A member wrote recently asking about confidentiality of member information in this age of stalkers and identity thieves. The following was our partial reply.

First, listings in the TCHS Alumni News directory are self-produced; that is, the member has signed up personally.

Second, no contact data are published, unless the member does it by typing an address in plain text in his / her profile or in a news item. The contact form that appears with each name for which we have an email address is a database link that looks up the address and sends the message. The sender does not see the address, and the return address is TCHSAlumni.org, so if the message bounces the server exchange comes here, not to the sender.

Third, a "Maintain Privacy" setting appears in the member editing form; even if other addresses are displayed circumstantially this one will not be so.

Fourth, bulk mailings to classes or groups always use BCC addressing, so the recipients do not see one another's addresses.

Fifth, lists contributed by classes (e.g., 1971) are subject to the same rules. The names appear, but there is no contact method until the alumnus contacts us to supply an email address. The names themselves are a public domain record at TCHS anyway, so we add no information pathway.

We do not even share lists with reunions; if a reunion organizer wants a mailing they must submit to us and we do it.

And finally, any member can request personal handling of changes or to be listed under a pseudonym to keep getting bulk mail.

Later this year, we will be switching to a new system of internal messaging. The contact form will store the message and notify the member. The member will sign in to read the message, which will not be sent as email but displayed as a web page.

It's pretty tight.

FYI, for persons with stalking problems, etc., there are organizations that will provide a double-blind mail drop. And if someone wishes, we can redirect mail to a third party.

Another solution is to subscribe to TCHS Alumni News for $12 per year and have an address with us, e.g., yourname@tchsalumni.org; we then forward the mail to the member. Naturally if the member should reply with ordinary email, then all bets are off.

We invite your questions and appreciate your continuing support.