How Safe Are Blogs?

There was a short discussion at one of my email groups about the safety of putting up personal pictures, particularly of children, on the web. There's a whole range of opinions about this. Some find it perfectly fine, while others will never put their children's photos or names online.

Whenever I go blog-hopping, I find a lot of mommy blogs with photos and names of their children posted along with their daily activities. Some even have their surnames on their blogs, or make them easy to find simply by clicking on links. The same goes for geographical location, and even birthdays.

I don't know how safe current practices on personal blogs are. On one hand, there are millions of blogs and the chances of anyone using information on them for wicked ends is practically nil. On the other hand, we know the warnings parents should give their children about online behavior, such as not giving out personal information and photos to people they don't know. What makes blogging so different?

I'd just like to throw these questions out there, and see what people think. Feel free to leave your comment.