Wayne, Thank you for introducing a reality check into the discussion about boat cards. Personally. I think that there is a great deal on merit in carrying and handing out boat cards. You meet the nicest people on the water and might want to stay in touch with them because many are fonts of good information about boating. Your post should bring readers to the understanding that there are no longer any secrets at all in the US about your person, whereabouts and many possessions. People would be horrified to know how information is "piped" to various sites to keep a tab on you, including your views on a wide range of sensitive subjects. There are many ways to secure your information but none is absolute. Just read about the thousands of credit card details are lifted from, ostensibly, trusted websites and the harvesting of info by such groups as Anonymity. With the widening gap between rich and poor, not only in the US but worldwide, intercepting of information could bring financial returns to scammers, spammers and other "prospectors" that explore the Internet including your email. No doubt, security "experts" will devise many approaches that, for a fee, promise to secure your identity. Unfortunately, that will just spawn another crop of computer-savvy operatives that will break codes and encryptions. It's a never ending circle that can't be legislated or "enforced" away. As Bob (de Groot) writes "Rosie our yellow lab is our security. The sentiment is "It's time to go back to basics." -----Original Message----- From: great-loop-bounces@lists.trawlering.com [mailto:great-loop-bounces@lists.trawlering.com] On Behalf Of Celestial Sent: Tuesday, December 27, 2011 3:40 PM To: 'Great Loop List' Subject: Re: GL: boat cards 'Lo All, If your home phone is listed in a phone book, Google will probably provide a nice drive-by photo of your home, complete with address and lat/long if you want. If you have a documented boat, someone can see the boat and check the name and port with the USCG's website and find your listed name and address. So, if you give someone a boatcard with just the name of the boat and homeport - all your information is still probably available. With just your name and general location, the Whitepages.com website (and many others) will provide whoever is inquiring with your listed phone number and address. (snip)