I don't think the concern is about people sharing their own stuff but rather people sharing other people's stuff without their knowledge. So if someone posts pics of their cute grandbabies baking cookies, someone else could just click and share it all over their Facebook if they wanted to and then anyone they are friends with could then share it with anyone else they want and so on and so forth, and any of those people can click the link and come back to the cooking forum now knowing who the grandkids are of the poster.

Granted, you can do the same thing now if you try hard enough, but this is a fairly tight knit community and that will all change if it gets flooded by people who click on links to get here instead of coming by referral or by searching for something specific like they do now. Everyone will stop sharing anything remotely personal and it will just become bait for trolls.

This post was edited by foodonastump on Fri, Dec 7, 12 at 16:34

I emailed Tamara to see if she could provide a little more clarity regarding the new tool. Personally I don't think it's as bad as some people might think. But I'll have to wait and see.

FOAS - you are on a public forum on the internet. Even without the new media tool things can be linked back to you.

Teresa

This post was edited by foodonastump on Fri, Dec 7, 12 at 16:32

As of this July, Fotobucket has 10,011,643,188 photos on file, and each day more than 80,000 new users join PB.

Who knows how many billions and billions and billion of other photos and personal information are out there.

I don't think there are that many people interested in me, who is basically a very boring guy amongst billions and billions of other active internet users. Even the generous folks from Nigeria have stopped telling me about the $ millions they have found for me, and I feel so left out that I don't get any information on where to get cheap Via gra form Canada.

dcarch

Dcarch - That is so funny! When I google a lot of vegetables, my pictures come up, I discover this not long ago. And I have 1 follower in my photo bucket and he is actually the guru from all things vegetables, he is a very experienced farmer and I am actually very proud of that, I followed him too when he post veggie pictures,lol.

Teresa - I will be waiting to hear what you find out.

Silvia

Silvia - I am hoping Tamara will comment on the media bar and the specifics of the machinations. I don't think the bar is gone for good. It was not working properly when I tried to test it. I think they need to work out some bugs.
And what is so funny about Dcarch's comments? The fact that the Nigerians are no longer contacting him or the other part? :-)

FOAS - I'm not sure why you removed your two comments. You had a good point in one of them.

Teresa

Teresa - I re-read your original post and realized you wanted your opinion to stand out on its own rather than be part of the existing dialogues. "I am starting a new thread so my comments don't get buried in Gina's thread on the same subject." So I thought perhaps it was rude of me to derail your thread with a differing opinion and I used the new edit function to delete my posts. Coincidentally, and perhaps a bit ironically, the edit feature is another "improvement" that I spoke out against.

But now that this thread is taking a turn anyway...

dcarch - I'm impressed with the lack of spam you receive! If I took "advantage" of all the via gra and "enhancement" offers I receive, I could probably lay pipe from my back yard all the way up to Canada! ;-) I'm sure that your success is due in no small part to your vigilance to stay anonymous. As many emails as we've exchanged over the years, I still have no idea what your name is. I don't even know where in the NY Metro area you live, Brooklyn, Westchester, or somewhere else in the generic "NYC", depending on your post. To be clear, I have absolutely no issue with that, I totally respect your privacy, and I'd hate to see you "exposed" because some tracking device worked its way through the cracks due to GW's interaction with social media. While you may be smart enough to evade those with ill intent, others of us may not be. Why make life easy for those who wish to track us down?

I do realize a lot of the outcry on these threads is probably somewhat mass hysteria. I'm sure there is plenty of ignorance shared among the scores of us who oppose this change as well as the two or three who support it.

Very recently, two of the food forums I also visit just shut down. One has close to 20,000 members.

When A forum is not generating a reasonable income, the corporation that operates it has no reason to keep it alive.

NBC wants to see iVillage a profit center, and iVillage needs GW to bring in the dough.

No dough? goodbye folks.

dcarch

Over on the Kitchen forum Tamara has posted toward the bottom of the 132 comments. She says the share bar has been removed and will not be launched at this time. However, for those of you worried about your privacy you should read her comments.

She reminds us that this is a public space and that comments and pictures can be viewed by many. And I might add taken by whoever stumbles upon it. Tamara also cautions to post with care.
(my thoughts) All of the things people are afraid of (loss of privacy, etc.) have been possible all along without a media tool bar at the forum.

Teresa

I do realize a lot of the outcry on these threads is probably somewhat mass hysteria.

FOAS, people who are not paranoid about this stuff just don't understand it.

Actually Christine I'm not paranoid and yet I understand it quite well. I've not posted many photos here for just that reason.

Now if you think you are better protected because GW does not have a media share tool, I suggest you go over to the Test thread at kitchens and read what Tamara has to say. You've already given up much by simply posting on a public forum. Legislation and laws cannot keep up with the break neck speed of technology - sadly. As Tamara says, you need to post with care.

Teresa

"Now if you think you are better protected because GW does not have a media share tool, I suggest you go over to the Test thread at kitchens and read what Tamara has to say. You've already given up much by simply posting on a public forum."

And that is exactly why I also do not post pictures,
Personal information, etc.
A few years ago,
I took quite a tongue lashing
From many of the regular posters here,
Simply because I refused to post info
I didn't think it necessary to post.

I still say that privacy is important.
This forum would be just as effective
if everyone maintained the level of privacy
That Dcarch does.

And there would probably be fewer conflicts, too.
(Well, okay, That's probably a stretch
of the imagination.)

Rusty

Rusty - I remember that incident because it was when I first started commenting on this forum. Someone could not believe you would not reveal your gender. I remember thinking - what does this poster's gender have to do with anything?

And I love your touch of humor in that last sentence!

Teresa