Private Blogging

I first found blogging by reading other people lives. I found it very enjoyable and still do. I have started to notice that many of the blogs that I enjoy reading have started to go private, which to me makes me a little sad. I totally understand why people choose to go private, like nasty comments, don't want to post personal information, or just want to share with family and friends. At times, I have thought about going private so that I can post more pictures of my little one, but for me I think I would be missing out on the other opportunities to meet new people. Why do you blog? What are your thoughts about going private?