New Profile Requirements

How about a default location of "Private"? Then the user will have to deliberately over-ride if they care to be searched on...

Hi All,

Just my .02 on this subject. I remember from the beginning days of SD when this option was something that some wished was avaliable only for the sense of finding other members in different regions/areas and used primarly by the people who were planning Official SD Events and Happy Hours, that way those which didn't frequent the site could be notified instead of looking through the members list one by one which could be very hectic seeing the growth of memberships.

In respects to those who wish to maintain their privacy it is very understandable on what I read, however since this option has become avaliable, why not hide it from showing on everyone's actual profile or under their avatar and just make the information possibly just city and state only avaliable through a search engine that way it's not showing up to everyone and anyone on the site who logs on.

Another thought is why not make this a search that has additional costs involved for anyone outside of Admins or Staff members (or whomever is agree upon) who may use it for such things as event planning.

With this in mind I would think it would detour some problems from happening, granted not all but some. Once again just my .02

Dejah

I like the idea. It would make it easier for anybody looking to come to Bermuda to look and say, "Oh hey Blacktar lives out that way. Let's blow him some bubbles." But on country I am listed as other, and I don't have a state or a city. I do have a Parish.
Patrick

Hi All,

Just my .02 on this subject. I remember from the beginning days of SD when this option was something that some wished was avaliable only for the sense of finding other members in different regions/areas and used primarly by the people who were planning Official SD Events and Happy Hours, that way those which didn't frequent the site could be notified instead of looking through the members list one by one which could be very hectic seeing the growth of memberships.

In respects to those who wish to maintain their privacy it is very understandable on what I read, however since this option has become avaliable, why not hide it from showing on everyone's actual profile or under their avatar and just make the information possibly just city and state only avaliable through a search engine that way it's not showing up to everyone and anyone on the site who logs on.

Another thought is why not make this a search that has additional costs involved for anyone outside of Admins or Staff members (or whomever is agree upon) who may use it for such things as event planning.

With this in mind I would think it would detour some problems from happening, granted not all but some. Once again just my .02

Dejah

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but just any old lurker can't see profiles OR use the Search engine.

To view profiles, you must be a minimum of a Premium member (or Divers in Uniform, etc). The free 'Member' level can't see the profiles. Ever. That's not likely to ever change 'cos anyone could register for the freebie. If they're willing to spring the $25 then they're *way* less likely to be a spammer or other undesireable bottom-dweller. It's no guarantee, but it's a good bet.

Similarly, the 'advanced' options for the Search engine are for Premium and above, so again neither guests nor those too cheap to spring the $25 can do much with it. You can't see the new LOC... fields if you're just a Member. On sober reflection, we're planning on leaving the original 'Location' field in, but the only place it'll be used is below your avatar in the posts (that's the From: line). If you're willing to pony up the $25 yearly membership, then you ought to be able to search to find someone near you to dive with, then you can PM 'em to see if they're similarly inclined. I don't think we want to charge extra for 'search by location' as SOOO many of you have asked for it. And asked for it. And asked for it....

DOH! I've been so buried and busy trying to get the Portal all running that I never noticed 'till this afternoon that the new fields were showing up under your avatar in all the posts! We've corrected that little oversight... Sorry for the inconvenience!

Hi All,

Just my .02 on this subject. I remember from the beginning days of SD when this option was something that some wished was avaliable only for the sense of finding other members in different regions/areas and used primarly by the people who were planning Official SD Events and Happy Hours, that way those which didn't frequent the site could be notified instead of looking through the members list one by one which could be very hectic seeing the growth of memberships.

In respects to those who wish to maintain their privacy it is very understandable on what I read, however since this option has become avaliable, why not hide it from showing on everyone's actual profile or under their avatar and just make the information possibly just city and state only avaliable through a search engine that way it's not showing up to everyone and anyone on the site who logs on.

Another thought is why not make this a search that has additional costs involved for anyone outside of Admins or Staff members (or whomever is agree upon) who may use it for such things as event planning.

With this in mind I would think it would detour some problems from happening, granted not all but some. Once again just my .02

Dejah

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but just any old lurker can't see profiles OR use the Search engine.

To view profiles, you must be a minimum of a Premium member (or Divers in Uniform, etc). The free 'Member' level can't see the profiles. Ever. That's not likely to ever change 'cos anyone could register for the freebie. If they're willing to spring the $25 then they're *way* less likely to be a spammer or other undesireable bottom-dweller. It's no guarantee, but it's a good bet.

Similarly, the 'advanced' options for the Search engine are for Premium and above, so again neither guests nor those too cheap to spring the $25 can do much with it. You can't see the new LOC... fields if you're just a Member. On sober reflection, we're planning on leaving the original 'Location' field in, but the only place it'll be used is below your avatar in the posts (that's the From: line). If you're willing to pony up the $25 yearly membership, then you ought to be able to search to find someone near you to dive with, then you can PM 'em to see if they're similarly inclined. I don't think we want to charge extra for 'search by location' as SOOO many of you have asked for it. And asked for it. And asked for it....

DOH! I've been so buried and busy trying to get the Portal all running that I never noticed 'till this afternoon that the new fields were showing up under your avatar in all the posts! We've corrected that little oversight... Sorry for the inconvenience!

Stan,

The guy who emailed me, contacted me on Yahoo and eventually managed to telephone my place of business found me here on SD. He told me he bought me a bathing suit and he wanted me to model it for him...for starters. He got my preliminary information from my profile, then my first name from my Yahoo ID, and somehow managed to get all the rest after that. Apparently I wasn't the only one it happened to cause he eventually got booted from SD and I didn't hear from him after that. My point is, he got my info from my profile...and you want me to be even more specific about where I live? And...he must have coughed up the $25 to be able to do that, right? So someone's financial status really has little to do with it.

The guy who emailed me, contacted me on Yahoo and eventually managed to telephone my place of business found me here on SD.(snip)

I did a security conference late last year and did a public demonstration on just how easy it is to use search engines to find info. There were about 50 people in the audience and they were shocked what could be found. I found a couples blog, they had their resumes posted. From that I found their place of birth, passport number, street and mailing addresses, phone / fax / emails and even a street address of where their cabin was located. I ended with an aerial shot showing their house and neighborhood from Google Earth. Now I am not talking about hacking into databases here, this was all PUBLIC information that they had posted themselves in blogs, pictures or public Internet posts on various websites. It does not take long to piece together a persons life from disparate sources.

Heck with the searchable location fields, you all know where to find me... "down under."

I've never tried to search, because I'm "too cheap to spring" and am unauthorized to use that feature.

It is a terrible thing about putting any info or pics of yourself on the internet, anyone wacko can take your pics and place an ad anywhere they want and use your email or any info they have on you. I had placed a profile on match.com { looking for a female match }while in Maui and some stalker got the hots for me and, like you ladies mentioned about stalkers, I got seriously harassed. I took all pics of myself off the internet and it took me some time before I cooled off. These things happen, and yes it took a lot of work and a little money to counteract all the damage done to me because I rejected his advances.