Next week, I'll be getting back to the grunt work of working more on the upgrades to the main site, but I also wanted to check in with you about something we could add to the boards.
Would you like for me to add a section of the boards where posts could only be read by registered users, and thus, not indexed by Google in any way, or seen by those who aren't registered?
Every now and then, we get users worried about their posts being seen, and with areas like, say, the abuse support forums, it seems like people might feel more secure and safe if the general public couldn't read their posts.
I don't really see a downside to adding this area, but just checking in with all of you about it. Good idea? Something you'd want? And if so, thoughts on what forums we have now should probably be put in that area?
Thanks!
-------------------- Heather Corinna, Executive Director & Founder, Scarleteen About Me • Get our book! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead Posts: 63684 | From: An island near Seattle | Registered: May 2000
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I think it would be an awesome idea to add this feature!! Definately the abuse forum, maybe the relationships one, in case a partner googles something about it!
Posts: 127 | From: USA | Registered: Dec 2006
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I'd really like that, because I sometimes input my screenname into a search engine(primarily to look up nearby artists on deviantART who are seeking models and such), and Scarleteen posts take up alot of space on the search pages. Personally, I wouldn't mind most of the boards being members-only.
-------------------- "You owe me two lifetimes and a pair of perfect blue eyes." Posts: 407 | From: Georgia | Registered: Aug 2004
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I don't see us going that way with most of the boards, simply because one real benefit of much of the boards being public is that a person can type a question into Google, and very often, an answer can be pulled up via a board post because we work so hard and answer so many questions (and have for so long).
But certainly, moving the more sensitive post forums into a more private area is totally doable.
(FYI? A tip on the screenname issues: it's always best not to duplicate the name you use on one site on another, especially when it's very different in nature, or something you want more private. And we do have a function here where you can change the same as it's shown on posts, so you can do that if you need to, daria. )
-------------------- Heather Corinna, Executive Director & Founder, Scarleteen About Me • Get our book! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead Posts: 63684 | From: An island near Seattle | Registered: May 2000
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I do think members-only boards would be a good idea. At this particular moment in time, I don't have any real issue with my posts being visible through a google search, but I know that there are some things that, if they were to come up in my life, I wouldn't be comfortable having my posts about be that publicly accessible. The Abuse Support forums would be a perfect candidate for this.
Posts: 406 | From: California | Registered: Jun 2005
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I totally agree with members only boards. There are certain things that people don't want others to be able to see easily. I think it would make some people feel more comfortable :]
Good idea!
Posts: 43 | From: United States | Registered: Mar 2007
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I think being found through Google is an awesome thing, and helps deter un-necessary posts. It's our outside search function!
Members-only boards certainly have their place when the material is sensitive, and I'm totally for the abuse area being one of few, if not the only one.
We have lots of people browsing the site and boards at any given time though, and lots of those are anon folks who just don't feel like registering, so for information's sake it would be great if we could keep as many as possible as-is.
I'd second Heather's recommendation that folks switch up their handle if it's shared with another site, and above all, if you're concerned that what you're saying is way personal and something somebody can easily find, the Internet is never the place for it.
Posts: 4636 | From: USA/Northern Europe | Registered: Oct 2005
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Oh my GOD. I did not know that, just typed 'smileyjoseph' into Google, basically it's a list of about 900 combined Scarleteen and Alturasforums posts. I think there should be a private and non-private abuse forum. It may help to have one easily accessible, since I think I remember you saying most first posters start there.
-------------------- “In a strange room, before you are emptied for sleep, what are you. And when you are filled with sleep you never were. I don’t know what I am. I don’t know if I am or not... how often have I lain beneath rain on a strange roof, thinking of home.” Posts: 1269 | From: London, UK | Registered: Jun 2006
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To be honest, I was actually unaware that our posts were visible via a google search. However, now that I am aware, I don't have any problem with it. It was just a little like, "Hmm. That's news to me." But most of what comes up when I search for my name is some woman's profile and posts on some dating site.
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(I actually found Scarleteen from a random Google search...jeje )
Fine with me, but I think it should be the general "support groups" forum as well as the abuse one.
-------------------- "Love does not make itself in the desire for copulation, but in the desire for shared sleep." - The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera Posts: 410 | From: Dallas, TX | Registered: Dec 2005
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Well, right now I'm feeling like a big dope.
I *thought* I could easily do this, and in setting to it this afternoon, it's looking right now like I can't, exactly. I see one backend way to do it, but I'll unfortunately need some more time and some extra tech help to do so.
I'm so sorry: obviously, I didn't intend to offer something I couldn't deliver!
What I *can* do for now, for users who just want threads not public (at any time) is move a thread to a locked area within the staff/volunteer section I just created. That way, we can still have our own record of posts when needed, but someone feeling overexposed for some reason can ask us to move the thread. You won't be able to continue discussing anything there, but it can be moved out of public view.
I'm not giving up, I still know we can set this up, I just don't know how right now, and given that I'm about to fly out for more book promotion for a while, and am also in the final throes of the full site upgrade, it'll take a while. I'm very sorry for the delay.
-------------------- Heather Corinna, Executive Director & Founder, Scarleteen About Me • Get our book! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead Posts: 63684 | From: An island near Seattle | Registered: May 2000
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i also found scarleteen via a random search on google and to be honest with you im glad i did find you
so mayby putting things in members only might not be the best idea, but i think mayby have a private bit for like all topics so if people are not comfortable with non members reading them then they can go on there
-------------------- ...×..._[[I]] Wish I Could [[Remove]] It From My [[Mind]]...×... Posts: 28 | From: leicester | Registered: Apr 2007
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It's really no huge deal to me that we're indexed on Google. My major use for it just got phased out anyway -- deviantart is letting me search for nearby artists and model via the main site now, so I'm happy on both fronts now.
The abuse and support groups are the only things I see as having potential privacy issues, and since we've been fine so far with them being public, a bit of a delay to make sure things get done right shouldn't hurt one bit.
(Good luck and congratulations on the book and all!)
-------------------- "You owe me two lifetimes and a pair of perfect blue eyes." Posts: 407 | From: Georgia | Registered: Aug 2004
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I absolutely agree that the abuse forum should become members-only, because as was demonstrated not too long ago it's possible for the abusive person to read those messages and it could cause more trouble for the victim. So absolutely the abuse forum.
As for the others, I think they're alright as they are, because there's not as much sensitive information in those.
Posts: 336 | From: Manchester, UK | Registered: Apr 2004
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(How are you doing, by the way, ladydexter?)
-------------------- Heather Corinna, Executive Director & Founder, Scarleteen About Me • Get our book! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead Posts: 63684 | From: An island near Seattle | Registered: May 2000
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(A lot better, Heather, thanks for asking. I've got a lot of friends who rallied round to support me after everything. )
Posts: 336 | From: Manchester, UK | Registered: Apr 2004
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-------------------- Heather Corinna, Executive Director & Founder, Scarleteen About Me • Get our book! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead Posts: 63684 | From: An island near Seattle | Registered: May 2000
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If I can suggest a smaller effort with similar result? Let the user who posts decide if its searchable or not by clicking a radio button just like you do the message icon which reads : make it searchable over net, and Don't.
This way 1.you need not split groups 2.your Idea of respecting one's privacy is pristine.
-------------------- Sex is not the sole entity in a relationship. There are commitment,trust,and companionship. One will realize them in unconditional love. Posts: 21 | From: Matrix | Registered: May 2007
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As I know of, there's no way to do this. Every post in a public forum can be found by anyone, and there's not really much that can change that. Google caches even private or friends-only posts on journal sites!
We really want as much of the boards to remain open to the public as possible, and allowing users to pick and choose when they want their posts public could run counter to that. We just want users dealing with subject matter that could endanger them if found (as a prime example, folks with abusive partners) to feel safe, which is why we're working on a solution.
Everyone who posts here is allowed to give out no personal information and is encouraged to choose a handle that does not identify them as a measure to protect everyone's privacy. Posts: 4636 | From: USA/Northern Europe | Registered: Oct 2005
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Would it be possible to block out where a person lives? Or would we just have to not put that up in our profiles ourselves? The thing is, in some posts the volunteers ask where you live in order to find services near you, but then if other people see that, it could identify them. Is there any way to prevent that?
-------------------- Listen, strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.--Monty Python and the Holy Grail Posts: 2726 | From: North America | Registered: Apr 2007
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It is the responsibility of every poster to safeguard their own personal information and be mindful of posting on the WWW; if we see anything more specific location-wise than city and state/province, the user will be prompted to remove it, or a staff member will.
It's often very helpful to know a person's general location at a glance so we can best serve them -- for example, a person living in a country outside of North America may live in a place with different cultural/social standards related to their query, and as an international site we must be sensitive to those!
Really? We've had next to no problems with users providing the allowed amount of personal info. Anybody who's concerned about privacy should make sure their handle and profile conceals their identity (which in the vast majority of cases is sufficient, since that's why screen-names were invented! ). Otherwise, one should leave a note in Staff Stuff/contact the staff by email if there are special circumstances in which a user has reason to believe their privacy is in danger based on what they've posted.
Posts: 4636 | From: USA/Northern Europe | Registered: Oct 2005
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understandably google search works only for static pages, ie pages once created and kept.
not dynamic pages because google can not search for a dynamic page for that matter no search engine is capable of doing that.
Now given the requirement we have to look at possibilities of generating dynamic content based on the user request. Question is how to do it? 1. possible by creating pages without Meta data on user choice.
-------------------- Sex is not the sole entity in a relationship. There are commitment,trust,and companionship. One will realize them in unconditional love. Posts: 21 | From: Matrix | Registered: May 2007
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You mentioned in your post that the decision should be left up to the user who posts whether to make their own post private or not; I meant to say there is no mechanism for such an action at this time, nor is it within our policies, not that it's impossible to avoid being indexed by Google (as Heather stated was her intent in her original post).
We WANT people finding Scarleteen through Google, versus other sites with not-so accurate or age-appropriate information. If everyone goes making their posts private, that purpose is defeated.
All we are talking about is what users thought about making areas in which sensitive subject matter is hidden from non-members to protect their safety in special circumstances. Users know and agree otherwise that what they post is public to the world wide web; that's how we reach so many people, and that is not up for negotiation or spontaneous user choice, save circumstances in which they contact the staff by email with their concerns.
[ 06-11-2007, 01:46 PM: Message edited by: Miss Lauren ]
Posts: 4636 | From: USA/Northern Europe | Registered: Oct 2005
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