Should our privacy be invaded? What do thers think?

[Guest]

Only a few days ago did I realise that any message board member can find out whether or not I am signed in and, indeed, what forum or other activity I am investigating.
Surely this is an unwarranted intrusion for others to know what are my interests or message board activities.
I'm not sure, but I believe that even non-members - "guests"[sic] can obtain this information.

What do other members think? Personally, I don't like it and I can see no reason why anyone, apart from those running this forum, should have this facility to know, apart from anything else, whether I might be at home at any given time and also what topics interest or concern me.

Am I being a little bit paranoid - or do others also feel that this sort of intrusion is unneccesary and possibly unhealthy?

Hornspieler

[Serial_Apologist]

Only a few days ago did I realise that any message board member can find out whether or not I am signed in and, indeed, what forum or other activity I am investigating.
Surely this is an unwarranted intrusion for others to know what are my interests or message board activities.
I'm not sure, but I believe that even non-members - "guests"[sic] can obtain this information.

What do other members think? Personally, I don't like it and I can see no reason why anyone, apart from those running this forum, should have this facility to know, apart from anything else, whether I might be at home at any given time and also what topics interest or concern me.

Am I being a little bit paranoid - or do others also feel that this sort of intrusion is unneccesary and possibly unhealthy?

Hornspieler

As Serial_Apologist I could be anyone, as can you. Who is being intruded?

[John Wright]

If you are concerned Hornspieler, change your profile settings.

In the General Settings you'll find:

Invisible Mode:

Invisible Mode on
Invisible Mode off

Invisible mode allows you to browse the forums without appearing in the 'Currently Active Users' lists.

Not sure if you can be tracked down as having previously visited a page, but try it anyway.

[french frank]

Am I being a little bit paranoid - or do others also feel that this sort of intrusion is unneccesary and possibly unhealthy?

There is an easy remedy. Go to the top of the page, click on Settings. Then, on your own settings page, on the left hand side, click on General Settings. The at the top of the page select Invisible Mode On.

Voilà!

One reason it's useful to know if you're online is if people want to send you a Private Message. If you're not online they could wait for days for an answer.

But, in any case, you don't have to log in to read the messages and people won't know you're lurking.

Darn it! I could have saved my time!!! Thanks JW

[french frank]

Guests don't have access to any Profile pages, nor to the Who's Online page.

I think openness works both ways. Other people might not like the fact that 'hidden members' are prowling around. And no one can actually tell whether you're at home, at work, in a hotel room, in a wifi café or where you are.

I leave tracks everywhere because I often click on someone's name when I mean to click on the 'latest post' button. People put information about themselves on their Profile page to tell others a bit about themselves. They don't usually mind if someone visits their page to read what they've written.

[Don Petter]

Am I being a little bit paranoid - or do others also feel that this sort of intrusion is unneccesary and possibly unhealthy?

Only if you have something to hide?

(In which case, hide it, as others have suggested.)

[MrGongGong]

The solution to this
is to READ what you are signing up for
if it bothers you Don't join in (I don't do Stalkerbook for this reason amongst others )
and don't ever think that anything you say or look at on the internet is private

I do use internet banking and shopping etc but decided that I was happy with the "risk"

[Hornspieler]

Thanks, everyone for some helpful replies.

HS