Residential, Confidential

When it comes to residential homes, we have to be careful with what we post on the internet.  Chances are extremely good that the owners do not want their home to be known as a paranormal site, whether it can be confirmed or not, and quite honestly, who can blame them?  I know I certainly wouldn't want people driving past at all hours of the day or night, taking pictures and whatever; nor would I want people to approach me while I am at work or shopping to ask about my house.

That is why we must adhere to a strict confidentiality policy.  The home owners don't know us as individuals, all they see is what we post online.  Should we betray that trust, you can rest assured that some will report negatively on us, while others may take legal action.

There is a hidden thread within this site, one in which only the moderators have access to.  Moderators are chosen by me, and come from within the NLPRS team.  Within this thread we have a post with links to various forms and documents, two of which are the Confidentiality Agreement and Permission to Investigate.  All other forms aside, these two would be the most important ones we as a team need to have on file, to protect ourselves and our clients.  There are other forms which are of use, but these two are a must have. with any documentation, the original remains with us, while a copy goes to the client.  Both of these forms have been attached to this post, should anyone wish to review them.

However, there is a downside to this: how can we as a group advertise our accomplishments or our findings?  Most of the time, this can simply be done by not posting pictures of the home exterior, the address, or the owner's name.  Do not make any mention of anything that could be used as an identifying marker, nor should interior pictures reveal anything that might be used to identify the residence.  In the very least, out of respect for the client, always ask permission if a questionable picture can be posted, with the assurance that confidential information will not be revealed.

If permission is granted, try to get that in writing.  It doesn't have to be something extravagant, just a brief letter stating that "I, {place name here}, give permission to NLPRS to post >  <", where the stuff within the > < would be a description of the photograph, or even a print of the photo itself.

This would also go with certain businesses; the business owner may not want the extra attention.  Some businesses, such as Table Six, may already be known as a paranormal location, but they may not want certain things revealed.  We would still need permission to post or write about such things.

I am only making this more known because as of late we have been approached, in one manner or another, to check out or investigate privately owned residential homes.  Even though we as a group have our own email address and a limited access thread to which we can post things, we still have to make it known to others who come to this site that we take their privacy seriously, and that we have already taken steps to ensure that anything they may share with us, or anything we may find, will be held with complete and utter respect.