Blog Privacy?

A few years ago, I started a family web site. My intention was to create an online place where I could share photographs of my children with family that was half-way across the country. I wanted it to be "family history" with pictures depicting the special and every-day moments of our lives so that friends and family could get to know my children and share in our lives. When I started our family web site, Famphotos, my hubby asked me to not post any specifics. I was wondering how I could do that when the whole web site was about keeping our family updated.

As a first precaution I asked my web host to not make the site "public" meaning that if people did a Google search my site wouldn't show up. I didn't post any information such as phone numbers or addresses. An astute person could easily deduce the birth dates of my children, and get to the general area of where we live, but I didn't spell it out.

Now I have this blog, and again I wonder about the "privacy" and how important that really is. I know there are predators out there; people who are interested in finding children, or stealing adult identities. Yet, I don't know that the information I post is enough to place me or my family at risk.

And, yet, I wonder if it is too much information? I have some wonderful friends who have either used initials or have only referred to their children by their line in birth (e.g. oldest, youngest) or age (2-year-old). I know that others use their blog or site as merely a journal, others are hesitant to post pictures, and then you run into some (mostly strangers to me) that post their face, their bodies, and their friends, and all the details of their lives (TOO MUCH INFORMATION for me!) on their "My Space" or "Facebook" or Blog page.

I know that if somebody where truly looking, they could easily find me and my family. We update our telephone and address whenever we move, we list our names in public phone directories, we've got driver's licenses and we will register our daughter in public school. We have bank accounts, file taxes, and regularly toss the invites for a new credit card into the recycling bin. If somebody wanted to enough, they could easily steal our identities, or kidnap our children.

I worry about it. I am trying to teach my five-year-old and my "half-and-two" -year-old to not go to strangers, to not open the door to people they don't know, to trust their "instincts" about strangers, etc. But, am I harming them by posting information on a blog? on a family web site?

For now, I will continue to do as I have. I want to share pictures and information with family and friends. I will keep our computer in a main-traffic and public area of our house (it's currently in our dining room), and I will teach my daughters about strangers, about listening to the Holy Ghost's whispers, and (when they're old enough) about chat rooms. I will try to avoid creating opportunity for those will malintent by not posting specific information (address, phone number, SSN, birth dates and locations).

If somebody tried hard enough any information could be accessed. We are a "connected" society, and for all the good that brings, there is a risk of bad, too.