Why am I being tracked?

[**Peg**]

It takes a lot to get me pissed off but....

I haven't been around much lately and just noticed that, on my profile, every thread I read is being reported on my profile. WHY ? As a very private person, I don't want that, how do I remove it? or opt out of being tracked?

I employ DoNotTrack on my browser...and I can find no good reason for my activity to be publically posted so that anyone can read it !

Equally offensive is the listing of the name of the person someone is private messaging.....that is not privacy...

What WERE you thinking?

[elian]

If you are referring to the "Activity" tab it looks just like something that would come out of facebook..it keeps a roving status on all the things your "friends" interact with in case you might be interested. That wasn't the part about facebook that really bothered me because they only did it with friends, not with the entire online community. The part that bothered me about facebook was unregulated third party apps having access to all of my personal profile information. Of course when you use facebook you ARE their product - they sell all of that stuff to marketers and data miners.

[BiBrandon]

LOL if you don't want to be "tracked" don't go on the internet! You're not going to get any sort of privacy on message boards like this one, or on sites like myspace/facebook.

[Brian]

Peg,

I don't know what you are referring to when you say, "every thread I read is being reported on my profile." Can you elaborate or take a screenshot?

Regarding "the listing of the name of the person someone is private messaging"... I also don't know what you are referring to, but... The Who's Online page maybe? (http://www.bisexual.com/forum/online.php) (http://www.bisexual.com/forum/online.php) I see it does show things like "Currently: Reading Private Message From <user>". I can probably change that to remove the other user. And you can block yourself from appearing on that page completely by going to Control Panel > General Settings > Invisible Mode.

We aren't "tracking" you. The framework software we use is to operate community websites - the idea is to share. I don't say that to dismiss your concerns - I'm just putting it in perspective - the reason the software tends to do these things is because that is what it is designed to do.

Anyway, I am open to suggestions. Let me know your thoughts peg and everyone. Too much detail on the Who's Online page? Or should we rely on folks to put themselves in Invisible Mode if they want more privacy than the default settings?

- Drew :paw:

[falcondfw]

Peg,

I don't know what you are referring to when you say, "every thread I read is being reported on my profile." Can you elaborate or take a screenshot?

Regarding "the listing of the name of the person someone is private messaging"... I also don't know what you are referring to, but... The Who's Online page maybe? (http://www.bisexual.com/forum/online.php) (http://www.bisexual.com/forum/online.php) I see it does show things like "Currently: Reading Private Message From <user>". I can probably change that to remove the other user. And you can block yourself from appearing on that page completely by going to Control Panel > General Settings > Invisible Mode.

We aren't "tracking" you. The framework software we use is to operate community websites - the idea is to share. I don't say that to dismiss your concerns - I'm just putting it in perspective - the reason the software tends to do these things is because that is what it is designed to do.

Anyway, I am open to suggestions. Let me know your thoughts peg and everyone. Too much detail on the Who's Online page? Or should we rely on folks to put themselves in Invisible Mode if they want more privacy than the default settings?

- Drew :paw:

I think optional settings would be a good way to go, but make it default to "do not share my activity information".

Those who want other people to know what they are doing can let them know. Those who don't, keep the default.

However, I do think Peg is right in that listing who someone is reading a private message from makes it rather unprivate. Listing the activity as "Reading Private Messages" is more than good. The person who sent the message knows when/if it has been read. Those are the only two people who need to know that they sent each other a PRIVATE message. What were the vBulletin guys thinking?

[æonpax]

By default at this site, every time you reply in a thread, you automatically “subscribe” to it. It then saves it.

You can edit or delete these subscriptions. At the top, click on “Control Panel” then “My Subscriptions.”

You can also change all your privacy functions. At the top, click on “Control Panel” then under “My Account”, click on “General Settings”

Search engines like Google also are constantly combing the internet using programs, which in this case is called a “googlebot”, but also referred to as “indexing spiders”. This can be controlled by an administrator by adding the meta tag <meta name="Googlebot" content="nofollow" /> or by banning certain IP numbers.

[**Peg**]

If you are referring to the "Activity" tab it looks just like something that would come out of facebook..it keeps a roving status on all the things your "friends" interact with in case you might be interested. That wasn't the part about facebook that really bothered me because they only did it with friends, not with the entire online community. The part that bothered me about facebook was unregulated third party apps having access to all of my personal profile information. Of course when you use facebook you ARE their product - they sell all of that stuff to marketers and data miners.

good point, e..... further confirmation that I was right about never joining facebook. I prefer good old fashioned telephone calls to my closest buds.

[**Peg**]

By default at this site, every time you reply in a thread, you automatically “subscribe” to it. It then saves it.....

I have no subscriptions

[**Peg**]

Peg,

I don't know what you are referring to when you say, "every thread I read is being reported on my profile." Can you elaborate or take a screenshot?

I have since discovered that, although I have NO subscriptions, every posting made by people on my friends list is posted on my profile, my mistake. Um... suffice it to say I don't want THAT option either (I can read it in the forum).

Regarding "the listing of the name of the person someone is private messaging"... I also don't know what you are referring to, but... The Who's Online page maybe? (http://www.bisexual.com/forum/online.php) (http://www.bisexual.com/forum/online.php) I see it does show things like "Currently: Reading Private Message From <user>". I can probably change that to remove the other user.

yes Drew, it was on that page and on this one: http://www.bisexual.com/forum/online.php?sort=location&pp=150&page=1

And you can block yourself from appearing on that page completely by going to Control Panel > General Settings > Invisible Mode.

I know I can go invisible, but I would rather NOT....I see precious little enough of my friends here as it is, and I would rather they know when I'm online.

We aren't "tracking" you. The framework software we use is to operate community websites - the idea is to share. I don't say that to dismiss your concerns - I'm just putting it in perspective - the reason the software tends to do these things is because that is what it is designed to do.

In that case, as falcon suggested, please at least consider giving us an option to opt OUT of it?

Anyway, I am open to suggestions. Let me know your thoughts peg and everyone. Too much detail on the Who's Online page? Or should we rely on folks to put themselves in Invisible Mode if they want more privacy than the default settings?

- Drew :paw:


I have one other comment which I'll post in a separate reply. Thanks Drew

[**Peg**]

...Anyway, I am open to suggestions. Let me know your thoughts peg and everyone. Drew :paw:


Drew, some of my buds are complaining mightily (and IMO justifiably) about visitor messages displayed on their profiles. Is there no way to delete them? see my screenshot below for explanation. Apparently I was able to delete the CONTENT of the visitor messages back in February, but now it doesn't work. Sure would be nice to delete everything (including who the message was from). If I missed something, please edify me :)

thanks in advance.



6055

[elian]

good point, e..... further confirmation that I was right about never joining facebook. I prefer good old fashioned telephone calls to my closest buds.

Well, i have a feeling that certain of those are tracked too now Peg but, hey if you're not saying anything too bad it probably shouldn't matter. I was once chatting with a tech for Verizon Wireless in a local sandwich shop who told me he helped build out the cell network in the local area. Occasionally he had to listen into the "chatter" on the network to ensure call quality was good and (to put it politely) he lamented the fact that most of the calls were pretty much like listening to an adult soap opera.

[**Peg**]

hehe e, you might be right about that....but there again I employ good old-fashioned common sense and keep the hot stuff for "in-person" calls :). I have no soap in my life either, things are really sweet right now :)

[Brian]

1. Okay, I will make the mesages onthe Who's Online page more vague to remove some of the details, so for example change "Reading Private Message from <user>" to "Reading Private Messages". I think more privacy options for people to set would just be even more confusing.

2. Regarding Visitor Messages... Are you folks seeing what I see when on that page and tab? The screenshot:

6070

- Drew :paw:

[Brian]

Peg, when you say "I have since discovered that, although I have NO subscriptions, every posting made by people on my friends list is posted on my profile, my mistake. Um... suffice it to say I don't want THAT option either (I can read it in the forum)." Do you mean your Control Panel rather than your Profile? I can't figure out what you are seeing there - I don't seem to have anything like that.

- Drew :paw:

[**Peg**]

Drew, re private messages, this just gets weirder: yesterday I had no option to delete the top message, but this morning I did (I know how to do it: I did it back in february). This morning I managed to delete the CONTENT of the top message, but still no option to delete the entire history of visitor messages. Like everyone else, when the site first got changed, I assumed that the visitor messages were private to the persons' profile, and not available for everyone to read.

see screenshot taken this morning - notice there is no option to delete:

6071

[**Peg**]

Peg, when you say "I have since discovered that, although I have NO subscriptions, every posting made by people on my friends list is posted on my profile, my mistake. Um... suffice it to say I don't want THAT option either (I can read it in the forum)." Do you mean your Control Panel rather than your Profile? I can't figure out what you are seeing there - I don't seem to have anything like that.

- Drew :paw:


I mean on my profile (activity tab) here: http://www.bisexual.com/forum/member.php?68344-**Peg**

see top line of the screenshot where it says 'profile'

6072

[**Peg**]

I think that changing it to simply "reading private messages" will be appreciated, thanks for that, Drew :)

[bib4u]

It appears the "My Activity" shows everything anyone puts on it with a visitor message...

I don't think "Private Message[s]" are shown, just "Visitor Message[s]"...FYI?

[æonpax]

Side Issue


For those of you with Firefox and are concerned about online bots and trackers, there are three add-ons that will help eliminate most of them;

Adblock Plus - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/adblock-plus/

NoScript - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/noscript/

Ghostery - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ghostery/


This free program works with all browsers;

PeerBlock - http://www.peerblock.com/

[Brian]

Drew, re private messages, this just gets weirder: yesterday I had no option to delete the top message, but this morning I did (I know how to do it: I did it back in february). This morning I managed to delete the CONTENT of the top message, but still no option to delete the entire history of visitor messages. Like everyone else, when the site first got changed, I assumed that the visitor messages were private to the persons' profile, and not available for everyone to read.

see screenshot taken this morning - notice there is no option to delete:

6071 There is no option to delete them because they have already been deleted (and replaced by the notice "This message has been deleted by **Peg**").

If you had any remaining Visitor Messages there would be a box where you could select them.

- Drew :paw:

[Brian]

1. Okay, I will make the mesages onthe Who's Online page more vague to remove some of the details, so for example change "Reading Private Message from <user>" to "Reading Private Messages". I think more privacy options for people to set would just be even more confusing.


This has been done. It no longer says who's Private Message you are viewing or writing to.

- Drew :paw:

[Brian]

It appears the "My Activity" shows everything anyone puts on it with a visitor message...

I don't think "Private Message[s]" are shown, just "Visitor Message[s]"...FYI? You are correct. It is just Visitor Messages which are intended to always be public.

- Drew :paw:

[**Peg**]

This has been done. It no longer says who's Private Message you are viewing or writing to.

- Drew :paw:


yay... I've received feedback on this and it's positive....private messages are now truly private! thanks, Drew :)

[**Peg**]

There is no option to delete them because they have already been deleted (and replaced by the notice "This message has been deleted by **Peg**").

If you had any remaining Visitor Messages there would be a box where you could select them.

- Drew :paw:

see PM on the topic, thanks Drew

[Brian]

I've replied to Peg privately, but for others who are interested... you can delete the entire Visitor Messages tab/system for your profile under Control Panel > General Settings > Visitor Messages. I probably should have thought of it before. I hope that helps.

- Drew :paw: