This is an open forum - were you aware? [Archive]

nomorepanic

12-12-07, 22:15

I just wanted to bring something to everyone's attention following a rather nasty / threatening email I got today from a member who used his real name on here as his login name. He found one of his posts on here when he did a google for his name.

He said that I should have this as a closed forum and not allow the threads to be on Google etc and I am letting people down doing this.:shrug:

This forum is "open" on the internet in that search engines like Google, Yahoo etc will scan the site and when people search for keywords they may end up finding a thread on this forum. We chose for this to happen so that people can find us and see they are not alone when they google their symptoms etc.

It is made clear when you join that we will protect your email address from spam (unless you write it in a post of course) but we cannot guarantee that your post will not end up in a search engine.

If anyone is concerned about this then please feel free to post here and the admins are happy to change any login names as necessary if you are concerned.

Any comments are appreciated.

Thanks

Caribou

13-12-07, 15:50

Hi Nic,

Personally speaking I've always been aware that forum posts can come up in search engines and I am glad that this is the case because that is how I found this forum and other forums I use. It is also good that its open because anyone can read the forums and many people do that and although they may not join they find it a comfort to read the posts and know they are not alone.

I'm kind of left wondering why someone would use their full real name as a user name if confidentiality is an issue for them? Perhaps this user should change their forum name to something more anonymous?

Cari
xxx

Dying_Swan

13-12-07, 17:04

Aye Cari I agree.

To begin with I wasn't aware it would come up in Search Engines....I never really thought about it. Then one day I googled 'Dying Swan' to see where the phrase came from, and there I was! It didn't bother me in the least!

I can't understand the problem - surely it's better not to use your real name at all if you're concerned about confidentiality?!?

xxx :flowers:

bottleblond

13-12-07, 17:13

Cari i'm with you here. I find it odd that someone would use their real name on a web site if thay wanted to remain anonymous :shrug:. Nic i'm sorry but i don't think your to blame in any way for this, if you put your name to anything on line then it's a sure deal the google monster will find it.

Lisa
xxx

eeyorelover

13-12-07, 19:32

normalwisdom

13-12-07, 19:41

I do that too eeyorlover people just don't think sometimes:blush: I have been guilty of it too but soon learned my lesson:) (BTW Just googled my name and I am a famous horror actress.....I don't remember doing that lol).

nomorepanic

13-12-07, 19:45

I understand that it can be scary to realize that your email addy or full name is out there for whomever to see ....
THAT is exactly the reason that if someone posts their email addy or name I try to tell them it's not a real great idea to put that info out there.
Guess in this instance I missed it!!!
SORRY!!!

Sandy

It was a shortened version of his name so I didn't pick it up either but it annoyed him that I let it be seen on the internet.

We can't monitor everyone's login names really can we :shrug:

bottleblond

14-12-07, 17:13

Nic,

You didn't LET this persons name be seen on the internet. You didn't give this person their log in name, that was their own doing.

You are the founder of an Internet site, what information people then choose to enter into the site regarding themselves is down to them.

I think some people should take responsibility for their own action instead of trying to pass the buck!!

Lisa
xxx

MessedUp

14-12-07, 17:18

It's the nature of the beast (the internet)... if we can see it, so can Google.
I practice "safe 'net" !

One practical suggestion : make it clear on the registration page that all forum activity is visible to anyone?

chalky

15-12-07, 00:54

Nic,

I am so glad that this site was so readily available to me when I needed it.

Personal responsibility is a "given" for me on this site.I would expect members to treat the Administrators with the respect they deserve given the efforts they make to keep us on-line.
Thank you for your work.
Best wishes,
Chalky

ladygrom

15-12-07, 09:52

hi nic i totaly agree with chalky i realy apreciate this site and all the lovely ppl ive spoken to in chat and i also agree with bottle blonde its the members choice to take responsability thanks for all the good work and info on this site which as helped me a great deal best wishes elaine xxx

Richie

15-12-07, 16:41

I also wasn't aware that if you posted anything on a forum it might come up on a search engine crikey that's really frightening!!
Don't know whether i should change my username cause it just a abbreviation?
think i'll do a google search on it and see what comes up !

Gordon

15-12-07, 17:15

I've got no problem with my name appearing, can't really see what the fuss is about.

People who freak out about privacy usually have things to hide. Yeah it's not nice to have people deliberately snooping on you (like the CIA or something), but if you have nothing to hide don't sweat it!

If you do want privacy, use a name that people won't associate with you. For example I'm Beezlebubfan on the devil worship forums (JOKE :))

Gordon

Lindalou64

17-12-07, 16:14

oh well now they all know about me....like i care............

Yvonne

17-12-07, 18:15

I googled something one day and came up with one of my own posts on Seroxatmad forum. Oooh I did laugh. Fame at last.

I am personally not worried at all - if it helps others with panic/anxiety/depression when they are googling to come up with one of my posts which MAY mention exactly what they are looking for then I feel I have done someone a service.

If you are going to message on these sort of forums I think you realise that they are usually "open" forums.

Whoever the man was I would say it was his silly fault for not having checked out whether the site was public or a closed one.

Tell him to use another website - I doubt if he will find one as good as this in the UK. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Ozzy

17-12-07, 18:21

hi my names albert einstein i live at number 4 imavingyouon.

no i always knew it was googled or yahoo thats how i found here like cari said. If they wanted to remain anonymous why didnt they just use a random name it some how dosnt make sense does it

Richie

18-12-07, 13:06

yeah thinking about it who cares really that much, even if you have got something to hide life still goes on and doesn't revolve around me me me!!
by the way i wasn't the member who complained initially it just came to my attention on a recent posting
Richie xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

diane07

25-04-08, 07:52

nic,

i think its a case that some people dont read the rules before signing in, as i know someone else who has used their full name not realising that it would come up as it did, you're not to blame and you certainly didn't deserve a nasty email. i will however inform the person i know and encourage her to change her login name to something else.

Thanks for all you do, i'm almost cured because of this site.
best wishes
Di

jo61

25-04-08, 10:28

Hi Nic, you really have my support on this. When I joined this forum, and others, I wouldn't have dreamed of using my own name. It's not that I'm paranoid but it does give me the opportunity to vent when I'm having trouble and to help (I hope) when I see others with problems I've experienced myself. These days thankfully it's very much the latter.

If anyone uses their own name and it causes them a problem, am I right in thinking you can change their user name easily? I assume then that the Google link would fly into the ether?

Keep up the good work - everyone is responsibility for their own identity - you can't nanny everyone. :D

Trixie

08-05-08, 17:56

Better not mention my haemorrhoids then!

Franz

08-05-08, 18:42

Although it was wrong of this person to respond as they did, I do think it might be an idea to emphasise that it's an open forum on the introductory pages.

I used my real name without realising I wouldn't get the opportunity to change it later except by asking the administrators to do it. I've kept using my real name because otherwise the responses to my posts wouldn't make sense, but I'd really like to change it now, after being reminded that the forum is open.

If my name was more common, I wouldn't mind so much, and I don't delude myself that I'm important enough for anyone to give a flying fig about me. All the same these are very personal issues and don't like even to entertain the 1% possibility that someone might be able to find out who I am.

I don't remember now why I used my real name - I think I was so desperate to post that I couldn't be bothered to think up a pseudonym.

diane07

08-07-10, 17:56

I've noticed alot of people are putting their email add on posts, so i'm bumping this up to make sure everyone is aware that this is an open forum.

di.

Wolfie

08-07-10, 19:13

Good idea Di, thank you for pointing this out and bumping the thread!

Chrissy xxx

PanchoGoz

08-07-10, 19:22

I totally agree. I used the same old usernames for all forums and websites, including youtube, google groups, and so on. My friend googled that word and now knows about all the videos I watch on youtube, my anxiety, what software support forums I use and even what poetry I put on a poetry site. Devestating..........
Take this as a lesson people.

jaded jean

08-07-10, 20:32

I have just googled myself. and yes Im famous too meh:doh:
Jaded very jaded..............

morkal

24-08-10, 07:44

hi,..
personally i like this forum because it is open for anybody anytime,..

StandFree1903

24-08-10, 13:08

I have no idea why this person has done this, if he is on a site like facebook or whatever he is clearly wrong using the internet as you have to use your real name for lots of things, sure it wont come up on google but if he is that pernickity he shouldne be online at all.

Only my thoughts here lol.

eeyorelover

26-08-10, 04:20

Well just out of curiousity I googled my user name. It must be one that is used A LOT!
Just an FYI for anyone that googles about me...I'm not 14, I don't have a pet gecko that won't eat, I have no videos on Youtube, and I've never been to Disneyland ;)
LOL

StandFree1903

26-08-10, 04:42

google mine and youll get alot about Aberdeen FC

maxine

27-09-10, 14:49

I was always aware that this was an open forum, it's users responsibility to safe guard their own privacy/usernames etc.

Maxine is my real name, everyone has always known that.. thankfully for me.. there's a specialist Anxiety doc who's called Maxine, she comes up for pages then we get the infamous Maxine Carr ( I'm NOT her! lol).. then I'm about 40 pages in.

Unless you know me from on-line you'd never know it was me in real life.