Too Much Information

Have you ever had a conversation with someone and ended up saying more than you wanted? You've probably seen the commercial with a wife and husband talking to a company about internet security while the husband keeps blurting out information he probably doesn't really want people to know. While mildly amusing, the commercial better hilights one of the key concerns of the internet: privacy.

When discussing church websites, there are three main privacy concerns we must address: Names, Photos, and Member Information.

Names is simply on this list because some people can be funny about having even just their name posted online. While most people are more than happy to see their name posted out in cyberspace, some people are afraid that it may be used to gather information on them. So, to be safe, always ask if it's ok for you to use someone's name on your church's website.

Photos can be a tricky item as well. Much like names, most people are more than happy to see their pictures online. They also add to the overall appeal of the website as they show people involved in the church. However, some people may not be as welcoming, so be sure to run it by them real quick and respect people's wishes if they do not want to be included.

Another concern with photos is safety. Try to avoid using photos of people with nametags, especially children, or at least blur the name out. While the likelihood of an individual using the image and name for the purpose of wrongdoing, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Lastly, and probably most relevantly, we also want to protect member information. While an online member directory is a great resource, we do not want to publicly advertise the addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of our members for every mass-mailer, telemarketer, and spammer out there. If you do want to place a member directory on the web, please make sure that it is in a secure section of your site (i.e. password protected or only available to approved members registered on your site). Otherwise, you should probably stick with either a printed directory distributed to members or a directory file that can be e-mailed directly to members.

Regardless, be sure to protect the people that you include in your church's website. If they've entrusted you with information or images of themselves, it's your obligation to protect what they've give you to the best of your ability.