[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.

 

[Cezz]

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?

Here Here...

The profile pages are slowly hosting more and more information... Giving users a small amount of privacy over that information makes them more likely to use it... Again the idea of if you don't want it public just don't post it is absurd, you are basically saying don't bother using that functionality, don't use that part of our site etc, you want people to use as much of your site as possible...

Threads and Forums are the PUBLIC part of the site, user's profiles are THEIR part of your site, their home within the site, do you live in a glass house where everyone can look in? would you take a shower then? After all it is simple if you live in a glass house and don't want everyone to see you naked don't take a shower after all you would be against putting up curtains or any form of privacy around said shower wouldn't you?

-------------------------------------

JUST TO POINT OUT AGAIN

I **DO** think that the profile should show the public information all the time, IE avatar, post count, posts etc... However users should still be able to protect their other features E.G. DOB, Location, About Me, Profile posts etc...
I **DO** agree with users being able to stop other memebers sending them PM's, why not? After all admin's and mods will still be able to PM them and if a user disables it, it is normally for a reason IE they DON'T want PM's.
I **DO NOT** agree with removing privacy all together or even having this option, having the option is only going to make it easy for admin's to disable such functionality and this is just backwards thinking if you ask me, It shouldn't be easy for you to become a dictator over you members sorry but you build your site for you members (or you should at least) think about what they want.

 

[Lycaon]

Well spoken Ceri May

 

[dutchbb]

People are comparing Facebook with forum profiles. But this is obviously not the same. Most people use nicknames on forums, and also use less personal information.

People use their real name on Facebook, and add personal information precisely because they know it's not visible for everyone.

So the question is: do we want forum profiles to become Facebook profiles? And my answer to that question is: NO! Forum profiles should be visible to all members, because we are talking about a small community, not a worldwide network.

Now if some people want their forums to become a second Facebook, that's their choice, but don't force others to do this.

 

[Luke F]

It should be up to the admin, as the social features may receive a varying level of use across different niches of forums.

If you are trying to run a highly social community aimed as a facebook rival, then sure, privacy features are handy.



Anyway this discussion is pointless - if an option doesn't get added I will be modding this in and distributing the mod.

 

[Russ]

Ceri I like your thoughts except for the PM system. If someone is harrassing someone or spamming someone through the PM system then it's simple, report them. I strongly feel that a user should not be able to disable their own PM's.

 

[Paul B]

phpBB is free forum software and users are able to restrict other normal users from sending them PMs.

Once you go down the privacy settings road, it's difficult to stop...

 

[Jason]

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.

I don't really have a problem with it.

 

[Jason]

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.



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.

You're missing the point, greatly. I highly doubt one of XenForo's goals is to mimic the functionality in your current forum software down to every little feature or admin option. Nor should it be, really. XenForo is not other forum software.

I think Kier and Mike have already shown they listen to the feedback provided here on the forums, and have even incorporated some of it into the software itself. But, to sit there and insinuate that they don't care about potential customers if they don't include this feature (or any feature someone suggests) in XenForo is just silly, and couldn't be farther from the truth.

Anyway, this discussion is starting to go in circles, so we'll just have to agree to disagree.

 

[Ben Davis]

You're missing the point, greatly. I highly doubt one of XenForo's goals is to mimic the functionality in your current forum software down to every little feature or admin option. Nor should it be, really. XenForo is not other forum software.

I think Kier and Mike have already shown they listen to the feedback provided here on the forums, and have even incorporated some of it into the software itself. But, to sit there and insinuate that they don't care about potential customers if they don't include this feature (or any feature someone suggests) in XenForo is just silly, and couldn't be farther from the truth.

Anyway, this discussion is starting to go in circles, so we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Jason, that is quite possibly one thee most mature response I've seen on this forum.

 

[TrixieTang]

People are comparing Facebook with forum profiles. But this is obviously not the same. Most people use nicknames on forums, and also use less personal information.

People use their real name on Facebook, and add personal information precisely because they know it's not visible for everyone.

So the question is: do we want forum profiles to become Facebook profiles? And my answer to that question is: NO! Forum profiles should be visible to all members, because we are talking about a small community, not a worldwide network.

Now if some people want their forums to become a second Facebook, that's their choice, but don't force others to do this.

Exactly. A lot of us don't want our forums to be like Facebook, and a lot of us don't want users sharing really private information at all for their protection and ours.

I don't get why so many people have to try and make us out as being stupid or evil if that's how we choose to run our forums. I also don't get why everyone who wants privacy settings feels the need to force them on everyone else. Every other forum software either doesn't have profile privacy options or provides an off option for them. It's obviously not going to hurt XF to provide an admin option for this, and if this isn't included then all it will do is hurt XF with people who are looking to convert.

Clearly a lot of people here care more about forcing their way of running a forum on others than about XF being successful.

 

[Lycaon]

I also don't get why everyone who wants privacy settings feels the need to force them on everyone else.

I don't get why everyone who doesn't want privacy settings feels the need to force that on everyone else.

Clearly a lot of people here care more about forcing their way of running a forum on others than about XF being successful.

That's bull and you know it.

 

[Mike]

This thread isn't going anywhere. It's just a back and forth between 2 diametrically opposed camps.. The request has been noted; like the first post if you're interested in disabling profile/member privacy options.