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Privacy settings

Forums: Suggestions and Feedback
Created on: 09/30/10 02:26 PM Views: 2793 Replies: 26
Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 2:26 PM

We're still having people confused about their privacy settings. After explaining for the upteenth time about finding those on the Edit Profile page and how to keep out of Google searches, I wondered if you would consider making that a separate selection under Member Functions so people can find them more readily.

It would be helpful if all the security/privacy stuff was on a separate page with expanded explanations of consequecnes or links to those. Short of that, how about making that area of the profile set off with a heading or box around it, rather than just a continuations of the optional profile questions.

These settings govern non-profile issues like messaging & contant info security anyway. If not separated from the profile or set off more distinctly, maybe the address/phone display question could be on the Contact info page where that's being entered?

You've worked on the wording but the switch of scope & focus on these questions isn't consistent. Maybe something closer to the Facebook model of checkboxes with the same heirarchy of exposure on each component option would be more intiutive.

FB has gotten a lot of flack for their privacy defaults but they seem to be responding to the objections. Our profiles are still totally public at the start. I'd still like to see us default to the most secure and let them then open up the access, rather than full public access that classmates have to learn to restrict.

And it took me forever to figure out that unchecking "Allow other Classmates to send me Instant Messages" was how to turn off that new pop up access bar at the bottom of my screen every time I logged in showing everybody that I was online. Wasn't obvious. Ok, I'm old and slow.

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Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 3:19 PM - Response #1

I agree. In the beginning there was only the checkbox to allow or disallow the public into the Profile. With that being the only option it made perfect sense to keep it on the page it was pertaining to. Then over time due to lack of any better place to put more info, things like Instant Messaging got added there. And Timezone. None of this really has anything to do with the Profile page. It would be a lot cleaner to keep the Profile page just a Profile page, not an area where site settings are set.

What all of this amounts to is really a "Preferences" page. I.E. we should create a new link under the Member links called Preferences and move all of the radio buttons and options there. We have more stuff coming up anyway with no home anywhere, and we can't keep adding stuff to the Profile page. So I agree, we should take what we have currently, move it to a new Preferences page under the Member links, and once there we can further define options or add to them as necessary.

Because people are used to looking for these options under the Edit Profile page, we'll want to keep a link in that area that jumps directly to the new Member Preferences page.

Yes I think it's time to change the Profile Visibility options default to Private for newly joining members.

With current ongoing development none of this will happen any time soon but I'll mark this Task high priority so we hit it as soon as possible. Thank you for the suggestion Mary, always good stuff from you as we've come to expect.


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Edited 09/30/10 3:27 PM
Friday, October 1, 2010 at 12:07 PM - Response #2

Brad, That will be great to have a Member Functions: Preferences page link but here is a very specific area of concern about privacy (that has been voiced previously) that you really did not answer above. What would be your response to this members question below:

Here was my question and request. Isn't there a way that when folks sign up for a profile it is automatically "PRIVATE" and if they wish to make it public that would be a choice to enter via your system.

Essentially reverse the set up to private with an option to public? Therefore we would not run into the problem for all of us older folks that did not grow up with computers and yes don't tend to read through all of the information necessary and probably others don't either.

I think mostly folks simply share their information not thinking it goes further than our personal (profile page) [CC website] which one needs to have a log-in to access.

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Friday, October 1, 2010 at 1:55 PM - Response #3

Did address that. Smile

"Yes I think it's time to change the Profile Visibility options default to Private for newly joining members. "

I.E. affirmative, we'll do it.


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Friday, October 1, 2010 at 7:41 PM - Response #4

Ahhhhh, yes you did address it. That is what happens when you (I) skim messages too fast. Thanks.

BTW - any time frame? I'd like to tell some concerned alum the good news.

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Friday, October 1, 2010 at 9:43 PM - Response #5

Most likely sometime next week.


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Edited 10/01/10 9:46 PM
Monday, January 17, 2011 at 2:53 PM - Response #6

I was wondering if there has been any changes to the classmates privacy settings? We have had a number of questions about privacy and were just looking at this thread.

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Monday, January 24, 2011 at 3:35 PM - Response #7

I can't say there are any particularly "new" privacy settings, however I would be happy to address any specific privacy questions if you would like to post them here. Thanks


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Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at 12:56 AM - Response #8

In Brads response above, Dated Oct 1, 2010 10:55 AM "Yes I think it's time to change the Profile Visibility options default to Private for newly joining members." and at 6:43 PM talking about when this change might happen, "Most likely sometime next week." We were wondering if this is still going to happen. The first check box, "Profile Visibility:", is still not checked for newly joining members. Thank You.

Andre

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Saturday, January 29, 2011 at 1:30 PM - Response #9

Sorry I thought this was a quick change but when I checked with Programming yesterday it turns out the Classmate Profile file is down for our Class Creator 3.0 updates and undergoing extensive revisions currently so all of the updates when done including this one will go live.


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Saturday, January 29, 2011 at 2:10 PM - Response #10

Is there a way I can add an anchor just above the privacy setting on the bottom of the Edit Profile page? I don't see an edit box with the tools. I'd like to have a link to that spot rather than just giving them this link http://www.sphsaa-classmates.org/member_profile_form.cfm and telling them to go to the bottom.

Or could you put an anchor there for us? Maybe that would be an easy fix till you get the update.

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Edited 01/29/11 2:12 PM
Monday, January 31, 2011 at 11:06 AM - Response #11

I can certainly add that to the suggestions for the upgrades to that page, howver I'm certain that they would need to include this later rather then sooner as it is an upgrade and not a fix to a broken situation. I've added it as a suggestion for the project.


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Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 1:20 AM - Response #12

I have the box checked on my profile page to limit searches to classmates only, and yet my name shows up when I google our site.

Go ahead, google [my website name].

With all due respect, this has to stop. This could kill our website, and all the work we've put into it.

Brad, you had some great ideas more than a year ago? Why weren't they instituted? I've worked in IT as a tech writer for 20 years. These changes don't take 1+ years!

We have 1000+ classmates to sign up, and I don't want to be responsible for their names showing up in internet searches when they don't want them to.

Thanks.
Regina Ahrens (Engelken)

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Edited 12/17/11 8:10 AM
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 3:18 AM - Response #13

O.K. -
I'll bite -
How can this 'kill' a web site?

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Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 5:42 AM - Response #14

Dear Regina,

I'd like to know how a Google search will kill your site too. We have only experienced growth. Nobody can access any of your alumni profile pages if members have chosen to limit access to "only registered members". Someone may be able to find your website and see your classmate's names on the list, but they won't be able to access their profile once the selection to lock a profile has been chosen.

The only reason you can access your page from a Google search is because you are probably signed on to your class website. Log off and you won't be able to access your profile page. When you go to your class list and look up your name it has a lock visible. If someone does not have the lock showing (when you are not logged in) then they have chosen to allow anyone access to their profile page. It's pretty simple.

If there is a concern by any of the classmates, and they don't read the directions or choices they have, the administrator can manually go in and select to have a registered members page only visible to registered members. It's all spelled out in the radio button selections at the bottom of the profile page.

Granted, it would be nice for the selection to automatically default to registered members only.... but at this point I don't see how this not being the case yet, will kill your site. Ours keeps growing and for the few that don't understand or have a problem with this issue, it does not outweigh the benefits of having the website available to provide such a great service to the alumni.

We all have to be patient with Class Creator, even if it does take a year or more to implement a feature or update.

Keep smiling!

P.S. If you don't want anybody's name visible, you could deactivate the member's list and manually give out passwords to each member you want to have join the site, but the downside would be no interaction between classmates and you'd lose the major benefit of the site, "membership interaction"!

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Edited 11/26/11 5:53 AM
Sunday, November 27, 2011 at 1:48 AM - Response #15

Very easy, Steve. If my classmates start complaining that their privacy is being invaded by joining our site, they'll drop off, and then we'll drop off.

As you probably know, privacy is a huge hot button for many people, made even hotter by facebook's escapades!

I realized after posting the other night that I could see my own profile because I remain logged in. However, I don't even want to see my name when I google [my website name]. Maybe this is an issue I need to take up with google. What do you think?

Another problem with it is, individual names rise in google order higher than the main website itself.

I am waiting until Monday to find out why the other changes proposed above my post - by members and Brad Switzer - have not been implemented in over a year, when Brad agrees with the changes.

Yes, this is a learning curve, and I am enlisting help from people more tech savvy than I am (after all, I'm only a tech writer), but in the end, when people complain they will come to me. If we find 1000 people as we did 10 years ago, that could be a lot of complaining.

I'm just sayin' ... and I'm still smilin'. Cool

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Edited 12/17/11 8:11 AM
Sunday, November 27, 2011 at 5:05 PM - Response #16

Regina, I fully understand you’re wanting to wait until Monday, but here are a few other ‘food for thought’ ideas.
Re: “If my classmates start complaining” – Isn’t that a very big ‘IF?’
As far as ‘[YOUR website name]’ is concerned, where would someone get that in the first place? You could just as easily ‘Google’ [YOUR website name], [YOUR website name], etc. Guess I need to look at some other sites that I am NOT a member of. [Surely your classmates trust each other.]
I ‘Googled’ your name, and found you on several pages, including LinkedIn, which gives some of your person information. Others could do the same for members of your class to see personal information.
I guess my curiosity would be, have you ALREADY had complaints about privacy issues, and were they valid breaches, or are you simply trying to prevent something from happening?
While Class Creator is not beyond making mistakes, I look at their numbers
– with over 14,000 classes using their service, and over 1,000,000 classmates, I draw the conclusion that if they were not a quality service, I don’t think they would be in business very long.
Steve

P.S. - I am NOT a statistician, but numbers do fascinate me, and figures lie, and liars figure. I worked as a Police Officer for around 8 years, and over 21 ½ years in the chemical manufacturing business. Most people think those are very dangerous things to do. But, statically speaking, driving [or riding] in an automobile on a public highway is far more dangerous than either of those professions!
Laughing

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Edited 12/17/11 8:12 AM
Monday, November 28, 2011 at 2:02 PM - Response #17

Hi Regina,

If you wish to have pages (including your classmate list) not show up in search indexes, then you have to puyt them behind a password, which you can do on your Edit Site Pages link. There is a checkbox to password protect each page of your site, and a box to create a guest password that you can give to non-members of the site so they can view the content. Search engines will not (cannot) index any pages that require a password for access. Typically, if you want to leave the minimum portion of your site public to be findable online, you would password protect every page except the Home Page and the Missing Classmates page. This way, people can find their own names on the missing list and register with the site.


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Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 2:16 AM - Response #18

Thanks, Eric. That helps a lot!

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Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 12:29 AM - Response #19

Speaking of privacy, a link to this thread pops when I search on [MY website name].

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Edited 12/17/11 8:13 AM
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 8:08 AM - Response #20

That's because in your 11/26/11 1:20 AM forum post, you said " Go ahead, google [YOUR website name].com."

These are public forums and are Internet Searchable. If you don't want your website name to appear in a google search, after the problem is resolved, you will need to edit out the name of your website. Then wait until Google (and the other search engines) refresh their cache copies of these forums.

I will edit these school names, but if you don't want it to appear in a web search, don't put it in the contents of the forum post...


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Edited 12/17/11 8:13 AM
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 8:15 AM - Response #21

I changed all references to your website to [YOUR website name] or [MY website name]. (on this forum thread). If you have used your website name in other forum thread contents, it will still appear in a Google search.


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Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 8:40 AM - Response #22

Thanks Eric. One more question: why are these help forums public-searchable? What possible use are these Q & A's to the public?

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Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 9:37 AM - Response #23

They are searchable because some future admins research ClassCreator before starting out their website. If they do a Google search and find the forums, they can then browse the forums and see if Class Creator is right for them before they start their website.


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Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 7:41 PM - Response #24

That makes sense. I'll just keep in mind that the public may be watching. Thanks!

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 6:49 PM - Response #25

How close are we to having a new preferences section in the MEMBER FUNCTIONS area? This was targeted as a HIGH PRIORITY 15 MONTHS AGO? Would love to see it happen since it is very important. Thanks, Bruce Laughing

Brad Switzer wrote:

I agree. In the beginning there was only the checkbox to allow or disallow the public into the Profile. With that being the only option it made perfect sense to keep it on the page it was pertaining to. Then over time due to lack of any better place to put more info, things like Instant Messaging got added there. And Timezone. None of this really has anything to do with the Profile page. It would be a lot cleaner to keep the Profile page just a Profile page, not an area where site settings are set.

What all of this amounts to is really a "Preferences" page. I.E. we should create a new link under the Member links called Preferences and move all of the radio buttons and options there. We have more stuff coming up anyway with no home anywhere, and we can't keep adding stuff to the Profile page. So I agree, we should take what we have currently, move it to a new Preferences page under the Member links, and once there we can further define options or add to them as necessary.

Because people are used to looking for these options under the Edit Profile page, we'll want to keep a link in that area that jumps directly to the new Member Preferences page.

Yes I think it's time to change the Profile Visibility options default to Private for newly joining members.

With current ongoing development none of this will happen any time soon but I'll mark this Task high priority so we hit it as soon as possible. Thank you for the suggestion Mary, always good stuff from you as we've come to expect.

Reply
Thursday, December 29, 2011 at 12:08 PM - Response #26

Hi Bruce,

We have a number of things in parallel development, both within ClassCreator and outside of it, so it is very difficult to provide any timeline specifics. Be assured we are working on these upgrades, and thank you for your patience!


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