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Privacy issue with viewing profile


Guest phoeven

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Hi, I can see in the new profile, which I like though, that one will be tracked when viewing a profile.

We have here in the Netherlands a Hi5 look-a-like, called Hyves (www.hyves.nl). They recently introduced the possibility of tracking which members viewed your profile.

As Hyves did not a good job introducing this feature, a lot of people got angry because they were tracked down, viewing f.i. their ex-girlfriend's profile.

My suggestion for the alpha release of IPB 2.2 is the possibility for members to turn off the tracking while viewing profiles.

I'm not sure if it is already an admin- or usergroup-option.

Just wondering how you think about it. :)

Grtz,
Pieter

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The problem is that the Dutchies do see a problem. Offering the possibility to anybody to see ones internet-behaviour is seen as a violation of your privacy. Dutch people will probably not agree with your point of view: 'Then you don't look in someones profile'. They want to decide for themselves if they are watched or not.

It's a discussion similar to the question of use of videocontrol in the public space. Which is still an issue in the Netherlands.

I just don't want my visitors to not use the features of IPB, because of such an issue, which shouldn't be really difficult to fix.

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It's simple you don't look and then you don't get caught! I like the way the profile system is now and I like to know who has looked at my profile! It's a community feature that helps build better communities and if your in a community where you don't want to be tracked as you call it then what are you doing being a part of that community or as suggested already go back to the old profile if you run your own forum!?

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I also don't see why that should be an issue, its not giving out your address or anything, just says you looked at that profile. But if it is an issue once the final version is out you should be able to go to the skin and remove the reference that displays that block. Then you can still use the new rofile view but not display the tracking

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There is an option to switch back to the old style profile page which doesn't display that tracking stuff.



The people here seem to have a very narrow viewpoint: the admin of the forum is the only one that matters. What if your members don't like that people can see whose profile their viewing, even if it is entirely innocent? Some people view that as a violation of their privacy, and while I don't necessarily agree with that view, I do understand it.

Plus, why should you have to lose all of the other great new features of the profile system just because you don't like one of them?

It's simple you don't look and then you don't get caught! I like the way the profile system is now and I like to know who has looked at my profile!



Some people view having people being able to see exactly what they're doing as a violation of their privacy. Even if that's an entirely innocent action, I can still understand where they're coming from.

It's a community feature that helps build better communities and if your in a community where you don't want to be tracked as you call it then what are you doing being a part of that community or as suggested already go back to the old profile if you run your own forum!?

Do you want your next-door neighbor watching your every move with binoculars? Isn't there a reason we have window blinds?

Plus, you're ignoring the wishes of those who don't run their own forum. There are quite a few people like this, I think.

That said, I don't see the current system as an issue. If you're really that worried about people knowing what you're viewing, you can just log out before viewing someone's profile.

Simply log out and then view the profile.



If you're logged in, you're fair game IMO.



Fair enough. What if you view the profile while logged in invisibly?
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The people here seem to have a very narrow viewpoint: the admin of the forum is the only one that matters. What if your members don't like that people can see whose profile their viewing, even if it is entirely innocent? Some people view that as a violation of their privacy, and while I don't necessarily agree with that view, I do understand it.


If my members don't like it, then it is my job as an Admin to do something about it. Personally, I do like it, and will use it, but if my member complain then I will put it to a poll and let them decide whether they want it back the old way. I have created a demo board for my members to check out and none of them has said anything about it yet.
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If my members don't like it, then it is my job as an Admin to do something about it. Personally, I do like it, and will use it, but if my member complain then I will put it to a poll and let them decide whether they want it back the old way. I have created a demo board for my members to check out and none of them has said anything about it yet.



Rene Descartes stated the everyone must submit all of their rights to the majority. That system has failed multiple times across history, and we don't use it today. We should protect those with privacy concerns, just as we protect the handicapped in real life. If you put up a poll, the privacy advocates will surely lose: the other people - and the privacy advocates themselves - want the other features in the new feature system. That doesn't mean, though, that their wishes are invalid and should not be respected.

It rats you out. Kinda defeats the purpose of being in stealth mode huh?



Matt, would it be possible to make it so that steal mode prevent your profile view from being logged? That would probably make just about everyone happy.
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No it wouldn't make everyone happy, I like knowing who's viewing my profile. What is the major problem here. If you have put something in your profile you know people are going to look at it, that's a no brainer. A profile is public, not private and it's not a violation of privacy to have members view it so why should it be considered an invasion to track someone viewing it.
If you're looking at someone's profile, unless you have some reason to hide from looking at it, it shouldn't matter if it tracks you or not. If you are seriously worried about someone knowing than it's all the more reason you should be tracked. If you don't want this option on your own board then leave it out or edit it with a mod or something or just plain log out.

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No it wouldn't make everyone happy, I like knowing who's viewing my profile. What is the major problem here. If you have put something in your profile you know people are going to look at it, that's a no brainer. A profile is public, not private and it's not a violation of privacy to have members view it so why should it be considered an invasion to track someone viewing it.


If you're looking at someone's profile, unless you have some reason to hide from looking at it, it shouldn't matter if it tracks you or not. If you are seriously worried about someone knowing than it's all the more reason you should be tracked. If you don't want this option on your own board then leave it out or edit it with a mod or something or just plain log out.


That is worth a full quote because I could not agree more with Sunlite! :thumbsup:
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The people here seem to have a very narrow viewpoint: the admin of the forum is the only one that matters. What if your members don't like that people can see whose profile their viewing, even if it is entirely innocent? Some people view that as a violation of their privacy, and while I don't necessarily agree with that view, I do understand it.



Plus, why should you have to lose all of the other great new features of the profile system just because you don't like one of them?



Well, the person who pays for the forum and hosting should make the calls about how it operates. It's their decision what happens, and it's up to the members whether they want to continue to avail themselves of that forum and what it provides. So yes, the administrator of the forum IS the only one that matters.

If the administrator wishes to disable this functionality while still leaving the new profile enabled, they are free to alter the skin to remove it. It seems to be your viewpoint that administrators should not matter, and that everything should be focused on every USER getting what they want - regardless of how the administrator chooses to run their site. This is not correct.
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It seems to be your viewpoint that administrators should not matter, and that everything should be focused on every USER getting what they want - regardless of how the administrator chooses to run their site. This is not correct.



Well, while the internet is playing a more and more important role in people's life, they want to customize it as much as possible. So to be quite honest, I think software should offer the possibility for users to get what they want. Of course with the option for an administrator to overrule.

When you say too much focussing on the user is not correct, I disagree with you :). I think focussing on the administrator only is a little old-fashioned ;)

Anyhow, (A) is there any comment on viewing the profile and not being tracked while logged in as 'invisible'? Because that would do the trick. Especially because on my board it's not allowed to view profiles, when you're not logged in.
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Well, while the internet is playing a more and more important role in people's life, they want to customize it as much as possible. So to be quite honest, I think software should offer the possibility for users to get what they want. Of course with the option for an administrator to overrule.



When you say too much focussing on the user is not correct, I disagree with you :) . I think focussing on the administrator only is a little old-fashioned ;)



Anyhow, (A) is there any comment on viewing the profile and not being tracked while logged in as 'invisible'? Because that would do the trick. Especially because on my board it's not allowed to view profiles, when you're not logged in.



I still disagree completely. I like that I set an option and it only needs to be stored once, globally, not have every one of X members with the setting stored in their member entry. The members table is already getting too big.

In answer to your question, we know that invisible users are still listed in the "Last Visitors" - whether it will stay that way is beyond me.
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I agree :) with you if you argue for efficiency as far as there has been made a good choice between user customizability (is that a word? :S) and efficiency.

Anyhow, were going a little offtopic.

I hope the invisible users will be invisible too in the profile 'last visitor' option.

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