Google listing of usernames

[la_canadiense(01)]

Does anyone know if it is possible to set our SN forum privacy settings so that our usernames don't come up on a google search? it makes me very uncomfortable that I can find my posts by searching my username. Obviously, most of my posts are about makeup, so no problems, but once in a while things get personal here (like in the chit chat area where we might be sharing something going on in our lives, etc) and I'd rather that stuff didn't show up in a google search...
so, does anyone know? My username doesnt show up for any posts associated with our other MMU forum, so it must be possible somehow....

[Xarata]

I'm sure it'll take awhile to figure out any coding.

Not just your SN shows up in google- i see your photobucket, 2 different blogs with your username (megsmakeup and Canadian in Spain) and lots of forums and other pages (twitter, englishforum, boardreader, musiczone, notesfromspain).


Mine, personally, pops up with my vox, my blogspot, etsy, ebay, myspace, and everything SN, OTHER people's blogs and forums that have posted about a makeup swap they have done with me or to comment about a photo they saw elsewhere, any review i've done (MakeUpTalk, Avon, Drugstore.com) and a whole bunch of random accounts i had forever ago and no longer use (xanga, gamespot). You can also make it more specific (type in my username and the name of the forum) and find any post i've ever done on Silk Naturals, Mineral Makeup Mania, Mineral Makeup Madness, etc.

I don't belong to the flowerpod forum, but google can tell me i've been mentioned there.
Facebook doesn't show, and the Chanty's forum doesn't show, but EVERYTHING else does.

[egerandi]

Well, kaka, I really wish that wasn't like that :/
It prolly has to do with the google bot, but I'm not sure if the admins want to turn that off from the forum.

I vote no google presence if possible.

[JenW]

This will be a decision Karen has to make, and Kris will have to administer. There are more bots than just google.

I am guessing Chanty's does not allow bots.

[Oxana124]

Chanty's forum does not allow you to see any posts unless you are a registered user, so I think that's why nothing comes up from that forum. But here anyone can come in and browse, registered user or not, so I think that's why google pulls our user names if we search for them.

[superwahz]

A friend called me yesterday to tell me she was googling for an SN product (she got addicted to the sample I let her try) and came up on the forum thread of it...and while scrolling through it recognized the pic of my dog and my username! She thought it was cool to just stumble on me that way and I thought it was funny...but I can understand how some may feel more self conscious about it.

I do find bots annoying, but in the end it doesn't really matter to me either way, since I have a DH into computer things and I know how incredibly easy it is to track someone on the internet if you want to...without Google. I tend to keep my usernames different in various areas if I don't want them to be connected up with everything else. So, for instance, if you Google "superwahz" all that comes up is....a zillion pages of posts in the SN forum.

ETA: I lurked on this forum for over a year before joining to post because I really didn't have anything to say or time to comment. I loved how I could read feedback about colors and such without having to join as a member to see posts. Since the forum is linked with the SN homepage I bet there are a lot of SN users who come and lurk for a while before joining! So while I'd love for the bots to go away, I'd hate it if all the posts were restricted to "member only" reading...not that anyone suggested that yet, just sayin'.

[Xarata]

Chanty's forum does not allow you to see any posts unless you are a registered user, so I think that's why nothing comes up from that forum. But here anyone can come in and browse, registered user or not, so I think that's why google pulls our user names if we search for them.

flowerpod doesn't allow you to see posts unless you're registered either, but it still showed up in google (i'm not upset that someone posted about me- from the google snippet, i think it was just about my magnetic makeup boards- but i was surprised when the google search brought up posts ABOUT me across the web). I clicked the google link to go read several of the posts and couldn't read the one on flowerpod, because i'm not a registered user on flowerpod- all the posts show up as "you must be a registered user to view posts". I can see how not allowing googlebots for the forum search bar might hide you though.

I don't know, i kind of agree with superwahz that if someone wanted to internet stalk me, they'd do just fine without google. My mom always said to never put anything in writing that 1) you wouldn't want someone to see or 2)could come back to bite you in the ass later.

[JenW]

I think it is a good rule of thumb to never post anything on an online forum that is a concern for you if someone was looking for you or checking up on you. I feel the world wide web is a public domain, even in the places you feel are secure. You don't have control over that information once it is out there, even on the secure forums. Also, if someone knew you well enough to know you frequented makeup forums, they would just join them all. We just never really know who our 'neighbors' are, even though well over 99% of them are genuinely good.

Also, it is unlikely that much will change about the way this forum is currently set up. The information will likely remain open and the bots will be allowed in.

[zooeyblue]

Before I set students loose writing papers, I tell them I have a pornography clause: If you don't want your mom or your grandma reading it, chances are I don't want to read it either!

[superwahz]

Before I set students loose writing papers, I tell them I have a pornography clause: If you don't want your mom or your grandma reading it, chances are I don't want to read it either!

Awww maaaaan Tracy, that takes all the fun out of it! Just kidding...though I do know people who would turn things like that in just to see if they could make the teacher squirm! If I was said teacher, I'd just announce they'd earned the privilege of reading their essay aloud to the entire class!

And Sam...I think your Mom knows my Mom!