This article is written from the perspective of professional writers writing about their kids. I would be very interested to see the thoughts of the folks on this board about parents who blog about their kids, maybe for family and friends to keep up with, but only "public" in the sense that it is on Blogger or where ever, if anyone cares to look. Where are the lines in that case? My sister has a blog about her young children, and she writes updates and posts pictures, and it's a way for family and friends to stay in touch more easily than email updates. Is this a violation of her kids' privacy? At what age should they have a say in what she writes? Does the "permanent" nature of the internet change that calculation at all, with regard to either pictures and anecdotes or consent?

I think most people vastly underestimate the potential for invasion of "privacy" online. It may be easier but that doesn't mean it's safe to do.

Try going to www.zabasearch.com and googling yourself and loved ones. You will be horrified at the comprehensive list of addresses, birthdates, and phone numbers you can pull up.

I'm much less forthcoming about names and locations online than I used to be, I stick to generalizations when discussing my life and my loved ones. I sure hope authors writing about their kids have enough sense to use fake names. Professional writers, however should know better than anyone that what you write about yourself and your loved ones will absolutely follow you for years and years to come.

Bottomline, if you wouldn't put it up as a bulletin board at Times Square, then don't say it online!

The problem is what some people would be willing to put up as bulletin boards at Times Square ...

Very true.. there certainly is no accounting for taste or tact these days. Look at Youtube and its neverending parade of the ill-advised.....