Moms across the nation-and around the world-capture the most important moments and share them with their communities. And as mothers, as we take digital photos and videos of our loved ones, privacy is naturally one of our biggest concerns.

With Web 2.0 rapidly growing and so much information available online, how can we control what we share and trust that our personal information is safe?

To post photos of my family online, I sorted through the various media sharing sites to find the one that was right for me. While many are comfortable sharing their photos on community sites, I wanted to have the option to password protect photos and videos of my children. I have been a member of Phanfare.com, a wonderful photo sharing site, for many years now and they have just recently announced some fabulous new features that I think will interest you.

Here are some of the highlights that make Phanfare unique:

• I can personally pick and choose who can see my memories-no strangers allowed!
• My photos and videos are safe, even if my computer crashes. (Phanfare uses a service from Amazon.com to store copies of all my data.)
• With the desktop application, I can upload the photos I've selected directly from my computer in a single click. The instructions are simple and straightforward.
• The upload time is beyond fast - you can upload entire folders full of pictures and they upload in the background, not one by one as you wait.  You can also upload full sized pictures and they remain full sized-so if granny is tech savvy, she can download them to her own computer to order prints or share (and only IF you give her that access by the way)
• I can create slideshows with my photos, customized with my choice of music and share them with my friends.
• Awesome screensavers - My absolute FAVORITE application. Phanfare lets you create screen savers on your computer with the photos you've uploaded on the site.
• It's the ultimate network for sharing our most important memories-- connecting your friends and family from far away.
• You can create groups to share pictures of your favorite events-- your new mommies' group, the class picnic, etc.  Each group can have its own list and access only to that list and not your personal photos if you want to restrict it!

...And the list continues. I encourage you to check it out and sign up for a free trial account.  Visit www.phanfare.com for more information!

* This is a personal recommendation by EssentialMom.com.