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Posting your kids pictures on the internet.

post #1 of 19
9/14/09 at 10:53am
Thread Starter 
Why do you do it?
Why do you not do it?

Personally I've NEVER posted a picture with my child's face on the internet. I do have a facebook account that I use to upload photos for close friends & family, because lots of them live far away, but that is a VERY closely controlled group of people who see our son anyway.

I was having this discussion with my brother the other day (who, incidentally, does not have children) who couldn't understand why I was freaking out over people who post pictures of their young kids on their blogs or on forums.

My son is incredibly adorable and I just don't like the idea of "creepos" looking at him over their computer screen! I'm sure he's in just as much danger of being nabbed at the grocery store by the scored of grandmas that just want to take him home ; but I still don't feel comfortable sharing him with the world.

Plus I'd never be able to live with myself if I posted something that he was later embarrassed by.

Thoughts?
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post #2 of 19
9/15/09 at 4:54am
I've only posted my 2 year old great niece in the Premier Lounge because it's private in there.

Several years ago there was a member here where we had to ask her to remove pictures of her young daughter incase of predators lurking. She understood our reason when we explained and thanked us as she hadn't realised.

Facebook, my great niece is on there as well, but only friends can see her, and then some i've customized.
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post #3 of 19
9/15/09 at 4:59am
I post pictures of my daughter in Facebook and Myspace.
And very rarely on another pet forum I belong to.

I do know there are predators lurking around,but my profiles are private anyway...and only friends can see my pictures.And I rarely post them in the forum.Personally I don't see problems with people posting pictures of their kids if they want to.As long as everyone knows the risks.I also do not post pictures of her in bathing suits or anything like that online...I would have a problem doing that!
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post #4 of 19
9/15/09 at 5:22am
I don't have any children but I never post pics of my friends' children on facebook or even on here- I had a really cute pic of Jake and a daughter of my friends but I cut her out of it ...I actually never post pics of my friends unless they are really close ones and I know they are okay with it. I mean that goes without saying but...If I had children I'd probably not post their pics online either. It's because I imagine what if my mom posted pics of me in her facebook profile and they've been available online and many people could have downloaded them, so now I don't even know who has a pic of me as a kid? It's not a very nice thought...it's not a huge deal but still. Especially since your kids have no say in it: they're too young to understand it now and tell you not to do it, but when they grow up it will be too late.
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post #5 of 19
9/15/09 at 8:17am
Thread Starter 
Sorry guys, I didn't mean specifically on the forums here. There are lots of parenting forums out there that are COVERED in children's photos. It makes me nervouse & I'm not their moms!

I certainly wouldn't think less of someone as a parent for posting pictures of their kids everywhere. I just think it's a strange personal decision to make when you're blogging. Blogs are open to EVERYONE. I don't like reading blogs that have lots of pictures of their kids because it makes me so nervouse. Maybe I'm just completely over-reacting.
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post #6 of 19
9/15/09 at 9:44am
I've never done it and our kids are now over 18 (all of them)
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post #7 of 19
9/15/09 at 9:14pm
Yeah, I wouldn't do it as well. There's a lot of creeps out there.
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post #8 of 19
9/16/09 at 10:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rosiemac View Post
I've only posted my 2 year old great niece in the Premier Lounge because it's private in there.
Nothing on the internet is private. Period.



re: original posting

Yes, I have posted my childrens pictures online. I'm proud of my kids and yes, I like to show them off.

My children know that their pics have been posted, and have no issues.

With a husband who is an ISP, and me being birthed out of a computer, I've raised my children to be well aware of the dangers of the net. Both my girls are street smart, mature and responsible.

Yes, by posting their first names and pics, it would be easy for a predator to find them and attempt something.... We have taught our children what to do should a case like this ever arise.... and put our own safeguards into play to prevent this.

IMO, it's not much different posting pics online vs entering a baby contest in your local newspaper (which gives alot more info).

Now, I would not post anyone else's children, as that is NOT my right and I don't have their legal guardians permission to do so. Posting pics of children that are not your own kids, is IMO, wrong.

I firmly believe it is the parent/guardians choice as to whether they feel comfortable sharing pics of their children online..... It does not "bother" me one way or another..... the only time it does, is if the child is NOT the person who is posting the pics child. (unless they have parental consent)
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post #9 of 19
9/16/09 at 10:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snake_Lady View Post
Nothing on the internet is private. Period.
Actually yes your right, which is why i havent put her 2nd birthday party pictures up
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post #10 of 19
9/18/09 at 6:35am
I'm part of a group on Facebook who collect bears, one lady added a photo of her son with her bears which is fair enough but he was naked from the waist down, he must have only been about four and I believe she posted it in all innocence but I reported it to Facebook to protect her kid. It was quite disturbing to look at nice photos of people's collections and then come across that, it made me worry for her child.
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post #11 of 19
9/18/09 at 7:02am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jupeycat View Post
... one lady added a photo of her son with her bears which is fair enough but he was naked from the waist down...


How could you do that with out realizing??

I have a couple nudy ones of my son of course but I usually don't even send those ones to his grandparents!

Facebook groups are NOT private at all. Yikes!! Good call reporting on the pictures for sure!
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post #12 of 19
9/18/09 at 9:02am
She must have realised but I really don't think she thought she was putting her son in danger! I didn't notice at first because the photo was quite crowded, I was studying her collection and then got quite a shock! I clicked to go to the next photo and it was very similar, I'm glad they got removed!

I have no problem with parents taking nude photos of their little kids (except for the one my parents took of me as a baby :P) but it seemed wrong to post it in a public group!
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post #13 of 19
9/18/09 at 9:39am
I do have pictures of my daughters on my myspace page. I have it blocked off as private, only my friends can see my pictures, and I NEVER use any of them as my main photos. On Facebook because I barely know how to use the thing I dont have any pictures of them on there because Facebook doesnt seem as private as Myspace can be set to. I love my girls to pieces but I worry about putting them or my mother in danger because she has my daughters. Any pictures I do have up are approved by my mom to have online and if she ever asked me too I would delete them all.
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post #14 of 19
9/18/09 at 10:00am
I put photos of my son on my (not at all private) blog. I guess I just don't fear creepers on the internet any more than I fear the creepers we encounter every day at our local park, library, grocery store, zoo, etc. (That is to say-I don't fear them much at all.)

Plus-he's super freaking adorable! You can see for yourself-my blog's addy is in my profile.
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post #15 of 19
9/19/09 at 8:41pm
I don't really see posting photos online as any different from taking your child into public. Anyone can look at your child, someone could legally take a photo of them as well if they are in a public place (actually many times there are photos being taken-- by surveillance cameras.) So I don't see what the difference is, why it is dangerous to post your child's (fully clothed of course!) photos online vs. your child being out in public.
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post #16 of 19
9/19/09 at 10:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nekochan View Post
I don't really see posting photos online as any different from taking your child into public. Anyone can look at your child, someone could legally take a photo of them as well if they are in a public place (actually many times there are photos being taken-- by surveillance cameras.) So I don't see what the difference is, why it is dangerous to post your child's (fully clothed of course!) photos online vs. your child being out in public.
Haha, that's exactly what I was going to say. I had it all planned out when I was reading the first page, and then....you stole it! LOL.

Of course, posting private information would be bad, but just a picture isn't much to worry about. Of course, if you don't LIKE the idea of strangers looking at your kid, that's a personal preference, but I don't think it's a safety issue.

I did read about someone's family pictures being taken by a modeling company, and she saw all of her "private" pics plastered all over the side of a bus in Poland. Now that would be a shock, and annoying if they hadn't paid for the rights, but I don't see how it could be dangerous.
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post #17 of 19
9/20/09 at 6:43am
Thread Starter 
I'm really glad we got some dissenting voices on this one!!

It doesn't concern you how easily people can trace IP addresses? This may sound paranoid but I'm honestly worried that some creepo would gain an interest in my child and then try to make contact.

That being said, I am WELL aware that 90% of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by someone close to the child (relative, family friend, etc.) and also take precautions to make sure that he's always watched by two family members/friends at a time (that is, of course, excepting my immediate family whom I do trust). Of course I do this without discussing it with these people! I don't want to cause HUGE issues; but I wouldn't let one of Hubby's single friends watch him for an afternoon, for instance.

I would demand the same where he old enough to be on a sports team, or need tutoring, etc. My parent were always very strict about that without ever telling us why, or really us noticing, I think they were pretty smart .
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post #18 of 19
9/20/09 at 7:46am
I had this friend years ago (ex-friend for many reasons - she was definitely NOT Mother-Of-The-Year, let's just put it that way) who posted photographs onto Facebook of her 2 year-old-son in the bath-tub, in the nude. I phoned her up right away and discussed it with her, and reminded her of the dangers of doing such things. She shrugged it off and said, "but nobody looks at my Facebook besides my family and friends" and I said, "but your profile is 'public' and easily viewed by ANYONE who has Facebook". I explained about using the 'search' feature and how people can find specific pictures of whatever they want to see, on ANYONE's Facebook account. I did my best, I actually got quite upset with her, but she just didn't care. They way she handled different situations where her child was involved, was one of the main reasons we are not friends anymore. This is just one example of her being a totally irresponsible parent.

I think a picture of a child's smiling face is one thing, but bath-tub pics or swimsuit pics are totally unacceptable, no matter where you post them. It's just not right, it's too risky. The ignorance of some parents really gets me frustrated.
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post #19 of 19
9/20/09 at 8:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jillian View Post
I put photos of my son on my (not at all private) blog. I guess I just don't fear creepers on the internet any more than I fear the creepers we encounter every day at our local park, library, grocery store, zoo, etc. (That is to say-I don't fear them much at all.)

Plus-he's super freaking adorable! You can see for yourself-my blog's addy is in my profile.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nekochan View Post
I don't really see posting photos online as any different from taking your child into public. Anyone can look at your child, someone could legally take a photo of them as well if they are in a public place (actually many times there are photos being taken-- by surveillance cameras.) So I don't see what the difference is, why it is dangerous to post your child's (fully clothed of course!) photos online vs. your child being out in public.
Well said, both of you.

My 13yr old knows what is acceptable to post and what is not (she has msn and a profile pic...) Bathing suits are off limits, as are pics with OPK (other peoples kids).

Kinda reminds me of a mom I knew who never let her children play outside much...she was to afraid of germs/strangers/etc. Poor kids went to school and of course had no immunity built up, and caught everything possible...missed most of the first yr of school.

No matter how hard we try, unless we're going to lock our kids up, we cannot protect them from everything. We can try to be as safe as possibly, but......

I think its much more dangerous posting that your kids are home alone vs posting a pic of them. (I did both and learned from the first one....because I didn't even think about the ramifications of saying "I went away" with my kids at home, on the internet.... but in doing so, I risked my home, my kids....as anyone could have easily found out where I lived, that my 13 and 9yr old daughters were here by themselves and came and robbed us or worse...thankfully noone was hurt, scared substantially, but not hurt).

I have never had a negative experience from posting my kids pics.
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