"That's like, NSA paranoid security.  Online banking is only 128 bit." -Michael, my favorite IT Geek.

Our group functions such as our calendar, forums, and roster are hosted on a site called Big Tent.

Big Tent is designed to be a secure platform for trusted groups to connect.  They take the security of our information very seriously.  For more information, keep reading, and then visit their website at www.bigtent.com.

You are correct that you should be careful with your personal information online.  We, too, are cautious about who can see information about ourselves and our kids.  That's why we, as moms and group leaders, chose to move our group to Big Tent.  We tried other services, and Big Tent was the only one that we felt really protected our own and our group information from casual snoopers.

We've seen phone numbers, addresses, and complete profiles from other sites turn up on Google searches.This just does not happen for Big Tent groups.  Most of your information is visible only to group leaders and, if you choose, other members of some of our optional sub-groups, and NONE of your information is ever visible to anyone outside our group.

 Here is a quote from Dawn, a staff member at Big Tent:  "Each page on Big Tent is 100% encrypted using 256-bit encryption, which is degrees of magnitude stronger than the 128-bit industry standard. Basically, encryption prevents anyone from accessing or hacking into any information on the webpage. Every single page on Big Tent is entirely encrypted. Sites like Yahoo!Groups, Evite, do not have this level of security detail, making it easy for non-members to access information. Part of the reason we started Big Tent was our realization that no one was addressing the need for a truly secure site. Additionally, we have yet to see any "home-grown" website use this level of security on a page-by-page basis."  (emphasis mine.)

 What this means is that if you feel secure filing your taxes online or making online purchases, you are looking at the same (or better) level of security for the information you provide when you join our group.  You can't ask for more than that!