Are you bothered by excessive sharers? Maybe you want to speak your truth, tell your story, or share your opinions (those not shared by the majority), and you do not have need credit to do so. Privacy still exists, and you can express your beliefs from your blog anonymous without anyone discovering who is hiding behind the curtain.
There are a number of reasons for Create a blog without your name being planted on it. Maybe you'd like to keep your identity hidden from a boss, your parents, a spouse, the government, or the people you write about. With WordPress, it is possible to blog anonymously, keeping your identity and personal information safe and sound. (FYI, journalists and whistleblowers involved in high-risk content should use more advanced methods, like Tor.)
But first: why not start an anonymous blog?
If you think you should be blogging anonymously, you need to think about the following before going incognito.
You want to do bad things online
Whether your identity is hidden or not, it is always illegal to bully someone online or slander a person or company. You also may not share illegal or offensive content, and you probably shouldn't Create a blog just to spread lies. If someone wants to come and identify you (the government or a talented hacker), they will find you, no matter how masked you think you are.
Your life will be ruined if you are discovered
Although you don't want people to know who you are and you can take whatever steps are available to protect yourself, think about the consequences if you are... unmasked. It is possible even if it is not probable. If you can't live with the consequences, or if they go far beyond basic embarrassment or that feeling of exposure you're trying to avoid, it's probably best not to start the blog.
You don't have a ton to say on the subject
Let's say there's a topic you want to talk about anonymously, but you only have one or two articles on it. Don't bother Create a blog entire. Instead, write an article under a pen name. You'll benefit from an already existing audience and won't have to worry about creating your own.
There is an outlet for anything you want to write. Find it, plant a piece and make sure your signature with your nickname is original instead of using your real name. You can even conduct outreach through a fake email address and under a pen name if you wish.
Benefits of Creating an Anonymous Blog
Now let's talk about all the benefits of starting an anonymous blog. Basically, you can say whatever your heart desires with minimal or at least moderate play.
Unlimited creativity
You can feel like you're more creative when you're not worried about people knowing who's behind the words. You can write about obnoxious clients without them finding out or going into the details of your love life without worrying about your parents reading it. In addition, nobody's feelings will be hurt. Even criticizing or criticizing someone doesn't have to be personally hurtful; hiding everyone's identity is a way of getting around someone's unease.
Expression without judgment
Blogging anonymously allows you to express your thoughts and opinions without being judged. Or, at least, the people who are judging won't be able to email your personal account or find out where you live. If negative comments were directed directly at you, it might distract you and prevent you from doing what you're already doing - expressing yourself.
No one's reputation is ruined
You won't ruin your reputation or your business because of what you write on your website. You can also protect other people. Even if someone who knows you stumbles on the blog, they probably won't find out who you are or who you are talking about. For even more privacy, use pseudonyms for everyone you mention.
You can branch off to new directions
Let's say you have something that you are known for. You always write about parenting. Your articles are funny and sarcastic. Now, however, you want to write about how you were bullied in grade school. Or your battle with anxiety. Or the interior decoration.
However, you don't want to confuse your audience, or turn them off by producing off-brand content, or distract from your blog main by publishing a new one. An anonymous blog allows you to explore a different path without affecting the one you've already laid out.
It may be easier to build authority
You might feel like you're being taken more seriously if people don't know your background. For example, if you've been in business and marketing for two decades but now want to blog about credit cards and personal finance, readers might think you don't know anything about the subject. When writing anonymously, the focus is on what you produce rather than who you are. If the content is high quality (and accurate, of course), you'll get readership based on that alone.
Disadvantages of having an anonymous blog
Blogging anonymously has many advantages, but there are a few disadvantages to keep in mind:
- You will not be able to interact with your fans and readers like yourself. You will still need to filter your alias.
- The criticism will always be there. You can't stop people from contacting you through your screen name and you certainly can't stop people from commenting your blog online.
- You will have fewer monetization options. For example, to use something like Google AdSense, you must use your personal information to sign up.
- It is possible that someone can still find out who you are. It is not possible to have 100% guaranteed confidentiality.
Always ready ? Now let's take a look at how to get your anonymous website up and running.
How to start an anonymous blog with WordPress
The best option for starting an anonymous blog is to use WordPress.org instead of WordPress.com, as this way you will self-host your website and have full control over privacy and ownership.
Before going into detail, a note on plugins. There are ways to anonymize your blog or WordPress content using dedicated plugins, but it's not a foolproof strategy. If you have configured WordPress with your real name and personal information, and the plugin fails or is accidentally disabled, all of your information may be exposed unexpectedly. Do it this way instead:
Select advanced privacy with your domain name
To have a website, you will need to purchase a domain and to buy a domain, you will need to register with your personal information. This includes your full name, address, phone number, and email address – basically everything anyone needs to find you. When you purchase a domain, this information is accessible to the public; everyone can find it.
Fortunately, most domain name providers have a privacy option. Whois.com for an additional charge. This means that if someone searches for your domain name information on Whois.com, the provider's information will be displayed instead of yours. If you accidentally skip this step while signing up for a new domain name, activate it through your host's dashboard.
An email address to the domain name provider will be listed on Whois, and if someone sends an email, it will be forwarded to you. This way, people can still interact with you without knowing who you are or how to contact you directly.
Improve the security of your anonymous blog with a VPN
A virtual private network (VPN) protects your identity and secures your Internet connection. When you have a non-anonymous website, your internet traffic goes through a bunch of different servers that are located all over the world. Hackers can watch this traffic and find out what you are doing.
For added security, a VPN is like an intermediary between you and the rest of the world. When your traffic is routed to a VPN, it is encrypted and then sent wherever it goes using a private server. Basically, a VPN makes it much harder to keep track of who you are and what you do. Quality VPN service providers will have high-level encryption (look for something that says “military-grade encryption,” for example) and hundreds of private servers.
Sign up for email, WordPress and social media with a pseudonym
You will need to create a nickname to use when signing up for email, WordPress, and social media. To be safe, only use false information and your e-mail nickname when setting up your accounts and profiles. If you use your real name somewhere, assuming it will stay behind the scenes, you might miss a setting and accidentally reveal your identity. Also make sure that you actually check the inbox for your new email address or that emails are delivered to you, as WordPress administrative emails will be sent there.
When creating social media profiles, be as diligent as anywhere else not to share personal information. It's okay to lie! For example, if you need to provide a location, you can choose one at random. You don't need to include your actual city and state.
Final thoughts on starting an anonymous blog
Blogging anonymously is risky, and at first you may feel even more exposed than going public. No one else knows you're keeping a secret, but you do, and that raises the stakes. Avoid these common pitfalls to maintain your privacy:
- Don't blog about anything that might be too revealing, like your specific workplace or place of residence
- Never use your own photos, even if you don't think they are identifiable
- Avoid linking to your main website, the one where you write like you - if all of your backlinks go there, it will be pretty obvious who you are
- Do not share anonymous messages on your personal social networks
There are many reasons to blog anonymously. You can feel like you're more creative and expressive if you don't share your identity. You might not want to affect the people you write about, and if your identity is kept private, so can theirs. Over time, you can still choose to reveal your identity and start blogging under your real name.
