaching people how to find you, they wont :), lol.

Katy said...

Good point, my fellow blog-stalking buddy...I need to add you...

camille said...

I have to agree with the idea of if you go private then it takes the fun out of blog hopping! and you know me - - - I gotta have some blog hopping in my week. lol

on another note, I think there are cyber computer spys. lol just other electronic addresses that access internet addresses and just surf - that there really are not people "LOOKING" at the blog. does that even makes sense??? I mean I could be totally off, but that is the only thing that I can figure out. lol

Kaylene said...

I check you daily, I hope that's not an issue, I love to keep up with you! Do whatever you feel is best for your family though. (((HUGS)))

kellyanddanielle said...

if it helps i come to your site everyday. you add so much all the time that i love to read and look at your pics. helps me feel like we have a connection. anyway just do what you feel comfortable with. love you all.

Katy said...

Kaylene...of course NOT!! I'm just glad there are other blog-stalkers like me...I'm totally willing to add everyone, even if they don't post.

I do think it would take the fun out of blogging...I don't know though...

Ash said...

It's a hassle to go private, but I've liked it so at least I know exactly who is looking at it and I don't have to worry about psychos stealing my kids' pictures and pretending that they're their kids... The big downer to me is that you can't just run into people that you know. A lot of our old friends have run across our blog on accident and we've been able to reconnect with them... Paranoid as I am, I went for private for safety's sake in the end.

Lyns said...

I get a ton of hits from foreign countries but they aren't on for very long--I figure they are just clicking the next button at the top and getting mine. I'm FAR more concerned with the OTHER people looking at my blog--hence the no annonymous comments and now comment moderation. Going private DOES take away blog hopping and stalking fun.

julie! said...

katy-if you go private, i want an invite. I get nervous too so I try not to put any personal info on the posts, but I do like reconnecting with people by keeping it open...

Tyler said...

I have taken my last name off my blog, and I don't reference anyone else's last names, especially on my link list or in posts. I know some people still use last names, and someone could probably find my last name from other link lists, but I'm doing what I can.

I also don't make any references to where I live. Maybe the state, but not the city.

I do get lots of random hits from WEIRD places, foreign as well as US cities/states that I have no connection to.

I have thought about going private. I may do it soon, but for now I like that my old friends can "find" me.

Katy said...

Meagan...I agree, and it is kind of nice to have the school blog, because if someone doesn't have an invite, they could always request it. See, my first and last are on my blog, and on the URL...GRR! I didn't know what I was doing when I set it up (or I wasn't AS informed).

I really don't want to go private, but I might...maybe I would go private...do an overhaul on my blog, and then come back...I don't know...

Katie L. said...

I agree with Meagan and the whole last name thing. I want to go privite...but I don't at the same time! Have you taken your blog off all search engines like google and stuff? That helped me out.

Katy said...

I think so...off to check...

Katy said...

So, I have "no" on listing my blog, and "no" on google search, yet I still find it...Am I that good at blog stalking?

Lynnette said...

Hey Katy! I'm one of you blog stalkers too! If you go private, can I have an invite too?

Oh yeah, before I forget, I get probably 15 hits a day from foreign countries. I have no idea where they come from!

Hope you are having a great week :)

Team Hancock said...

It was so good to see you and your daughter is adorable! It was so fun to catch up with you and hope we can do again some time.

As far as the stalking issue--I know I am new and all, but I do think keeping it open is what is so fun about blogging. Also, I just refer to my little girl as B. on the blog and try to keep things pretty general. Although I do have our last name (i might change that)

Good luck on your poll!

Sydnee

Anonymous said...

Katy--How can you tell where the stalkers are coming from? You can see what country? Does that mean that when I'm stalking, people can see my name and that I'm stalking...or just where I'm from??

I'm having a panic attack. :)

Don't go private! Just try not to put personal stuff on there!

Tyler said...

Katy,
I think you can change the address of your blog without having to do an whole new one. Go to Customize/Settings/Publishing

There is a place to change your address. I think everything should remain on your blog, but the address will change. You could try that to see if you can create an address without your last name.

You might want to create a "TEST" blog to see if you can change the address without messing anything up, though. I would hate to be the reason your blog got all messed up!
Lol.

camille said...

oh, and katy, I totally forgot to say before that "great minds think alike" because for the last few days I have been thinking about trying to do a ROLL CALL on my blog to see if I can get an idea of who is coming and checking it, kwim.

Amy said...

Katy, if you go private how would I be able to stalk you?
I love reading your blog BTW!
-Amy

Katie L. said...

Katy, let me know if you can change your address without too much of a hassle because ours has our last name in it too! My sister has people look at her blog and the way they get there is by googling a phrase that she has used in her blog. Like one of her posts was labeled 'Little Miss Sunshine' and someone googled that and found her blog. So maybe try to keep it simple. I don't know if that makes sense but it's worth a try!

Katy said...

Amberly, get a stat counter, and you can see who is looking at your blog and when...I have a pink one on the bottom right hand side (I think under my music...).

Katy said...

Well, if I take it out of the address, and the title...some of you are going to have to change your links...will you be annoyed?

Katy said...

Oh, and I don't know if I've mentioned...but I don't mind blog stalkers...I am one, and a VERY good one at that!!

camille said...

brag, brag, brag, brag! lol. YUP, Katy is a great teacher! =)

Katy said...

MUAHAHAHA!!!

You're welcome my good and faithful student!! ;)

Sabrina said...

Katy... about a month ago I took changed my blog from being my last name (as you have) to something more generic. Then I just linked the other blog to me new one so people could still find me. I planned on giving it a month or so, then deleting the first one completely. It gave my friends enough time to change their links (which is SO easy anyway) and direct whoever blog stalks me to my new blog. Which reminds me, I should probably go erase that other one.

Sabrina said...

took changed? way to proof read sabrina...

Katy said...

If you would have erased it, I wouldn't have been able to find you...but no worries, I already have you linked!!

Trent and Carlie & Co. said...

Hey Katy! I would like to know more about how to check your stats - like how you were talking about other countries, etc. I have a counter, too, but I am new to all this. :) Plus, feel free to add stuff to our family site - like music or whatever! We need to get others on it!

Ondriawfd said...

We don't get foreign hits anymore after I took it off Google search. That actually helped a lot. Fans would google my husband's name and they would find us. Then there were some psychos googling weird terms like "love twins" and our blog would pop up, but not anymore. :) I didn't know what I was doing when I set up our blog either so our last name is in the address but I have taken it out of everywhere else and that's helped some too.

Katy said...

Ondria, I thought I took it off of google search, but I still found it...I don't get it!!

Katy said...

Brie!! I need you!! Question...So, you just changed your URL, and it kept your blog the same, and then you just linked the two...correct?

Anonymous said...

Katy--my new blog name is larrenandamberly.blogspot.com

Katie L. said...

Katy, go into edit your profile and make it so it doesn't show your family blog name so that people can't get to it like that. That is how a lot of people have found mine.

Tyler said...

Katy...
Go to Customize/Settings/Basic
Make sure these two things are BOTH set to "NO."
1. Add your blog to our listings
2. Let search engines find your blog

Try that. I searched for yours this morning and still found it, so try this.

BJ said...

amberly has given me her blog address change. If any of you decide to do the same, please let me know so i can update it on the class blog. thanks

jennie

Katy said...

Meagan, mine both say "no". GRR

Emily C. said...

Just make sure you give us access. I've already been blocked once, and I thought...fur rude!

Katy said...

The Clarks would definitely be invited!! ;)

DaNae said...

I say don't do it. Cause I like to blog stalk, too! :D Or if you do go private you need to add me. It's way fun finding people... I didn't know there were so many BBC bloggers!

Katy said...

Danae, you'd be invited too!! :D

The Randall Family said...

I made my blog private and I'm glad that I did. I am just super careful after the whole Katie NW thing. I would be so ticked if anyone stole pictures of Kailey. I just learned that there are some crazy people out there on the internet. Maybe I'm being over careful though. LOL! Thanks for the comments about the picture of Kailey and Ashlyn. Isn't it funny to see what a huge height difference there is between the two of them? LOL! Ashlyn is only three months older than Kailey but she's in the 90th percentile for height and Kailey is in the 10th. LOL! : )

Sabrina said...

Hey sorry, I just saw this. do you still have any questions? what I did is I changed my blog address, but then I turned around and opened ANOTHER blog in my original domain name, put the link to my new address. does that make ANY sense?

Katy said...

Yeah, but then I'm going to lose all my stats, and they are looking popular...

Tyler said...

Katy,
You can do like Amberly did and just change the address of your blog. It won't mess up your blog.

Of course, you would have to somehow get the info out to everyone, and you probably have a lot of readers that aren't on your link list, but that is an option. Or create a whole new one and link them up, like "B Family" said.

Kristyn said...

Hello a million comments!! I have nothing to add. I just wanted to throw in another to make you feel even more special Katy. :)

Kristyn said...

And I just voted on your poll. (I voted public.) I love polls. You should do another poll about what to poll next.

Brittany said...

I just took all names off mine and I am using intials.I don't stalk but I do come and look.