Question: Do you like having password-protected entries?
This question can go along with yesterday’s question, “Why do you blog?” Depending on many reasons, including the reason you blog, you may want to have or avoid having password protected entries. On your blog, or on someone else’s blog, do you currently like having or seeing password protected entries?
Generally, you can have password protected content on personal blogs and non-personal blogs.
Password protected entries on Personal Blogs
Many personal blogs usually take advantage of having password protected entries, like SP’s site. SP could write things about, let’s say, Bes, as in “Bes is so retarded, Bes actually tries to communicate with cats, squirrels, penguins and whales!” SP could then password protect that entry, so that I do not see what she wrote about me.
Password protected content on Non-Personal Blogs
Another way to use password protected entries could be to have content reserved only for a specific type of readers, like readers who pay. A blog or a site could have such premium content, that it could charge readers a monthly fee in order to receive specific or customized passwords to access all the password-protected content. For example, I could have a special subscription section on this site catering to non-personal blog readers, where I have videos of me trying to kidnap whales, but instead I end up getting kidnapped by whales. I could password protect that content, and give Jess that password if Jess pays me $500. Does that sound like a good deal, Jess?
Password protected content has drawbacks too
While password protected content can offer benefits to many blogs, any password protected entries can have drawbacks too, for both blogs and blog readers. Regular visitors may not be able to access information simply because they do not know the password, and thus a blog may get more criticism than praise. Also, people who cannot afford to pay me $500 for my “How to kidnap a whale and get kidnapped instead!” videos may not be able to see the epic tale I have to tell. Password protected entries limit access for many people, and that may not be cool in the eyes of many.
So, do you like having and seeing password-protected entires on blogs? What is your opinion about them?
Please let me know what you think. Thank you. 
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( July 2nd, 2007 at 3:22 pm )
Lmao stop it with the whales!! I take it back, I take it back! Lol
On personal blogging sites, I think it can let you feel safer to have passworded entries. But I also think, if one were to have passworded entries, they also wouldn’t be one to care a great deal about comments, hits, visitors etc. Sometimes you can’t expect visitors continue happily visiting and commenting, when half the visitors don’t have access to whatever is on the other side of those little asterisks. They may feel… shunned, maybe, and not bother since they don’t get the ‘whole package’.
On commercial sites, or pay-for content, I don’t think people would complain as much. They may think “Damnit, Why don’t they have this stuff for free? I just wanna see the whale, -cry-”. But if it really is ‘premium’ content, such as cheats/edits for games, software, online services (such as someone making content or layouts for you), then you can expect some $$ involved. Actually, that’s more about the money than the password huh.
Hmmm. Well, some passworded entries or information you can only get if you subscribe/make an account with that website. Which can be frustrating if you just need something for research or some little piece of info, but you have to go through the whole she-bang to make an account. Then never use it again. That could be annoying.
( July 3rd, 2007 at 7:17 am )
I believe password enties information is pretty good on commericial sites. However, it is annoying sometimes.
( July 4th, 2007 at 1:22 pm )
Jess, thanks for the comment! Hmmm, ok, so we need more whales on this blog, while need *something else* outside this blog, noted!
Good point about not aiming for comments and other things overall, since having password protected entries does result in majority of the visitors to go away unsatisfied. I wonder if such bloggers, who use password protected entries, actually realize that they are losing visitors or even friends in that manner, or if they realize it and they only care or focus on the readers who do have the passwords.
Business wise, you are right too; people would feel like customers, and they would feel that they either can afford to pay, or that they would simply go somewhere else. Hmmm, I thought whale videos were premium content too? And yes, it is indeed more about the money than a password on many commercial websites. Even a personal website which revolves something, or maybe anything, related to passwords around the concept of money in probably any form or many forms, can probably be considered a commercial website because it is also aiming for money.
Some newspaper websites, like NY Times or LA Times may require people to register with their site before they can view anything, which does indeed become frustrating. For passwords to many popular sites, check this website out:
Bug Me Not
Interesting, isn’t it?
I have been thinking of starting a similar website myself. It allows you to use the already created usernames/passwords to log into many famous websites, so you don’t have to create a dummy username/password yourself. 
You do have a “The Reasoner account“, right? 0_0
Anonymous 1, thanks for the comment. A question: do you have passworded accounts on commercial sites?
Yes, password-protected entries can be annoying sometimes, specially if it becomes hard to find out forgotten passwords on many websites. However, the issue of forgetting passwords can be something that a website cannot be blamed for, unless a website makes it very hard to retrieve forgotten usernames or passwords.
Thanks again.
( January 23rd, 2008 at 5:03 am )
as for me, if it’s a public blog it should not have any password protected content. if it’s some commercial website or a private forum, then why not?
( February 15th, 2008 at 4:44 pm )
Hi “Password Recovery”, thanks for sharing and thanks for waiting for my comment. In your view, can there ever be a situation where a public blog may want to express something that the blog owner may wish to hide from certain people or entities?
( October 22nd, 2008 at 11:05 am )
if it’s a public blog it should not have any password protected content.I don’t think people would complain as much. They may think “Damnit, Why don’t they have this stuff for free? I just wanna see the whale, -cry-”. But if it really is ‘premium’ content, such as cheats/edits for games, software, online services (such as someone making content or layouts for you), then you can expect some $$ involved.