Privacy?

I know that some may be more cautious about their online presence and feel more comfortable sharing if the blog is only accessible to people in the family.

I personally think that's a great suggestion, but am not sure if that would make it a little complicated and confusing for those who aren't used to blogging. Some of my friends have decided to go private with their blogs and it's been harder for me to keep track of their updates (which means that I end up reading their blogs less). This may not be a problem since I can enter our family members' emails and sign them up for automatic email notification of blog posts.

Also, can people without gmail addresses access the blog if I email them invitation links after going private?

Some of you have taken your personal blogs private, so I would really appreciate it if you can give me a few pointers about these questions!