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  #1  
Old Feb 01, 2014, 02:33 AM
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possum220 possum220 is offline
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I just posted something in the Dissociation Forum about 'natural mulitplicity'. After having left the post I thought I would google the term to see if I could find out more about the subject matter. When I posted the term into google 2 pages of the thread were in plain view on Google.

I thought this was supposed to be a guests or members only site???

I just looked up another two threads and they are also there in plain site for all to see in Google. So much for privacy.

I read the privacy statement that said Google is allowed to index this site. Well be assured they are doing their job.

Last edited by possum220; Feb 01, 2014 at 02:49 AM.
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  #2  
Old Feb 01, 2014, 04:29 AM
Anonymous24413
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If google couldn't index the site, no one would be able to find it.
You have to be a member to post and respond and read member profiles.

The User Agreement is available before you sign up. I'm sure you could ask a staff member to edit out any identifying information, but the policies are available for you to read- most boards are actually not entirely closed to search engines, so I would just check in the future so you know what you are dealing with.

  #3  
Old Feb 01, 2014, 05:47 AM
ResaLock ResaLock is offline
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THAT IS HOW I FOUND THIS SIGHT!!! Yea...come to think about it...its a scary thought...

I was looking up things related to my therapist flirting with me...to see if others had this problem. I was really upset about it.
....and it brought me right to a thread of people discussing it on here...
Then I had to join to comment on the thread. Which was my first post.
It did not bring me just to the sight, index or a list or home page. It brought me to the thread directly.
Thanks for this!
Gus1234U
  #4  
Old Feb 01, 2014, 06:29 AM
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possum220 possum220 is offline
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I don't have a problems with Google being able to index the site as in PsychCentral,
but the fact that individual threads are being indexed is sad. I must have missed the fine print. Still not happy.

I wouldn't have a problem with the names of Forums beings indexed but to take it that step further and give the whole world a view of threads and what people are thinking/going through stinks.
Thanks for this!
Gus1234U, H3rmit, Lamia_13
  #5  
Old Feb 01, 2014, 07:41 AM
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Alone & confused Alone & confused is offline
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Hummmmm. I Googled to find this site too! Never really thought about the threads being out there. Wow!
Well, I never say anything that I'm worried about anyone seeing. Im the type who will tell the Store clerk just exactly "how I'm doing today" when asked. But I have been picking & choosing my words as not to give away too much info.
I've googled my real name before to see what popped up only to find that Google is terribly misinformed
About who I'm related to anyway so nothing surprises me. But does it show the pictures some if you have in the site or email addresses too? This is why I hate technology! It's awesome to have the world at your finite tips but there seems to be NO LIMITS OR BOUNDRIES to protect privacy!
Thanks for this!
Gus1234U
  #6  
Old Feb 01, 2014, 08:08 AM
Anonymous24413
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alone & confused View Post
...there seems to be NO LIMITS OR BOUNDRIES to protect privacy!
There are SO MANY ways for privacy to be protected. It's just that most often we, as individuals, are responsible to initiate those guards and protections. I think not everyone is aware of what they sign up for or how to intiate privacy protection as well, which is kind of where individuals are having some difficulty keeping up with technology.
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  #7  
Old Feb 01, 2014, 08:17 AM
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Alone & confused Alone & confused is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JosieTheGirl View Post
There are SO MANY ways for privacy to be protected. It's just that most often we, as individuals, are responsible to initiate those guards and protections. I think not everyone is aware of what they sign up for or how to intiate privacy protection as well, which is kind of where individuals are having some difficulty keeping up with technology.
True.... But there are also hackers, & of course gov. keeping check on things.
I just don't trust alot of things.
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BlueInanna
  #8  
Old Feb 01, 2014, 08:36 AM
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DocJohn DocJohn is offline
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Yes, posts and threads are indexed by Google. Member profiles are not, and you have to be logged-in to view a member's profile.

We clearly state this when members sign up, and encourage members to keep this in mind when posting or choosing their username.

DocJohn
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ResaLock
  #9  
Old Feb 01, 2014, 08:44 AM
ResaLock ResaLock is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DocJohn View Post
Yes, posts and threads are indexed by Google. Member profiles are not, and you have to be logged-in to view a member's profile.

We clearly state this when members sign up, and encourage members to keep this in mind when posting or choosing their username.

DocJohn

They may not see the personal profiles....but they see and can look up by subject and see what people post on every thread and post commented on.
Thanks for this!
Gus1234U, H3rmit, Lamia_13
  #10  
Old Feb 01, 2014, 03:54 PM
Anonymous24413
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Originally Posted by ResaLock View Post
They may not see the personal profiles....but they see and can look up by subject and see what people post on every thread and post commented on.
This can easily be done through Google with syntax and searchterms, and PsychCentral has no control over that.

The only option to avoid that kind of search capability completely would be to halt Google indexing, and that would be the beginning of the end for PC, in all likelihood.
  #11  
Old Feb 01, 2014, 09:40 PM
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possum220 possum220 is offline
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Dear Doc John,

Is there anyway we could stop Google from indexing just the threads or is it too late?


If I were to change 1 character of my name would I lose my details against my current name - ie number of posts etc?
  #12  
Old Feb 01, 2014, 10:57 PM
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If I understand google changes to their algorithm in September psych central should actually come up to the top more often because the threads have more related content than say a news story. So I decided to test my theory (since I am learning seo) and I was right. I used "bipolar disorder" because it is so common and compared july to January. In july psych central did not appear in the "feature box" at the top at all. CNN was first. It's like the "most relevant" box after ads. The only result on the first page was number 3 in the regular results. In January both feature links are from psych central. Anybody can test this.

Your best bet is to make sure you are anonymous and get a more popular disorder

Forums threads posted staight onto Google???Forums threads posted staight onto Google???

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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possum220
  #13  
Old Feb 04, 2014, 02:08 PM
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BlueInanna BlueInanna is offline
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Yes suppose we agreed to it when signed up. But.. We were possibly in crisis and eager for help when joining not realizing the content of our posts would be so public.

It does feel invasion of privacy when I search & find details of our posts right out there for the world to see. I feel it's important to feel safe here & able to open up freely for support. We're often like a therapy group.

It would be nice if search still leads people who need the support to be directed here to this wonderful site, but have to register to view posts. That would help me feel good & more comfortable.
  #14  
Old Feb 04, 2014, 02:23 PM
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If you want to post something that will not show up in a google search you can post in Premier Poohbah Forum. You have to have enough posts/time here to post there but it is more private. Even PC members who have not reached Premier Poohbah status cannot read or access this forum.
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  #15  
Old Feb 04, 2014, 02:58 PM
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Google can't index the posts if they can't see them, so unfortunately, we can't restrict to viewing posts only to members. Google wouldn't be able to index anything then.

Yes, the Premier Poohbah forum is private and not seen by Google. But you do have to be a long-standing, veteran member to gain membership to that forum (or send the Community Connection, our affiliated non-profit, a donation).

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  #16  
Old Feb 04, 2014, 03:09 PM
Anonymous24413
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BlueInanna View Post
Yes suppose we agreed to it when signed up. But.. We were possibly in crisis and eager for help when joining not realizing the content of our posts would be so public.

It does feel invasion of privacy when I search & find details of our posts right out there for the world to see. I feel it's important to feel safe here & able to open up freely for support. We're often like a therapy group.

It would be nice if search still leads people who need the support to be directed here to this wonderful site, but have to register to view posts. That would help me feel good & more comfortable.
I see the concerns here and they definitely have merit- but the difficulty in execution, as DocJohn has described, is really only one issue here. I mean, the user agreement is put in place so that people have knowledge of what they sign up for and having google be able to search the forum ensures the longevity of the forum.

But to assume that people are in crisis and don't understand what they are signing up for presents a whole mess of issues- that the forum is therefore responsible for what that person posts, essentially, which isn't true. Also it suggests an agreement that people should be coming to an internet forum and signing up when they are in acute crisis such that they are not able to actually understand what is best for them- that may or may not be the reality of what you are saying but to put in place that kind of leeway is what it would practically come down to: an acceptance that it is most appropriate to come HERE when in acute crisis.

It also takes personal responsibility off of the individual poster and that is probably not healthy for the poster OR the community as a whole.

I'm having trouble figuring this out, actually for some reason:
DocJohn, are the social groups accessible to Google indexing?


I think there are ways around this- for each individual to find a level of comfort in which they can engage with the community as whole- but ultimately the internet is still the internet and its nature doesn't really change much.
  #17  
Old Feb 04, 2014, 04:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by possum220 View Post
I wouldn't have a problem with the names of Forums beings indexed but to take it that step further and give the whole world a view of threads and what people are thinking/going through stinks.
Do you think that "people" who post are identifiable on the "outside"? If I were out there, could I tell who "possum220" is? (Heck, I am in here, and don't know who possum220 is.)

I think reading what people are thinking and going through can be very encouraging to others who suffer similar things, when they feel as though they are alone in that.
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  #18  
Old Feb 04, 2014, 05:17 PM
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eskielover eskielover is offline
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Quote:
Do you think that "people" who post are identifiable on the "outside"? If I were out there, could I tell who "possum220" is? (Heck, I am in here, and don't know who possum220 is.)
Actually it's possible if you know the person & some things become more obvious....I ended up figuring out here a guy I a music major with in college back in the early 1970's....put together some of what he said & his user name....then looked at his profile for the final determination & we both figured out that we knew each other at about the same time.....it was good for us, I'm still in contact with him & his family.....but it took some detective work to figure it out.

Interesting when I google my username.....all the posts that I write in the open forums come up....along with the caption right under my avatar......I didn't jump to the actual listing but I'm sure it's what I have posted.

I am very careful NOT to put much of my personal information out there because my ex would know my username & get more information than I might want him to have (lol.....let him read this).....I keep the private stuff private with regards to things I"m going through that are serious.....in most cases, I really don't think that what we write is really something that anyone who isn't struggling with similar issues would even want to search on.....people from all over the world here.....& the huge number of members at PC....but then individuals might have individual situations.
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  #19  
Old Feb 04, 2014, 08:13 PM
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Google -- and other search engines -- can only see what a non-logged in user can see. So if you want to know what Google can and can't index, simply log out and browse the community.

So no, Google can't see the social groups since they're not logged in (only logged-in members can view social groups), and so the social groups should not be available in search engines.

DocJohn
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Thanks for this!
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  #20  
Old Feb 04, 2014, 08:24 PM
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eskielover eskielover is offline
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Thanks DocJohn, Ah that's good to know about the social groups....I wasn't sure exactly how they worked but I do post more of my private thoughts in there also.
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