[Asiablue]

The fact that these forums can be read by unregistered members makes me feel very vulnerable. I wondered why they are so public?

i understand not to put anything that can reveal my identity, but the very nature of this forum means we are all posting very personal info about ourselves. So it feels a bit scary when you know that anyone can idly click into our posts. At least if someone is bothered enough to register with a forum, they have a mild interest.

[Indie'sOK]

I can understand your frustration, but if the forum were visible to members only, how would anyone be able to see what the forum was about before signing up? Guests only have limited access to the forum - they can't post or view member profiles. The internet as a whole can be pretty revealing; I guess your best bet is to be careful about what personal info you put on the forum (or anywhere online, for that matter)

[FooZe]

We've discussed similar issues here, here, and here. Hope that helps.

[Asiablue]

Originally Posted by Indie'sOK

I can understand your frustration, but if the forum were visible to members only, how would anyone be able to see what the forum was about in order to become a member? Guests only have limited access to the forum - they can't post or view member profiles. The internet as a whole can be pretty revealing; I guess your best bet is to be careful about what personal info you put on the forum (or anywhere online, for that matter)

I think the headings for each forum make it pretty clear who they are intended for. The more general forums could be kept public, but the others such as abuse, psychotherapy, emotions etc which have sensitive information could require registration to view in full.

I love that i can come here and really speak to people who are going thru the same as me, but i want to vomit when i think just anyone can read and potentially recognise me. I do censor any information that could reveal who i am but it's a difficult balance between being honest about how i feel and not revealing too much ya know?

[Indie'sOK]

Originally Posted by Prettylittleblue

I think the headings for each forum make it pretty clear who they are intended for. The more general forums could be kept public, but the others such as abuse, psychotherapy, emotions etc which have sensitive information could require registration to view in full.

I love that i can come here and really speak to people who are going thru the same as me, but i want to vomit when i think just anyone can read and potentially recognise me. I do censor any information that could reveal who i am but it's a difficult balance between being honest about how i feel and not revealing too much ya know?

Many people on the site even post pictures of themselves (myself included, in my albums), and to my knowledge they've never had a problem with anonymity. If one WAS looking for information on a particular person, rather than just casually surfing the forums or a google search, they'd no doubt become lost in a sea of old posts and unrelated information before coming across anything incriminating. As DocJohn mentioned in one of the discussions Fooze posted, the site was made searchable because people were having a hard time finding our forums. People are more apt to sign up to something when they know what it's about.

[Asiablue]

Originally Posted by Indie'sOK

Many people on the site even post pictures of themselves (myself included, in my albums), and to my knowledge they've never had a problem with anonymity. If one WAS looking for information on a particular person, rather than just casually surfing the forums or a google search, they'd no doubt become lost in a sea of old posts and unrelated information before coming across anything incriminating. As DocJohn mentioned in one of the discussions Fooze posted, the site was made searchable because people were having a hard time finding our forums. People are more apt to sign up to something when they know what it's about.

think i need to change my username.....

[Indie'sOK]

Originally Posted by Prettylittleblue

think i need to change my username.....

Me too...I use the same one for most sites I sign up to.

[Asiablue]

Originally Posted by Indie'sOK

Me too...I use the same one for most sites I sign up to.

lol i can never think of anything

[DocJohn]

We've been a public community support group for 10 years. That's not going to change, as we believe the best way to combat mental health prejudice and stigma is by being public, not hiding things behind closed doors (which is the equivalent of what private forums are).

We also warn people when they register:

When choosing a username:

• Do not choose a username that could identify you in real life
• Do not choose a username used on other online forums
• Do not use profanity in your username
• Do not use your email address or real name
  

[lizardlady]

FWIW, I used to belong to a site that required people to register before reading the forums. It did not prevent people from causing the problems. The place became toxic.

I certainly understand people's fears. I've had them myself. IMHO, keeping members safe is two-fold. Each person has the responsibility to be careful what personal information they post. Personally I verge on paranoia about protecting my personal identity after some people at that other site I mentioned cyberstalked me. Secondly, my hat is off to the admin and moderators at PC for keeping us safe. They do a fantastic job of protecting us here.