Updated: Share button addition
We understand there are privacy concerns and confusion related to the new "Share" button that has been included on the message boards.
Regarding Privacy
We would like to ensure you that your privacy has not been compromised. You still have complete control over what information you display publicly.
With or without a share button, if you are concerned about privacy on ObesityHelp or would like to remain anonymous, here are a few things you can do.
1. Your avatar - Your avatar or profile pic can be anything (within limits of course). It does not need to be your picture. Click here to change your avatar.
2. Display name - You have complete control over how or what name is displayed on ObesityHelp. Click here to control your display name.
3. Location - You have the choice to share your location with others or keep it private. Click here to control your location settings.
4. Profile privacy - You can control who has access to view your profile. You can allow everyone to see it, only friends or keep it completely private. Click here to change your profile privacy settings.
5. Groups - If you prefer to post on a private message board, we have a Groups system that will enable you to do so. You can start a group and have complete control over who is allowed to have access to your group. Click here to find and/or start a group.
A little more about the share button
The share button that you currently see replaced the email button that was previously in its place. There are a numerous different share buttons available which are fairly standard on public message boards, photo sites, blogging system etc. The button is meant as a means to quickly share or bookmark what you are reading.
There seems to be some confusion about what is posted to Facebook if someone chooses to share a post on Facebook. The following illustrates what exactly the options are.
There also seems to be some concern over the share button being available on the message boards of both public and private groups. While users of a public or private group can share links with or without a share button (will be discussed later), it needs to be made clear that even though a member of a private group may select to share a link on Facebook or anywhere else, the share button is not able to copy the title or content of message board posts from a private group. A link can be shared just like copying and pasting but the share button will not and cannot display the content of posts made in a private message board. share. If a member/user that is NOT a member of a private group does manage to find a link to a particular post in a private group, they will be denied access to the link since they are not a member of the group.
Public content has been distributed in many ways. Here are some of the ways that we know people have shared OH message board threads previously: Printing & Mailing, Copy & Paste, Instant Message, Email, Private Messaging, and linked through social networking sites with browser share buttons. For example, items such as the share button now on ObesityHelp message boards, can also be added to browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari) allowing you to share any page on any website, not just ObesityHelp. Some examples of these "browser plugins" include:
- AddThis for Internet explorer
- Sharethis for Firefox
- Facebook share for Chrome
- And there are many others
These types of browser plugins are commonly used and have been for some time. The addition of the share button has not made ObesityHelp or your activities on ObesityHelp any more or any less private. If there are things you would like to keep private, remember that you can do so by controlling your privacy settings and/or posting to areas such as private groups that are only accessible to select individuals. The addition of the share button is new to ObesityHelp message boards but sharing ObesityHelp message board posts on Facebook, MySpace or other areas is not new.
The ObesityHelp message boards are a wealth of information that deserve to be shared in order reach those who need assistance, provide education, and raise awareness for obesity and weight loss surgery.
We value your concerns and suggestions and will continue to keep looking at privacy and sharing practices on the internet.
Updates:
We're working on
1. Removing sharing from adult forums & plastic surgery forum.
2. Adding an option for group owners to turn off sharing in their groups.
3. Moving the sharing button to a better location and disabling the rollover.
