What I would do, is create a private group..as a test...and put fake iformation in it, that is readily googled

Let us know the name and attempt to hack it, find out the information.

Keep track of how you created it, and what you found, and we engage admin for any corrective actions.

In addition, you would want to ask admin, how private is private?  In other words, typically the system admins have authority.  Depending on how tight controls are, they may or may not have access to the data (posts) and/or be outlined if they do look at them.   If you are unclear what I mean, think banking and insurance which have massive security around their admin processes.

note: just because admin has privs doesn't necessarily mean that it is wrong.  It really is a transparency item to ensure your participants enter with full awareness of how secure their data is.

Ok, thanks.  I started "Private Test Group", so feel free to have a run at it.  It shows up on the groups list and can be accessed via the track function in my profile .  It's not supposed to do that. The settings are "invite only" but I'm not clear if that means anyone can see the posts.  If I close the group completely, it says no one can leave??????

Google didn't show the keywords I used.

ninja, i can't access via the track...so it is possible that you can access it as you have authority.

i do need to get my day going, and am away for the week, but, will see if i have time to experiment.

Ninja, alternatively, save a link to your group on your machine.

Create a sockpuppet account.

Log on as the sockpuppet and attempt to hit the link.

or post the link to the group here, and see if folks can get into it. also post a link to a doc in the group  and see if folks can

Note: access from within the site may be different than an external search engine, such as google, so..have that be tried later, as well.  maybe put some bizarre word that we can google on.

Wouldn't it work like  redhead's group?

I think it would be a bit different than Redhead's group, CH. Redhead's group can be found by anyone and anyone can join.

Ninja - I have no idea how to make a truly private group. Sorry I can't be of any help there. But once you do have it up and running, can you please let me know?

Ninja - I'd be interested in something like this.

Sorry guys -- the geeky end of all this isn't really my forte, fascinating as it is.  I was successful in creating the test group in such a way as to be excluded from the Groups listing.  It doesn't show up when I track myself signed out, so presumably it won't for other members either. 

Another possible cause for the hull breach might have been from one of a few that were invited on the basis of their postings and profile, who then requested to join, but they didn't post to the group or connect afterward.     I guess I should have checked more carefully, since I'd never seen that username before.

Not a natural born techie, I'm afraid. 

Thanks guys.  I will now go about sending out a group invite to the test group.

Hey ninja, i do believe that if a group is by invite only, only those in the group should be able to read the posts, but then, you never know!

Well, I'm clearly out of my depth.  I can't send a group invite either.  Tells me the usernames are invalid....

 I'll have to think about it some more.

I couldn't access it.

there is a way to do the invites -- i will repost them later this week.

I also could not in a quick test access the group..which is a good thing.

Nor could I find it via search

Nor could I see it in your list.

I'm confused but I'm glad it on account this seems to be a difficult thing to set-up.  I couldn't access it either, nor could I locate it. Ninja's it's very private. LOL.. I will wait, since I'm cluesless, just not in seattle.

Oh! man I just found the page where you set this up. I'm glad someone understands.  So invite only or closed both need an administrator to add the names, does this mean the person setting up the group is the administrator?

Dogorious -- I wish I knew!

I've had zero luck trying to figure it all out.  Sorry Wonderfriends.  I don't know whether it's because I'm missing important steps, or the bugs aren't ironed out yet.  I'm going to try it again using, as Pinga suggested, using another ID to see what happens.

I can't do anything with full privacy settings, I can't send a group email, or link to the group. 

Wolfie was able to just go in and post to the wall, but then someone else couldn't....sheesh.

Anyway.  Thanks for all your help and hopefully, I'l figure it out eventually.

Hey Ninj....I also was able to post to your wall and enjoy wolfie's hospitality today, which was very much needed!

I gave similair instructions to FreeThinker, and they worked for him.

Try them out, and let me know how they go?

1.  go to group
change to "switch to plain text editor" which is right beside add users
type in names with comma
hit add user
invites sent

or

go back to add members
changed to 'switch to plain text editor"
type  in names
hit add user
invites sent