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Just because you CAN share every detail of your life online doesn’t mean that you should. For example, I’m a big fan ofFoursquare and a regular user – but you will never see any updates about where I ate last night or what venues I visited. My check-ins are for me.

I also keep several private blogs – each having a different purpose. You might be thinking that a blog read by no one – or only a few people – defeats the purpose of having a blog. But I disagree. Here are several useful reasons to start a blog and set it to private.
KEEP A TRUE JOURNAL. One of the reasons I use FourSquare is so that I have a monthly log of where I’ve been. This helps me determine where my money is being spent, thus helping create a budget for the following month. I also tend to forget things. Having every visit I make to a public space logged, helps me remember where I’ve been and where I’d like to return. Whether it’s your deepest darkest secrets or a blog that covers a tiny corner of your life, creating a private journal can be therapeutic; it can also help you identify personal trends that shed light on who you are and what you can change.
KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY. There are all kinds of services where you can share photos, videos, files and other media with friends and family – but why not start a blog that is for their eyes only? It’s the perfect place to keep a digital repository of everything you want them to know. Perhaps it’s mom’s top secret gravy recipe or pictures of your dog’s rash — a blog creates a two-way street of communication between the people you care about the most. And as the years go on, you’ll be thankful that you started a private blog.
COMPANY INTRANET. Blogs are a great way to disseminate information to many people, in different locations, at any time. A password-protected blog is a good place to share sensitive information with employees. At this point, the world is accustomed to reading material in blog format, making it an ideal touch point. I am in the process of creating a private blog at my full-time job where I will house a website style guide. A blog will let me solicit feedback from employees and make changes on the fly.
The greatest thing about a private blog is that you can always make it public later!
What are your favorite uses for private blogs?