What's on Your Web Site?

Whether simple or savvy, large or small, the number of easy-to-use Web site products on the market today makes it increasingly easy for amateur designers to post family chronicles on the Web.

These sites have been a boon to far-away grandparents, aunts and uncles, and a great way for loved ones all over the world to share in the joy of nuptials, a new baby or the purchase of a new home.

The problem is, however, that this information is not only available to Aunt Tilly, but to every other user on the Internet - mentally stable or not.

As a result, some healthcare sources have been warning parents against posting too much information about their newborns on the Internet, because someone who has nothing better to do than surf using the keyword "baby" may come across photos of your newest addition, and decide he must have your child for himself. If your site goes so far as to include your last name and home town, it won't be difficult for him to locate your house.

The same goes for family members of any age, or even for possessions such as that new car of which you're so proud. Unstable people may take a look at how idyllic your life looks on the family Web site, and decide they need a piece of it.

So what is the answer? Here are some tips to keep in mind when putting your information on the Web:

Make your site as generic as you can. Your family will recognize who "Brittany", "Josh" and "Dad" are without you entitling the site, "The Smithson Family Page." By doing that, now a potential predator will know that Brittany's full name is Brittany Smithson, and will have a photo of her.

Avoid pictures of your house and mentioning where you live. Grandma and Grandpa know you live in Twin Falls, so don't reiterate it. Keep photos of license plates and street numbers cropped out, as well.

Include e-mail addresses for contact information, but not your mailing address or area code and phone number. Exclude anything that may help a stranger zero in on you, such as a hospital where your child was born, what elementary school your third-grader just entered, and even the name of the company in which you've just been promoted.

What's the likelihood that having a Web site for your family to enjoy will lead to tragedy from a stranger? Not large, just keep it generic enough to trip up someone you don't know, yet informative enough to delight your parents in Miami.

Then again, if the whole idea of publishing your life on the Internet makes you squeamish, you can always send individual images to your private e-mail list.

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