[Suggestion] Profile Privacy

[TrixieTang]

Can admins disable members' ability to set who can/can't view their profile? Either on a global or per group basis?

If not then this is something that really needs to be added. Profile privacy goes against the whole point of having profiles on a forum and I know that I'd never allow members to set who can/can't view their profile.

 

[TrixieTang]

The Privacy feature was added so users can post their details and share it with their friends on the site without the worry of it becoming public.

No, it was added because a bunch of people were paranoid about their privacy and profile "privacy" options made them feel a little safer but it didn't actually make them any safer.

People will likely be able to find out just as much if not more about you from your posts than from your profile. For example we all know Floris' full name, a stalker could easily find out all of his personal information from that alone, they wouldn't even need to see all of his hidden profile info.

 

[Cezz]

Ceri May how do you feel about users being able to basically disable private messaging themselves?

I think it is their choice if they don't want to receive PM's from random members... The system still allows admin's and moderators to PM them so I don't see what is wrong with them having the option... After all if a user disables their PM's it is probably because they don't want to use it so sending someone like this a message is pointless because if they don't want to use it they are more than likely going to ignore any PM's received anyway.

 

[Cezz]

No, it was added because a bunch of people were paranoid about their privacy and profile "privacy" options made them feel a little safer but it didn't actually make them any safer.

People will likely be able to find out just as much if not more about you from your posts than from your profile. For example we all know Floris' full name, a stalker could easily find out all of his personal information from that alone, they wouldn't even need to see all of his hidden profile info.

That is an opinion of your own... Again I think the ability for me to add my IM details, location details and other personal information to my profile for my Friends to view would be my choice as an admin and I would never take that choice away from my users... I am trying to run a forum not a dictatorship.

 

[Luke F]

ITT:

 

[feldon30]

This thread is like watching a baby seal be clubbed to death with a Nerf bat.

When I click to view someone's profile, it is annoying me to get the message "This user has chosen to keep their profile private." Why do I get less information than viewing their Member Card?
Solution: Display at least Avatar, Signature, Post count, link to Posts, link to Threads Started, basically everything I can get by searching.

Instead of a brusque error message, display:

There is additional information about this user which is only available to this user's friends.

As for folks who want to eliminate all privacy options, I hear Facebook is hiring.

 

[Lycaon]

If they want to hide their information then they shouldn't post it. Not on their profile, not in their posts, not anywhere. The best "privacy setting" that you'll ever get is in not posting your personal information online in the first place.

As long as our members follow the one simple rule of not posting any information online that they want to keep private, then their privacy is protected as good as it possibly can be.

That is a valid point and in theory it should work but this is the internet not everyone will think like that.

Give me a reason why people shouldn't be able to choose if they want everyone seeing their personal details or just the forums staff and people they know.

 

[Jason]

Because profiles on forums worked like this for about a decade? Because some of us don't want our forum's functionality being broken?

For about a decade, user profiles have been poorly integrated or outright neglected in a lot of forum software, as well. But, if that is your argument, are you sure you even want to use XenForo? It does quite a few things differently than other forum software -- and yes, in some cases, going against the decade old way of doing it.

Make it an admin option and we can all be happy, except for maybe a few paranoid members and a few people who hate seeing error messages.

It matters little to me if it's made an admin option or not, so I'm not really for or against this feature request; however, people who value some semblance of privacy are not necessarily paranoid.

 

[Jason]

No, I'm not modifying anything to change this. This should be an option, plain and simple.

It's beyond ridiculous if we're expected to make modifications to fix a feature that breaks our forum's functionality.

It's kind of ridiculous to expect entirely different forum software to behave in the exact same manner of the current software you're using. Sure, some concessions will be made and identical functionality will be incorporated, but in most cases if you want something to behave in the exact same manner as another product you usually modify it to do so, or simply (continue to) use the product that best meets your needs.

 

[TrixieTang]

If they actually want people to convert to their software then they'd make it so we can still run our forums the way we have been. Also, I think it should be pointed out that every single forum software out there except XF doesn't have these "privacy" features or at least provides an option for admins who don't want these pointless "privacy" features. To me this isn't a step forward but a step back, if you want privacy settings fine, but not everyone wants them.

 

[Lycaon]

If they actually want people to convert to their software then they'd make it so we can still run our forums the way we have been.

No offence but that's just silly. There are so many different forum softwares out there each with different features it's near on impossible to incorporate every feature into XenForo.

Also whether you converted to XenForo or something else, you will have things that break or don't work the same.

if you want privacy settings fine, but not everyone wants them.

If you don't want privacy settings fine, but some people do.

 

[TrixieTang]

If you don't want privacy settings fine, but some people do.

Exactly why it should be an option.

 

[dutchbb]

IMO for forums

Privacy for members vs guests = good thing
Privacy for members vs members = bad thing

But remember, this is a personal statement.

 

[Jason]

No, it was added because a bunch of people were paranoid about their privacy and profile "privacy" options made them feel a little safer but it didn't actually make them any safer.

People will likely be able to find out just as much if not more about you from your posts than from your profile. For example we all know Floris' full name, a stalker could easily find out all of his personal information from that alone, they wouldn't even need to see all of his hidden profile info.

That's an overly simplistic view on the issue. Privacy != Paranoia.

It is human nature to want and maintain some semblance of privacy in our lives, whether it be in our home, online, etc, because having a private side makes us feel like people, rather than billboards. It's only natural that we only allow certain people to see more of who we really are, what we really do, what we really think and how we really feel. In short, we, as humans, don't really trust other people all that much. By definition, that is not paranoia.

 

[Jason]

If they actually want people to convert to their software then they'd make it so we can still run our forums the way we have been. Also, I think it should be pointed out that every single forum software out there except XF doesn't have these "privacy" features or at least provides an option for admins who don't want these pointless "privacy" features. To me this isn't a step forward but a step back, if you want privacy settings fine, but not everyone wants them.

Your first sentence is puzzling. Why bother converting if that's the case? I'm sure most people will choose XenForo because they like the way it does things, and it fits there needs. If I liked the way vBulletin did things, then I'd choose vBulletin not XenForo and vice versa. And honestly, who cares if other forum software have implemented a feature XenForo hasn't? Or, if XenForo implements it differently? They're different products with a different outlook on the way things should be done.

Anyway, back to the original suggestion... user profiles have been a huge hit on our site, mostly because we allow people to share whatever information they want about themselves, and choose who can view that information. So, even if this suggestion gets implemented it's not something I would use. Obviously, there are a handful of people who would, though I don't really buy the arguments as for why, heh.

 

[Russ]

Your first sentence is puzzling. Why bother converting if that's the case? I'm sure most people will choose XenForo because they like the way it does things, and it fits there needs. If I liked the way vBulletin did things, then I'd choose vBulletin not XenForo and vice versa. And honestly, who cares if other forum software have implemented a feature XenForo hasn't? Or, if XenForo implements it differently? They're different products with a different outlook on the way things should be done.

Anyway, back to the original suggestion... user profiles have been a huge hit on our site, mostly because we allow people to share whatever information they want about themselves, and choose who can view that information. So, even if this suggestion gets implemented it's not something I would use. Obviously, there are a handful of people who would, though I don't really buy the arguments as for why, heh.

Jason your view on allowing users to disable the PM system? This is really my only frustration along with the lack of detail on a blocked profile.

 

[TrixieTang]

Your first sentence is puzzling. Why bother converting if that's the case? I'm sure most people will choose XenForo because they like the way it does things, and it fits there needs. If I liked the way vBulletin did things, then I'd choose vBulletin not XenForo and vice versa. And honestly, who cares if other forum software have implemented a feature XenForo hasn't? Or, if XenForo implements it differently?

It's not puzzling at all, everything about XF is pretty much perfect except for this. But I'm not going to convert my forum if there's no way to disable the privacy settings without using a mod because I'm not a fan of breaking my forum's functionality. And I'm not a fan of "privacy" settings because to me they're pointless, don't actually make anything private and they only serve to harm communities rather than make them better.

They're different products with a different outlook on the way things should be done.

Yes, XenForo should ignore the fact that no other software has this feature without providing an off switch for it. Yes, XenForo should be like "that other forum software" and not care about customers or potential customers' opinions at all. I'm sure that will get them far.

 

[Shanj]

I've come up against this privacy issue because I'm a privacy campaigner. Governments are becoming very keewn to use cameras and databases to check out everything about us.
The argument goes if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear.

This is rubbish. We are biologically programmed to want privacy. We are not dogs who defecate and do sex in the open street.
That is not irrelevant. It shapes our human reaction to privacy.
As in my personal room may look quite boring to other people. Perhaps I do nothing in it that is sexual, or weird, or unusual or what others might call "private."
But to me it IS private and I don't want just anyone looking at it.

Similarly my profile can include quite personal information. Like, if I feel that I have some co0ntrol over who sees it I might mention my child. If just anyone can see it I'd never put my child's name and you'd lose the most important info about me. Nor my cats who I adore. nor would I mention what I most love doing - not because it's odd or anything but I don't want to share that much of myself with a whole lot of people I don't know.

If you don't allow me to choose who views parts of ME I won't put them in my Profile. You lose a lot of knowing me.
If you DO allow me to choose who views parts of me I WILL put them in my Profile.You gain a lot of knowing me.

I'd suggest that an admin who forces members to run public profiles, needs a big notice above the Profile form saying
INFORMATION YOU GIVE HERE IS PUBLIC
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU INCLUDE HERE.

I think that's only fair and it protects such an admin against uproar later.
If a user puts info there and it leads to trouble with a stalker or a flame war or personal nastiness it could be pretty yucky. Could even get legal.
People are sensitive about privacy these days and they expect to be warned if they are going to be exposed to strangers.


Finally CONTROL. People like control. It makes them feel powerful and free!
Deciding who I will allow to see my personal info is kind of delicious. So levels of control - anyone - all members - followers - chosen friends etc is an important and enjoyable user choice.

 

[Booth]

Personally I think it's annoying to click on a profile and see the "Error" screen, if the option for users to block their profile is never there then I don't see how you'd lose members... Honestly I'd find it rather humorous if a member came to me and said "I don't want users seeing the amount of posts and who I'm following! If you don't fix it then I'm quitting!". You post on a forum board that is available to the public, people don't set their cell phone numbers or social security numbers in their XenForo profile screens.

I've had members leave my site because of lack of profile privacy. It does put some people off.

 

[Jura]

Having profile privacy settings control by members means members should have the ability to block forum posts from people not on friends lists, etc. Yes, that's right. Imagine a forum full of error: can't view anything cuz you ain't friends wid me messages all over threads.

Most information about someone will be in forum posts. Blocking profiles is stupidity and if someone doesn't want information out they wouldn't have it anywhere in the first place. Profiles don't have anything special and nobody likes seeing errors.

 

[feldon30]

Much hate, this thread has...

Forum Profiles used to be a very small amount of information.

Now it's competing with Facebook with a Wall, Photos, and probably much more functionality to come.

Are you saying that Facebook should have no privacy features and everything should be visible to everyone? Because that's what you are saying when you post something like "blocking profiles is stupidity." Is your Facebook page completely open to the public?