Tips on Privacy and Anonymity
Fellow DS Members,
We started DailyStrength in 2006 with the idea that with support and help from regular people, anyone can overcome any challenge life may bring. And over these years our site has grown in terms of features and membership -- almost 500,000 strong now!
One of the challenges of building a site like DS is serving such a diverse membership. The DS community is young and old, male and female, living in all corners of the globe. Besides these obvious differences, DS members are also diverse when it comes to their attitudes toward privacy and anonymity. It's because of this that over the years we've added many features to help members have some privacy and anonymity while still being able to get the most out of DailyStrength. We wanted to take the space here to bring everyone up-to-date with our privacy features, how they work, and some tips for preserving your anonymity -- if that's what concerns you.
Before we begin, we must say that we have found that some of the most satisfied DS members are those that have used the site to share their stories, successes, fears, and doubts with the rest of us. It's amazing that when you can put yourself out there the most, you can get the most in return.
Privacy at DailyStrength
Privacy starts with understanding the difference between public content and profile content. When you are on DS you can post to a discussion, comment on a member's journal entry, comment on an expert's article -- these are all public content, like saying something in a crowd. We provide no privacy controls for public content. Then there is also profile content: your journals, photos, and profile information -- all of the content that shows up on your profile page. This profile content, that you create and maintain, can all be protected via our privacy features. The only exception here is your username and avatar since those are used to identify you on the site in areas like our discussion boards -- hence, your username and avatar are public.
For members who want to restrict access to some or all of their profile content, we offer the following features:
Journal Privacy - for each journal entry you can choose which group of users can view: everyone, just friends, or just me.
Photo Privacy - for each photo upload you can choose which user group can view: everyone, just friends, or just me.
Profile Privacy - you can choose which user group can view your profile page and all profile content: everyone, DS members, just friends.
The definition of each user group is as follows:
Everyone - all members and visitors to DailyStrengthÂ
DS Members - all signed-in DailyStrength members
Just Friends - only DailyStrength members on your friends list
Just Me - only youÂ
A Special Note About Google and Other Search Engines
One of the hottest privacy topics here concerns having the content you share with DS showing up in Google and other search engines. Profiles are not indexed by Google and other search engines. However, the content you post publicly (discussion posts, comments), is always available to Google and other search engines.
Specifically About Anonymity
Anonymity is a little different that privacy, and the two can easily be confused. If you want to be open and sharing, but don't want to 'link' your DS membership with your real-world self, you are looking to be anonymous. There are three very easy and simple steps to take if you want to maintain anonymity on DailyStrength:
1. Use a random username that doesn't include your name, location, age, or other distinguishable characteristic. If you are an existing member and want to change your username to something less identifying, make the request using our feedback form. Changing your username can take time (and sometimes may not be done), since we have to review all requests manually to deter abuse. And you can only change your username once.
2. Use a random photo as your avatar/profile photo. If you don't have a random photo, use one of our cool illustrated ones.
3. Don't post any personal information like your name, age, location, phone number, where you work, etc., or photos of yourself, family, or friends without privacy protection.
To Wrap Up
By using the right combination of privacy settings for yourself and being selective of the personal information you share, you should be able to find a level of privacy that makes you the most comfortable. That is what we strive for here at DailyStrength. If not, please let us know by filling out our feedback form.
Thanks much
TeamDS
Replies
I haven\'t had a public journal entry in years (except for a few that are random nothingness) and I do appreciate all of the changes since I became a member in Feb 2007. However, I was curious and googled my username for DS and my \"friends only\" journals we shown. I was logged out of DS when I did it. There HAS to be something that DS can do about the prying eyes of search engines! I no longer feel safe on DS because of this.
I posted the wrong picture to ur group site. How can I delete it for privacy assurance, or replace it with the one I meant to post?
thanks foir the update and clarifying things
Thank you for explaining the difference between anonymity and privacy in this journal entry and for explaining in detail the various privacy settings for us Daily Strength members. My only issue as a visually-impaired member is that the highly visual elements of the member account were more accessible via more text-based content. But then again, perhaps that might be asking too much... God bless you and keep up the good work. JesusLittleGirl
i agree with what kidatheart said below (copied and pasted it because she/he echos my concerns):
\" 1. Just Me setting for Recent Activity
I have my Recent Activity in My Account set to Just Me.
Yet - when I logged out of DS - what I have written shows up. This includes what I have posted in communities and/or members created groups (not a problem), but also hugs, journals I wrote and/or commented on.
It seems to me that before we got the privacy panels, if our Recent Activity was set to Just Me, our recent activity did not show anywhere on DS.
For example, this is what was shown in a member created group when I was logged out of DS.
KidAtHeart wrote a Journal Entry 2/1
KidAtHeart uploaded a New Photo 1/31
I do have to say that when I clicked on the link, while signed out of DS, it did take me to my profile page which said it was private. But, from my view, if the accounts Recent Activity is set to Just Me these notifications should not even be there.
BTW, I did take some print screens of what I found and can send them if you want to see them.
And obviously, my friends are getting email alerts when, I upload photos for example. (This is in addition to the problem of the setting for the Photo itself.) When my \"Recent Activity\" is set to \"Just Me\" why do they even get a notice - regardless of the setting of the profile.
So maybe you could clarify this for me. Just what does setting your Recent Activity as Just Me actually do now?
The only thing I can think of is that the Profile setting is superceding the Recent Activity setting. And if that is the case, then the Just Me function doesnt work at all anymore.
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2. Comments on Journals:
You wrote that journal comments are public. And that does appear to be true.
I always assume any comment I make to someone else\'s could become public if that person changes the setting for the Journal..
BUT...
If I set a journal to just friends, then why are any comments to that journal public? When I post something for \"Just Friends\", I don\'t necessarily want everyone to be able to read the comments made about that journal.
From my view, this defeats the purpose of making the journal private.
If the journal itself is set to Just Friends, why are the comments to that journal not set to that journal setting?
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3. That said, one thing I would really like to know is: When we go to someones profile page, how do we know how their profile is set as well as their journal?
Unless the profile is set to Just Friends I havent seen any way to tell other than logging out and going back and looking. And the same applies for journals.
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4. Journals in Recent Activity:
In most places that show Recent Activity on DS, it is simply a notification. However, in each or our Home Pages, the journal shows the first two lines of the journal.
Again, from my view, that defeats the privacy feature for our journals.
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5. Why is Recent Activity shown so many places on DS?
I counted 4 different places where someones recent activity shows up (apparently even if you have your profile set to Just Friends and your Recent Activity in you account set to Just Me. And that is in addition to email alerts of someones activity.
Does this really need to be in so many different places?
....1. In the Recent Activity for communities (and it does appear that you do NOT have to belong to that community for this to happen.)
....2. In all member created groups you belong to.
....3. On the page where you log in to DS.
....4. On each persons Home Page.
....5. And, in email alerts.
One of my concerns is, for example, that when someone has their Profile set to Just Friends, supposedly these journals are written behind the privacy panel. So, why is there ANY notification that a journal has been written other than to just their friends regardless of their Recent Activity setting?.
In any event, why does the notification of someones activity here at DS need to be posted in so many places? And, why can people who are not DS members see this?
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6. The New Drag and Drop Feature
I am not happy at all with this. I do not really like the possibility that a photo I post on DS can be dragged and dropped somewhere else on the net.\"
TeamDS, thank you for all the improvements on DS. And thanks for all the privacy tips and explanations. This site has been a real blessing to me. God bless.
Unfortunately, this isn\'t exactly true.... If members get community updates, they will see profile info on PRIVATE (friends only) PROFILES, the first two lines of locked journals & the comments left therein. The same happens with photos. Not only that, the same first two lines of LOCKED journals/photos & comments left show up on the home page under the EVERYONE TAB! This is NOT private!
does anyone know how to take a topic off that you post yourself???
I am new to this group and have been reading the posts. I so look forward to getting to know you and it is also nice to know others with chronic pain are out there supporting each other. My paid is caused from degenerative arthritis in my spine and now about every other place that can degenerate! I do not like to feel sorry for myself. this is what God\'s plan was for me and I will deal with it and someday will be finding a way to not hurt everyday.
well this is a good post but way out of date range for the current site....this new site does not have stock photo avitars any longer....that I know of....but the rest of what DS listed is good...I did not read any but wandering vets first reply here seeing it was 7yrs old....then I went to see what the last post was and 4yrs ago is pretty long ago....
Why are there post from 7 years ago. What is happening to DS.
Nice post
I need some one to talk to. Please im really haveing issues. I was beaten for being feminine as a child. This was so severe that i was just a angry boy for ever. I have been confused along time. I am a girl. But i am a boy and i hate it. I wish i was just a girl. Ive told a few of my female friends. But i live in a rural area and this would never be accepted at work. I dont know what to do. The only time i feel happy and comfortable is when i can act how i feel, feminie. Please i need to talk to someone.
helpful post
goooooooood