There has been a rise in the popularity of both blogging and social media platforms. Sites like MySpace.com, which allow users to set up their own profiles and communicate with others, are examples of popular social networking platforms. Text, pictures, sounds, videos, and weblogs are just some of the content types that may be found on such sites. Users of the system can use this space to share their thoughts and experiences, provide personal updates, comment on current events, and more. Bloggers that rely on a social network to keep their site updated, however, need to give some extra thought to a few other things. This article will explore some of these considerations, such as whether the blogs should be public or private, who the blogs are aimed at, and how to handle online harassment.
Modifying Blog Visibility
The majority of social media platforms let you choose whether your site is visible to the public or not. While public websites are accessible to anybody on the network, private ones are only viewable by the website's owner and those he has given permission to visit the site. The blogs kept in a social network share these similar abilities. Because of this, bloggers need to make a decision as to whether or not they want their blog entries shared across their whole social network or just with certain followers.
This choice will depend heavily on individual taste. Some bloggers may be nervous about making their blog accessible to such a broad audience because social networks can be rather extensive, while others may have no such worries. Bloggers should give this option a lot of thought before starting a blog, but if they change their minds after the blog is up and running, they can easily go back and alter these settings.
Thinking About Readers of Blogs
Bloggers who use a social network to publish their content would do well to give serious thought to the people who might read it. The members of most social networks are representative of the population at large. Since bloggers have an audience, they need to take into account how their posts will be received by readers before publishing. While it's impossible to verify that every blog post is appropriate for every member of a social network, some bloggers may find it worthwhile to make at least some effort in that direction. If the blogger cannot do this, then the blog may become private.
How to Handle Blog Harassment
Bloggers who utilize a social network to distribute their content should also be wary of the risk of harassment from other users. This can come in the shape of rude responses to blog posts. The blogger may opt to ignore the comments or take more drastic measures, depending on the severity of the abuse. Bloggers who have experienced harassment from other users can familiarize themselves with the network's policies and seek support there. It's possible that removing the person's ability to post comments on the blog is all that's needed to fix the issue; alternatively, you might try contacting the social network's administration to get the user banned. In this case, the admins will investigate the claim and decide whether or not the user has broken the rules.
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