Things You Should Know about Internet Privacy

[Admin]

Here are a few things I think people should know about how the Internet works in regards to privacy, searches, bots, etc.

What are bots and why do you keep mentioning them?
Bots are automated little robots that run around the internet doing various things but mostly, they search for content. A "bot" is not an actual person, but rather an algorithm that looks for certain keywords, phrases, and can even be programmed to look for certain types of conversations. There are billions of bots all over the internet.

Are bots a bad thing?
Bots are neither "bad" nor "good". They are a computer program. When we see bots crawling on our website, for instance, it's actually a good thing because bots help feed our site back to search engines, making us easier to find. They can also help increase our search rankings.

What is a news feed?
News feeds are a way of providing continuously updated data. Some websites are made up solely of content from newsfeeds. Some folks make websites and, rather than creating their own content, will use news feeds to post content. This can be a good thing for people who want to see a wide range of information in one place.

Why does some stuff from BFP show up on Google or other websites?
Our forums are mostly public which means that bots can crawl our forums looking for content and can report back to Google. It's a way to tell search engines like Google and Yahoo, "Hey, this is the information I found over at BFP" so that Google and Yahoo can target certain audiences with search results. News feeds can also pick up our public content.

Why are some areas of BFP public and some private?
We have public forums so that people who don't know what we are about can read a little before signing up. Also, we have to have public content for sites to be able to index us in their search rankings, otherwise newbies would have a hard time finding us. Some areas like the galleries and Inner Sanctum are private because we realize that photos and certain subjects can be personal.

Can my thread about my child's anorexia/my gambling problem/my hemorrhoid be moved to the Inner Sanctum so that I feel safer?
Sure, but you still should be super careful about posting things of an intensely personal nature on the Internet because the Internet still isn't "safe". Anyone can make a screen name on this site and come to view content and photos so ultimately, YOU need to be responsible when posting and assume that everyone in the world will read what you write.

People often get a false sense of security when on social websites and post things that are intensely personal. The bottom line is that we all need to think about our own safety every time we post.

I'll be adding more to this Q&A.

[Turtle]

Thanks for the info, and could you say a little more about bots and why some threads would be moved to the inner sanctum?

[Admin]

Originally Posted by Turtle

Thanks for the info, and could you say a little more about bots and why some threads would be moved to the inner sanctum?

Turtle - If you have a specific question about bots, I can answer it. Im not sure what else to say other than what I have said above.

As far as moving threads to the Inner Sanctum, we have moved threads for various reasons, some of which include the thread being a topic of sensitive nature, or a topic that we don't want the bots picking up the content on, or because the thread poster asked us to move it.

A thread poster asking us to move their thread won't always mean that we will move their thread, it will be done on a case by case basis.
For instance, if someone says "I want you to move my thread on Gardening", we probably won't do that because that's not a sensitive topic nor would their be any proprietary information within.

[Logicaly]

Thank you for sharing that information! I have always been a believer that if you did not want the world to know it, you probably shouldn't put it on the internet in some way, shape, or form.

Sure, it would be nice if there was privacy, but on forums, sites like facebook, basically anywhere you have access to post an account, information, etc then someone some where can always have access to it.

Thanks for sharing that information, especially for those who might not be aware of bots and how they work etc.