Geezers Blogging (advice wanted)

[Catira Norr]

I've been using my website to keep in touch with my family around the world, but recently I've had to take it down because my hubby has been receiving death threats (yes, really eek ) from an ex-employee's deranged ex .... it's a long story. Anyway, we have to take it seriously and take steps to make sure we can't be found.

I still want to keep in touch with family and share news, but we are literally all over the world. I thought a blog would be a good idea, but don't know much about it. Myspace looks like a bit of a maze, so I was wondering if any of you more hip geezers blog, which sites you use, and how private you can make the blog. I'm looking for something easy to set up and one that only invited people can check out. Any suggestions? I'd love to see what's out there.  

[Lil-Jo]

I just stick with MySpace and CafeMom...

But, my son Tony is an internet freak... he could more than likely direct you to something that would be easy and safe.  

[Harbone]

Umberella does MySpace, because, maze-like as it may be, it ends up working a lot like Gaia, she says.

Most importantly, it allows her to have Robin Hitchcock and Patrick Macnee on her friends page (even if they aren't really Robin Hitchcock and Patrick Macnee.)  

[Mellissandria]

Livejournal.com is a good place to do blogging...

I have one that I've recently started playing with again. It doesn't have all the flashes and whistles like Myspace or even Gaia, but it's really nice.  

[Lil Brat]

I don't MySpace much, but I think there's a way to set it so only people you invite can see you... I'd have to check that with JC as she does more with that program.  

[Eirwyn]

Our family is scattered all over the US & a few years ago one of my uncles tried to get us all to go with some site that was just for families keeping in touch. It didn't go over--we're most of us pretty lousy at that sort of thing, seems like...been too long scattered I guess...but maybe something like that would fit the bill for you. It might be more private, like a mailing list.
Or you could do it here...and make a hidden guild just for your family to hang in...? mrgreen  

[acrolinz]

I recommend livejournal.com

I've been using it for almost 6 years now. The nice thing about it is that you can choose who you want to see it. That way if there is something you don't want your husband's deranged ex to see, you can set it to "friends only." The downside is that you have to get all your relatives to create accounts so you can add them as friends so they can read it. You could also just make public posts but keep a low profile. ninja That's pretty easy to do if you don't want to be found.  

[Battousai-nii]

I prefer blogger to livejournal because of the preexisting layouts and the ease of finding archived posts. It's fairly easy to set up and requires little to no HTML skills.
The site is public by default, but has a private option under settings.

*Shameless advertisment*
Here's my blog.

I hope your situation improves.  

[connielass]

I use LiveJournal. If your family/friends sign up for it and you add them as friends, then you have the option of making your entries only readable to those people who are on your friends list.  

[otakuskater]

for family, take myheritage.com and for friends, make group categories on friendster or myspace, thus, use any nicknames that they call you. biggrin  

[reality-revised]

have you tried xanga.com?
its pretty easy and it has privacy settings to block everyone but who you want to see it.
it was my first blog site i ever did and it was a piece of cake.  

[Mr Fitzroy]

For just keeping in touch with families where you dont need/want a lot of bells and whistles create a yahoo group mailing list. that way you mail to the list everyone gets it in their email. No begging people to log in and look at a new site regularly. And others can also send emails to everyone in the group the same way just by replying to your email.  

[Silvenya]

I use both LiveJournal and FaceBook and they have yet to let me down. biggrin  

[Teayo]

like everyone has been saying Live Journal Facebook.. and the yahoo group thing .. the most private you can get without a lot of time having to be put into it smile  

[K aren]

I recommend livejournal as well. They have a neat feature where you can block entries from the public view and restrict several entries so that only friends (or whatever group you decide to show the entry to) can see it. The only problem is that people would have to register for an account there in order to view the entries.

Another route you could try is by having a wordpress site. This can be done by buying your own website or by grabbing a free one at wordpress.org. I'm fairly certain there's a plugin floating around to make it so that only registered users who are logged in can view the posts. You can also password protect your entries [: In my experience, it's been less confusing than LJ's :B