Anonymous Blogging: Important Things You Need to Know
Hello! Today I’m going to show you how anonymous blogging works.
Whether you’re looking for a way to share your thoughts without the fear of judgment or just want some privacy, anonymous blogging is an option worth considering.
We’ll go over what anonymous blogging is, why people use it, and how to get started blogging anonymously yourself. Let’s get started!
What Is Anonymous Blogging?
Anonymous blogging is a form of blogging where the author writes without using their real name and identity. Most bloggers who use this type of blogging are either concerned about their privacy or their security online.
The term “anonymous blogging” has become a bit of an oxymoron these days. With the abundance of social media platforms in today’s society, it is almost impossible to be anonymous anymore.
However, some people do still blog anonymously through other sites such as Tumblr, WordPress and Blogger where you can create accounts without revealing your true identity or any information about yourself if desired.
The Psychology: Why Blog Anonymously?
We thrive under the pressure of anonymity. It is the space where we can be ourselves without judgment, fear, or shame.
While many bloggers are people who are not afraid to express themselves, there are also people who become anonymous because they feel they cannot share their views with others.
There is no single answer as to why people blog anonymously. Some bloggers might not want their readers to know what they look like or where they live for safety reasons.
Some might not identify with any particular group and some might feel that their opinions won’t be respected if they make them known in public forums.
While anonymous blogs may have a negative stigma attached to them, anonymity has its benefits as well – it allows us to speak freely without fear of repercussion and it allows us to do things that we wouldn’t normally be able to do.
There are also those bloggers who might just prefer anonymous blogging to avoid any kind of online harassment.
Who Benefits From Anonymity on The Web?
People who blog anonymously have a number of different reasons for doing so, and each person’s reason may vary depending on their situation.
If you are considering anonymous blogging then it might help you to know who benefits from anonymous blogging.
- People with dissenting opinions – anonymous bloggers are able to speak freely without fear of repercussion, allowing them to share their thoughts on topics that might not be popular with others.
- Individuals in a repressive country or oppressive culture – anonymous blogs can provide a voice for those unable to post openly and publicly due to government restrictions.
- Individuals who fear retribution for their opinions – anonymous blogs allow people to post without feeling like they will be threatened or attacked because of what they have posted.
- People with controversial professions – anonymous blogging allows them to share information about the realities of these careers without having it immediately attached to them.
- Individuals with reasons to fear harassment – some bloggers are worried about harassment or other attacks and feel anonymous blogging would allow them to share their thoughts without being attacked online.
- Individuals writing about sensitive topics – anonymous blogging can provide a way for people to share their thoughts without fear of censoring or repercussions from others who might disagree.
- Individuals who would like to be anonymous in order to help others – anonymous blogs can provide the opportunity for bloggers to share their stories and offer advice or support.
How Do I Start Blogging Anonymously?
There is a lot of preparation before you start blogging anonymously, but then it’s really just the same as any blogging. The difference is that if your blog becomes popular, you need to make sure that you don’t link back to yourself in any obvious way. That includes never using your real name and never using your real email address.
You are going to need a blog name, which is going to be your domain name or the website address. You can register with Blogger or WordPress for free, but if you want more flexibility, I recommend that you get your own domain name.
Usually, when you go for a hosting service like HostGator or BlueHost they let you get a domain name for free for a year.
You can read our article about how to start a blog for more information about domain name registration, setting up your hosting and other technical stuff involved in starting a blog.
What’s the Difference Between Anonymous and Pseudonymous Blogging?
Pseudonymity is when someone publishes content under a fake name or pen name. Pseudonyms have been used for centuries in literature, film, theatre, art, as well as other creative fields.
Anonymous blogging, on the other hand, is anonymous and does not have any recognizable name attached to it at all. Nowadays, both of these words are being used interchangeably.
Problems Associated With Anonymous Blogging
The anonymous blogging phenomenon is proving to be a double-edged sword for the blogosphere and blogger alike.
On one hand, it offers bloggers an opportunity to express themselves freely without having their own names attached to potentially controversial opinions. On the other hand, anonymity can be abused to hide malicious intentions, crime and corruption.
The potential for anonymous blogging abuse was highlighted a few days ago when a blogger published a story about someone, going by a Pseudonym who claimed to have access to incriminating information on various government officials and celebrities.
The blogger was also anonymous. It turned out the story was not true and nothing incriminating was ever released. However, false accusations do not go unpunished in this day and age of internet publishing. The blogger who wrote the article has been charged with criminal libel.
The problem is compounded when blog attacks are directed at a particular individual or group of people. Anonymous bloggers frequently aim their firepower at such groups as religious sects and political organizations.
There have also been instances where anonymity has been used to bully, harass and threaten individuals on public forums.
To Be Or Not to be an Anonymous Blogger?
This issue is important because many of us in the blogosphere write under pseudonyms for different reasons.
The most common being that we would rather not be associated with what we say, so we choose a pseudonym that does not reveal our identity.
There are some who use pseudonyms to express ideas without risking repercussions, such as criticizing their employers and political opponents.
And then there are the people who feel that by using a pseudonym they can be more open and honest than they would be under their real name.
Some people have built successful careers around pseudonyms, such as Spider-Man creator Stan Lee.
Even in recent times, some bloggers have used pseudonyms to build larger audiences because they lack credibility in their own names.
In my case as a blogger, I do not like to use a pseudonym on my blog. I am saying this because I feel that there is something inherently wrong in hiding behind an alias while you are criticizing someone or some institution (if you are criticizing).
The reason why people choose to hide their identity when they criticize other people, especially their employers, is because they are afraid of being fired.
I agree that it is prudent to adopt a pseudonym if you think that your real name could be used against you by someone who does not like what you write. On the other hand, there is something cowardly in hiding behind an alias when criticizing people.
Then again, this only applies to people who want to blog anonymously for the sole purpose of criticizing someone or something.
But if you don’t want to reveal your identity for personal, privacy or security reasons, then I believe that anonymous blogging is a viable option for you.
Best Places To Start an Anonymous Blog
Here are some places on the internet where you can start blogging without revealing your true identity.
Telegra.ph
The popular messaging platform has launched an anonymous blogging platform called Telegraph. You don’t need to register yourself or sign in through social media or email, to start publishing content on Telegraph. Publishing posts on this platform is almost instantaneous and the interface looks quite similar to Medium.
TXT.FYI
According to TXT.FYI it is the dumbest publishing platform online.
Write something, just hit publish and voila! You can create content in less than a minute that will be live for everyone else around you – all without any of those pesky ads or analytics holding your back.
With no tracking programs running at this site and all the pages set to no-index, there’s not even an option for anyone to find out about new posts unless they’re linked elsewhere by the author themselves.
It is that anonymous.
Write.as
This platform offers distraction-free focussed writing.
It is a platform built to support all kinds of writers and their unique thoughts, feelings, or ideas that they want to publish online for the world to see without any restrictions on what can be published. You’ll never run into ads while you’re focused on your work.
Creative types are able to write anonymously with no fear that they’ll be judged negatively – this site’s not interested in your personal information if you don’t feel like sharing it! You can either choose to write anonymously or use a pseudonym to publish content.
Blogging Anonymously – The Conclusion
Overall, I think that the benefits of anonymous blogging may be worth the risk depending on why you want to start an anonymous blog in the first place. Blogging anonymously is not something that should be done hastily and without thought.
I had tried blogging without disclosing my true identity in the past on different platforms. The experiment I did was interesting and had some good moments, but it also caused a lot of inconveniences and I don’t think it would be something I’d want to do again.
Using an anonymous blog could be a good option for those who need to share their thoughts but still want the protection of their privacy.
But as I mentioned earlier, if you want to blog for reasons that are not noble, you should reconsider your motives and your methods.