New forum feature: Profile privacy

[Doctor Q]

Now that we've upgraded the forum software (see announcement), profile pages have a new look, with tabbed sections and blocks on the right side. To see your own profile page, click Your Profile in the Quick Links menu.

To see your or another user's profile, click the user name next to a forum post.

You can control which parts of your profile are visible to other forum users, or to strangers who visit the MacRumors website. It's controlled by the Profile Privacy page of your User Control Panel.

For each section of your profile you can control who can see which portions of your profile page:

• Everyone who visits MacRumors
• All registered forum members
• Only your contacts and friends
• Only your friends

Contacts and friends are particular forum members who you are interested in or have connections with. See New forum feature: Contacts and Friends for details.

To test how your profile page looks to site visitors, go to your profile, copy the URL, log out of MacRumors, and paste the URL to go back to that address.

Netiquette

Each user's privacy choices are their own personal decision. Please respect their choices.

Feedback

The tabbed profile style and the new profile privacy settings are new. If there are bugs, glitches, or problems with these features, please let us know and be patient while we try to smooth things out.

Your comments and suggestions about profiles and the privacy feature are welcome.

 

[iBlue]

I'm wondering if your default settings for this should be for registered members rather than "anyone". IIRC, previously profiles couldn't be viewed by people who weren't registered and logged in. I was a bit surprised to check and see the default set that way. Just a thought.

 

[stridemat]

I would agree with that. I would rather only registered members have access to all the info on my profile. I know I can now change my privacy settings to suit, but I think it would be beneficial if this was done by default.

 

[arn]

I'm wondering if your default settings for this should be for registered members rather than "anyone". IIRC, previously profiles couldn't be viewed by people who weren't registered and logged in. I was a bit surprised to check and see the default set that way. Just a thought.

I'm pretty sure the previous defaulted to allow anyone (non logged in) view your entire profile.

arn

 

[iBlue]

I'm pretty sure the previous defaulted to allow anyone (non logged in) view your entire profile.

arn

Ah, ok. I'll trust your memory of this over mine.

Maybe you have your reasons for these settings but I figured it was worth bringing up. With some of the new features (which have slightly more personal things within, photo albums, visitor messages, etc) maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to default the profiles (or certain aspects of them?) to registered users. I know people can change their settings but many people may not realize it. Sure it's sort of protecting the idiots but we sometimes do that here anyway.

I adjusted my profile settings right away so this isn't a personal concern, just hopefully something for the admins to consider, you know, for the idiots. </best intentions, really>

 

[Doctor Q]

I prefer privacy-by-default and agree with this goal for everyone, but I don't know that vBulletin allows us to set global defaults for profile privacy. The new version of the forum software came with its own idea of what the defaults should be for several forum features, and they weren't all the defaults we would have chosen.

 

[iBlue]

I prefer privacy-by-default and agree with this goal for everyone, but I don't know that vBulletin allows us to set global defaults for profile privacy. The new version of the forum software came with its own idea of what the defaults should be for several forum features, and they weren't all the defaults we would have chosen.

Ah, I see. I also just went to have a peek at the vBulletin admin panel on another forum and you're right, it isn't quite as straightforward as I thought it might be. Only place I saw for changing some of those options are in the usergroups manager and editing permissions for the unregistered/not logged in group. A few things might be worth toggling around in there if you all like the idea.

*is not backseat foruming... honest!*

 

[Doctor Q]

Ah, I see. I also just went to have a peek at the vBulletin admin panel on another forum and you're right, it isn't quite as straightforward as I thought it might be. Only place I saw for changing some of those options are in the usergroups manager and editing permissions for the unregistered/not logged in group. A few things might be worth toggling around in there if you all like the idea.

It's all or nothing. Either the world can see no profile pages or the world can see the portions that you've enabled or disabled (or that are enabled by default). Removing all profile viewing would be overkill to solve the problem that the defaults are "Facebooky" (a bit too cavalier about default privacy).

*is not backseat foruming... honest!*

Your suggestion is appreciated. We don't often get them from someone who understands the software.

 

[rdowns]

I'm wondering if your default settings for this should be for registered members rather than "anyone". IIRC, previously profiles couldn't be viewed by people who weren't registered and logged in. I was a bit surprised to check and see the default set that way. Just a thought.

Would it really matter? Any idiot can register with an email address. It's no barrier if someone wants to see that information.

 

[iBlue]

Would it really matter? Any idiot can register with an email address. It's no barrier if someone wants to see that information.

Sure but why make it even easier for someone with no macrumors affiliation to snoop?

I really don't wish to argue something that doesn't really affect me. I just voiced an idea and maybe the admins can decide if there's something they can/want to do.

 

[Queso]

AGH!!!! Customisable profiles with COMIC SANS!!!!


KILL IT Q!!! KILL IT NOW!!!

 

[belvdr]

Would it really matter? Any idiot can register with an email address. It's no barrier if someone wants to see that information.

I'd prefer it simply to prevent spiders/bots from caching it.