Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[kitz]

Over the past couple of months, Ive had a couple of queries that some users were concerned that their email address seemed to be showing despite them having been turned off in the Personal Profile settings.

Just to re-assure everyone Ive always had "Allow users to hide their email" set in the forum control panel....
but what I think may be confusing is that even if you have opted to turn off this option, when you look at your own profile, you still see your own email address as the envelope being shown - despite no other user (aside from admin) from being able to do so.

So say using the graphic below as an example..

If timp looked at his own settings then he would see an envelope by his own name.
If anyone else looked - then they wouldnt see the envelope which means that his address is hidden.

However, the example below shows that topaz is[was] contactable by email by other forum members.

30-7-07 - Edited to add

I still seem to get a lot of queries about this.
If you are unsure if your email addy is hidden or not - then please ask in this thread where someone will be able to double check for you that your email address is hidden correctly.



[attachment deleted by admin]

[kitz]

Whilst checking for someone tonight that theirs wasnt showing - I was surprised that there were quite a lot of members (30ish?) whose email addresses were available if other registered members wanted to email them.

On looking further into this it could possibly be that at the time when you sign up to the forum there's a check box that you need to tick to set your email to hidden.
By default the box is(was) unticked, and you have to select it. [see image below]

Just to re-assure anyone who may have left it turned on by mistake, your email address wouldnt have been viewable to guests/unregistered members/external spam bots - it was only a "forum members only" mail facility.

Since moving over to SMF, this software is a lot more secure against spam bots than phpbb
- touch wood since changing there havent been any.
However rather than have a *bolt - stable door - after* situation...  and as a security precaution.... 

I have today run an sql query on the database and reset everyones email to off.
Unfortunately that means that anyone who did select to be contactable by email wont now have this facility unless you go into your profile prefs and turn it back on.
This doesnt affect notifications.

I'm sorry if this may be a minor inconvenience for those who did elect to be contactable.. as it means that the e-mail facility has now been reset.. but I thought this would be the best way, just in case someone hadnt ticked the checkbox.


Ive also implemented a small hack so that in future the checkbox is ticked by default.

[oldfogy]

I'm sorry if this may be a minor inconvenience for those who did elect to be contactable.. as it means that the e-mail facility has now been reset.. but I thought this would be the best way, just in case someone hadn't ticked the checkbox.

That sounds quite reasonable Kitz, lets face it we can always send people a PM if we need to get connected privately.

[jazz]

Sorry to return to this topic - but I registered with the forum yesterday and, although I ticked to hide my email address, I have an envelope marked by my name on the members' list.  I can also see a number of other members with email address envelopes showing.  Is this a return to any possible problem in this thread last December?  I don't want to sound anti-social but I did not intend to make my email address public and don't seem to be able to turn it off.  Any advice?? 

By the way, I signed up and registered because I've been following this forum for a few weeks and have found it very helpful and informative.  I like the atmosphere and, though I'm not very technical - in spite of using a computer since the days of the PET Commodore and my own first ZX81 with optional extra 8kb RAM pack (yes, I did mean 8kb) - I'm happy to try and help others if I can.

[oldfogy]

Hi Jazz,
On behalf of everyone, welcome.

I have just looked at your settings/profile and can not see your e-mail address, so it is hidden.
Hope that helps to answer your querie.

Although I have the envelope showing at my end "for myself", so it must just be a quick way of accessing your/our  own e-mail address quickly. (I hope)

No doubt Kitz will hopefully confirm this for us in due course.

***********************

I can also see a number of other members with email address envelopes showing.

Sorry, I ment to ask, where exactly can you see the other addresses?

[jazz]

Thank you - both for the welcome and for the reassuring answer!

Just seen your "PS" - I can see the adresses of "Jeremy" (next line to mine in member list) and also "ja2737" which shows on the same page on the members lists.  I can also see a number on other pages.  It may be that they opted to have their email addresses shown.  (I couldn't see yours by the way!! )

[oldfogy]

Sorry, I meant to ask, where exactly can you see the other addresses?

I think I found where you meant, under the "Members" tab.

Although I have to say, I don't recognise the names that I looked at, neither did I look at their statistics, so it may just be when they registered they did not tick the box to hide the info and have not been back.

(Although, again I can see my own) but not yours.

*****************************

(I couldn't see yours by the way!! )

Thanks, bye for now.

[kitz]

Hi Jazz and welcome to the forums.

although I ticked to hide my email address, I have an envelope marked by my name on the members' list.

OF is correct in that the forum will always display your own email address despite others not being able to see it.

Ive double checked and can confirm that yours is hidden.

I can see the adresses of "Jeremy" (next line to mine in member list) and also "ja2737" which shows on the same page on the members lists.  I can also see a number on other pages.  It may be that they opted to have their email addresses shown.

Thanks for bringing to my attention.
Ive just created a test account to make sure that all is working correctly during the signup process and as long as you tick the check box to hide email it is.

BUT what I have noticed is that the mod that I previously applied

"Ive also implemented a small hack so that in future the checkbox is ticked by default."

seems to have been overwritten when I did an SMF upgrade patch a few weeks back.

I dont have time right now to do anything about it since I have to go out pretty soon... but later on this evening I will re-do the hack so that the checkbox is ticked by default and tonight I'll also run a script on the database so that everyones email addy is hidden from view regardless or not if they elected to display it.

Just to re-confirm that as long as you ticked the checkbox to hide your mail address then your email address is hidden from view.

[jazz]

Thank you Kitz.  Thank you for all the great information on your main site too - I've learned an enormous amount from it

[kitz]

yw.

hack implemented to ensure tickbox is checked by default and DB updated.

- although reminder to self that SMF security updates will likely set it back to the SMF default so that users have to tick the checkboxes