Are you looking for a way to start blogging anonymously in WordPress? Starting a website is a risky business because there is no guarantee that you will be successful. However, it can sometimes also be dangerous to share controversial opinions online.
That’s why you may need to consider hiding your identity, but the problem is that you need to do this right from the start. If not, anyone with the right knowledge will know where to look to find your real name.
Hiding your identity has advantages and disadvantages to consider before making this decision. It is worth noting that if you are looking to stay anonymous because you are about to expose high-risk information, there are other tools to better protect your identity in those situations.
Today, I will show you some tips on how to anonymously blog in WordPress.
Blogging Anonymously: Advantages Vs. Disadvantages
Let’s start by taking a look at some of the advantages of blogging anonymously.
For starters, hiding your identity means you will not be judged for your ideas or beliefs. This is one of the most common fears on the Internet by any blogger. Once a label has been put on you, it is quite hard to get rid of it.
With those fears gone, it also helps give you the freedom to create any content in any way.
Lastly, but most importantly, it helps guard your personal information. Many people on the Internet are not friendly and will use your information to hurt you. This can help prevent those unfortunate cases.
These may sound great, but there are now things you can never do while hiding your identity.
If you are hiding your identity, it means you can never appear in public or meet your visitors at events. The main source of income for most websites is the ads they display. To sign up for ads, you will need to provide personal information.
You can still sign up for Google Adsense, but it will require your real name.
Finally, if someone really wants to find out who you are, there is a strong chance they will be able to find your real identity, but this will protect you from most people.
How to Start Blogging Anonymously in WordPress
Today, I will show you some tips on how to anonymously blog in WordPress. There are a lot of ways to protect your information when creating a blog in WordPress. These range from things like hiding your name on your website to picking a privacy protection option from your web hosting. There are a lot of options to choose from when you want to stay hidden.
Step 1: Purchase WHOIS Privacy
Protecting your identity begins when you are creating an account with your web host. When you register your domain name, your name and email address are required and stored in the WHOIS database.
This database is a collection of this type of information that is publicly available. This is how most email spammers will find your email address.
When you are creating an account you should see the option to pay for ID Protection or Privacy Protection. Paying for this will have your web host protect your information so it does not appear in the publically accessed database.
The good news is that it is very cheap, usually less than $10 a year, and will help you guard your identity.
You should see the option at some point when creating your account with your web host.
This is a very inexpensive way to guard your identity in WordPress and remember if you forgot to buy it when you created the account, contact your web host to get started.
Step 2: Create a Nickname and Website Only Email
When you start releasing content on your website you need to have a name to show visitors. Displaying Anonymous is an option, but I would recommend creating a fake blogging name for visitors to recognize.
This is particularly helpful if you plan to have multiple authors on your website. You should also make sure you are using an email address that is only used for your blogging.
This will make it so there is no connection between your real identity and your email address. Luckily, you can change these without much effort in WordPress.
On the left-hand admin panel, click on Users and select the Your Profile option.
Scroll down and you will find a Nickname setting. Before you go further make sure that your Username is not your actual identity. You cannot change this, but you can just create a new user and give it the same rights as the old user.
The Nickname is what your visitors will see when they visit your blog. Fill in the NickName text box and then select that Nickname to display it publically.
Underneath these options are the email options for your account. Create an email that will be exclusively for your website and nothing else. This will make it so there is no connection between your real identity and your email address.
Add your newly created email to your user profile page.
Taking these precautions should guard your identity in WordPress. However, I have another recommendation that you should consider using that does not involve WordPress itself, using a VPN service.
Step 3: Consider Using VPN Services
One last option you can use to guard your identity is a VPN service. A Virtual Private Network or VPN will help guard your information against monitoring services. Anytime you go on the Internet, someone is monitoring your activity in some way, shape, or form.
Thus, if you want to continue blogging anonymously, you need to make sure your connection is secure.
The good news is that keeping your online data secure with a VPN has never been easier. These services have grown tremendously over the years. In fact, one of the primary uses has just been to access content in different regions on your favorite streaming platform.
As a result, there are a ton of VPN tools you can select from.
It’s simply a matter of finding the one that has the features you need at the price you are willing to pay. That said, if you are serious amount staying anonymous, you will probably want to avoid the free options, so be prepared to pay.
Stay Safe By Keeping Your Identity Guarded
Hackers and pranksters have found some creative and dangerous ways to hurt you on the Internet. This can be through identity theft and other cyber attacks. Unfortunately, it can also be physical as we live in a world where having a person’s name means you can find where they live.
The more unpopular your ideas or beliefs are, the more likely this can happen to you.
For example, something very common in the streaming world is “Swatting”. When someone discovers your real name and finds your address they make a fake call to the police and get a SWAT team sent to your house.
It is extremely dangerous and has resulted in fatality. Guarding your identity can help you prevent these situations from happening.
What steps do you take to keep your identity a secret? Why do you want to blog anonymously?