[Guest_3Keiki_*]

Hi,
I guess I am just looking for a balanced view on this issue.
I do not post pictures of my kids in public ever, I don't sign to them being used to promote anything to do with dept ed, sports they are involved in etc. Basically I won't let them have a picture on any public internet forum. For a few reasons I guess - one is I don't want to be a hypocrite. I mean, I am always reinforcing the cyber safety message to my oldest and if I was to post stuff online then I am saying 'yeah there are crazies in the world but apparently I know how to avoid them better than you' which is patently unture when it comes to the 'net as none of us can really know who is who on public sites. Another reason is pics online can and do stay on the ether that is the internet forever and is my kid really able to give informed consent before I post a dorky pic of FDOS on a public blog or similar. So yeah lots of other reasons but that is my thinking. However so many folk think I am overthinking it and overreacting. I mean loads of bloggers have their kids plastered all over their blog. And friends of mine who have a sewing website were gobsmacked when I forbade them putting a pic of my daughter in a dress I made her on their site.
I am really uncomfortable with it and wonder if I am a technophobe or justified

[Mary Whether]

I lean towards you being a technophobe, but it is your choice and nobody else should have any input in it

[fancie]

Your choice.

Me? I have pics of my family on fb. My extended family have their pics up on fb too.

[Nora.]

I think you're over reacting but it's not really my place to judge. I have friends who feel the same way as you. Their choice.

I post pics of my children on FB (but only have 40 friends), they're also on Flickr. I don't believe in humiliating photos of my kids. They're nice photos, fully clothed, just either to show what my kids did on XYZ day or because I've been experimenting with my camera (I enjoy photography as a hobby).

There's pics of my kids online, on the school website. You really have no control over who shows photos of your kids. I have hundreds of photos of other kids (in the background etc) that I could post online. Photos of my son's soccer team, photos of my daughter's fellow dance pupils. Those parents may not want their children online, but who's to stop another parent posting them anyway?

[JustBeige]

I think you are justified, but only because I think the same way.

I dont put pictures of my kids on the net simply because I dont trust who can get hold of them.

I generally do sign the form to say they can be used and then check later to see if they have put any identifying information with the photo. So far so good.

I do know lots of people who dont think this way and have lots of photos of their kids and themselves up. Good for them, as long as they dont expect me to be the same

[Mrs Jay Kay]

My DH would say you're totally justified. He's an IT manager and hates the internet. We posted one pic of each of the kids when they were born and he wasn't over the moon about that. I have never consented for DD1's pic to be published by the school and won't for the younger two either.

[lsolaBella]

I will post pictures of my kids on FB, but my only friends are family and restricted access to my FB friends only. So friends of friends don't get to see them.

It is an easier way to keep in contact with family around the world.

General EB or other sites, mo you will not see my kids.

[Guest_3Keiki_*]

Those parents may not want their children online, but who's to stop another parent posting them anyway?

Whos to stop them? Me. All the parents, sports coach etc all know that any pictures of my son are NOT to be posted on facebook etc. I get a lot of strange looks but so far they all agree. The local paper at our old place did a story on a pretty awesome achievement of my sons, I agreed to his pic on the proviso it was not used in the online paper, I had to sign a bunch of crap but they were cool with it.

And what we think is a pretty pic may not be to a kid in 10 years time....

[Guest_3Keiki_*]

My DH would say you're totally justified. He's an IT manager and hates the internet. We posted one pic of each of the kids when they were born and he wasn't over the moon about that. I have never consented for DD1's pic to be published by the school and won't for the younger two either.

Yeah I have a friend whos husband works for the AFP with online crimes and when I spoke to him about he said over his dead body would pictures of his kids go up online

[lylac]

Justified. I do have some photos of my children on facebook.