Is there a face behind that blog?

Are you blogging and wondering if you will have any privacy left? You are right to be concerned. Being a blogger is a lot like being a columnist in a traditional print publication, except you have the potential for reaching millions of people and oh yeah, whatever you write will be out there probably forever.

People have their favorite bloggers for a reason. Number one is trust. If you can trust that blogger, you will come back. Number two is either for education or entertainment or a heady combination of both things.

When you blog, you must decide how much of your life you want to reveal to the world. How much do you want to announce in a busy, crowded arena to perhaps thousands (or millions, think big!) of people?

I know one outdoor blogger who never revealed anything about herself and never set up an “About” page, and she’s prominent in the outdoor communications industry. This is one extreme – and this strategy does not promote a relationship with the reader at all. She would use her husband’s name at times, and the reader would have to wonder, “Who is John [not his real name either]?”

And then, there are bloggers like “mommy bloggers,” who reveal all, even the floor plans of their homes when they publish renovation photos. That’s a bad idea, too. Hello, home intruder.

I don’t like to reveal my husband’s or kids’ names. I don’t think it’s necessary. They did not ask for the publicity. I did.

I don’t like to reveal our floor plans, our address, things about my neighbors I don’t like or where I am going.

So, if you write a blog or are thinking about setting one up, you need to decide not what type of person you will be, because that’s already been determined through your genetics and actions. You need to decide how much of you will be revealed to the world.

Keep it honest. Keep it clean. Keep it real.

You can’t go wrong with that combination.

Blogging in a Man’s World

I recently read a blog post on TechRepublic by Head Blogs Editor Toni Bowers, about how women bloggers in technology are perceived by their readers. I was pretty disappointed to read that many readers of technology blogs could not care less about what a male technology blogger looks like, but they do pay attention to a female blogger’s looks. I love Kim Komando, but why does she have to be a good-looking blonde?

I started thinking that women in the outdoors media probably face the same prejudices. If we think we’re going to blog in a predominantly male field, then we at least need to be someone who is pleasant to look at. I beg your pardon! What’s that got to do with what we know?

Let me hear from you other female bloggers who dare share your expertise (and yes, I do mean expertise) in a testosterone-drenched field. What challenges do you face? What advice do you have for other female members of a primarily male-populated media field? Do you have any good stories to share? Do you just want to sound off? DO IT HERE!

Until next time, this is The WOMA’s own Tekkie Chik

~Paige Eissinger

To Blog or Not to Blog…

Are your e-mails long, detailed descriptions of events you attended or explanations about why you hold certain opinions? Do you send them to multiple recipients? Do you feel compelled to reply to every e-mail somebody sends you? Do you wish you could share your experiences, photos and opinions with even more people and get their feedback?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you are a perfect blogging candidate! If the writer inside you has been feeling stifled lately, you can unleash the beast in a blog.

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