every breath you take.
 

I think to some of us who do have paid subscriptions and have utilized the invisible option, posts such as Miss_Tia's can read as somewhat accusatory. There are many reasons behind someone wanting to remain anonymous while perusing the forums and I have to trust that relatively few are, by nature, malicious.

When it comes to anything of a hierarchical nature it can be tremendously difficult to defuse a potential "us against them" environment.

little paranoid darlin??

I am a paid member, but not at a level that allows me to be invisible.

Have you contacted that individual and asked why they 'NEVER leave your visitor list'? Have you reported your concerns about the individual that 'NEVER leaves your visitor list' to the site owners/moderators?

You do realize that your post makes me want to go to your profile page at least once every day and figure out who this 'NEVER leaves your visitor list' might be. Matter of fact, after I hit the reply button I will make a visit to your profile page......shaking my head....

Maybe I’m missing something. I admit to being a bit odd so things that most people get easily, believe emphatically or see as reality I will probably not understand, think is crap or have a completely different take on. But to me it makes no sense to be concerned or feel unsafe or unprotected when people read what you post or look at your profile on a public forum. I mean this is a public forum and no one forces anyone to post on it. But once you do anybody and their grandmother can read whatever you post here without ever signing in. They can follow you around without you ever knowing they exist and read every single word you ever write, all day and all night, over and over a hundred times if they wish. And you might never know.

People who pay for memberships can do the same with the extra added bonus of not leaving a trail and getting to see your profile and your visitor’s page without showing up on it. Other members can just go to see your profile any time they want although they will leave a calling card so to speak. And everybody can read what you post with the exception of must be a member and logged in sections like the red zone. So anything you post there won’t be read by anyone who isn’t a member. But it doesn’t take a lot of fancy credentials and a background check by the FBI to get a membership. Therefore in reality, with a minimum of effort, anyone who wants to can read anything you post and your profile as well.

What puzzles the shit out of me is if this bothers someone in any meaningful way, why would they choose to post stuff on a public forum? Or fill in a profile page? I mean isn’t that the purpose of posting or putting stuff on your profile page? Isn’t it so that other people can read it? Isn’t this even the outcome that is hoped for? I mean how would it feel if no one ever looked at your profile page? That would suck a bit no? Or if no one ever read your posts? I mean sure, mostly I post for myself, but still I want people to read what I write. And I don’t need them to agree. I don’t even need them to like me or me to like them. Not that I can think of anyone off the top of my head that I don’t like. Truthfully I don’t know too many people on here. But regardless of who it is, I still want them to read what I write. I mean we can’t expect that only the people we like or approve of will be allowed to read our words. Or look at our public profile.

And what could possibly happen that we would need to be protected from people who go to read our profile? Even if they camp out there? It’s not like they can set booby traps for us and the next time we open our profiles our computers will explode or god forbid our keyboards blow up leaving our hands and fingers in shreds. I guess the people who don’t like us can glean information about us from the things we say, the threads we post in, the stuff we chose to read and the people who friend us, but seriously what can they do with this information? Other than make fun of us, talk about us with their friends behind or not so behind our backs, spread gossip and rumours about us and generally take every opportunity to bad mouth us whenever and wherever they can, what can they actually do? And the people who want to do shit like that will do it anyway with or without access to your posts, your profile or information about the threads you read.

There's a minimum of 5 members (that I can see) that have recently looked at my profile--I don't know them, I think nothing of it--I hardly think they have sinister intentions, maybe they found a post interesting/stupid/amazing/strange, maybe they want my body and want to know if I'm single, maybe they're just curious about other members of the community in other parts of the world--Maybe they wonder how E puts up with me! (My therapist doesn't allow the what-if game so I am really going to town, here!)

Also, I randomly look at profiles and also think nothing of it--I had NO IDEA that it caused some such duress, I guess I didn't think anyone thought of me as important enough to think about, let alone apply some meaning over a peek at their profile--Which could even have been accidental as (the same with what someone else posted, above) if I have a few minutes to kill and I use my phone to read the site, I will likely have viewed a couple of profiles, unintentionally.

*Given this new information, I will try not to antagonize anyone by reading their super-secret profile with my spidery eyes.

I am not going to divulge why sometimes I look a yours. (profile that is)

But on a serious note, if you want privacy, get off the internet. Not YOU apretty, but the general you.

clay....

the only thing missing from your profile page is the ability to leave visitor messages (folks can leave a user note) and your contact info (you have chosen not to receive PMs). All your other info is there for all to see.

I think your stuff is juicy!

well said Ms Tick!

I'm also thinking that this is a forum of social networking, right? We share, meet, support and want to know others. There's stalking and then there's curious. Some people I find more interesting and enjoy seeing what they are up to.

I snipped the rest of your post......it was far too logical. Logic never runs high on the list of folks who think there is privacy on the interwebz.

Who even looks at their own profile everyday? I only look at mine if it says I have a message on the corner of the front page. Even then, I don't think it is very often that I even look over to see who has been on my page. Why would I care? If they have something to say, they will leave a message, and said indicator will tell me to take a look!

I used to look every so often, but nobody comes to visit anymore. I wish I had people camping out. Or even just coming by to say hey! You wouldn’t catch me complaining. I love company. Visible, invisible, whatever, come on over.

Well I'm disappointed!!!

I went to your profile to gawk and ogle you and I couldn't even leave a visitor message. How am I supposed to cruise you if I can't leave a message.

(w)