Forum Privacy Issues!! I am Freaking OUT!!

[Anonymous]

I just did a google search for my name and my myfico profile popped up along with all my posts and email!!!

I am very concerned about this, I have updated my profile so that it hides my email address and profile info but when I perform a search for my name again it still displays all my posts along with my profile (email address is now hidden)

Has anyone else tried this?

What can I do to make sure this doesn't happen? can I cancel my myfico forum account?

[haulingthescoreup]

Hi, bobgr, I've pm'd some people who I hope can help you. Since it's pretty late in the day, it might be a while before we hear back from them.

edit: btw, I just checked this with my name, and it does bring all this up, BUT it says

951 results stored on your computer - Hide - About

FICO Forums - FICO Forums - Statistics haulingthescoreup (my name) Southeast

It's at the very top of the hits, and it has the swirly multi-colored hurricane-like logo of Google Desktop, which I'd like to get rid of for a variety of reasons.

Is that where yours shows up? If so, I think it's just showing what's stored on your computer, although I'm not positive. And it displays things that are visible to you, but not to other forum members who click on your name. Still trying to get someone here to confirm, though.

Message Edited by haulingthescoreup on 02-19-2008 04:15 PM

[Anonymous]

I just google searched you, it seems to be private now at least that I could find. It seems to just link back to the same user data page on this forum. Just forum screen name and date registered showing now that I see.

I found 14,600 search results for me on google about FICO. 519 just about the 850 perfect score. I feel famous. I might have had a little too much free time last year. lol.

Message Edited by ilovepizza on 02-19-2008 09:36 PM

[Raine]

Bobgr, it looks to me like you set your profile and e-mail away from private at some point in time. Private is the default for the entire community, so these sorts of things are not usually shared, which is the reason Hauling could not find the same information on herself.

The reason you are still seeing that link on Google is because the search was actually cached, which means they take a screen-shot of the page from the past. Because the search is cached, it will not disappear if you update something on your profile, and removing your account will not remove the cache that Google has. Google's cache doesn't last forever as far as I'm aware (it tends to disappear or get replaced every so often), but I cannot for sure tell you how long this search would stay there.

I'm going to pass this info along to Barry and see if there's something he can have done for you.

Message Edited by Raine on 02-19-2008 10:45 PM

[Barry]

I'm working on resolving this, bobgr.  This is the first time we've been made aware that profile info could be picked up by the search engines in this way.  I'm working with our tech folks on a fix and will let you know the outcome when I know more.

Barry

[Anonymous]

Much appreciated, thanks to everyone who responded!

[Barry]

We've eliminated the possibility that this will happen again to anyone, bobgr, and are currently trying to reach Google to have them remove your page they're displaying.  Regardless, it should automatically disappear from Google in the next 30-60 days.

Thanks for letting us know about it but sorry it had to happen.

[Anonymous]

THANK YOU BARRY AND EVERYONE ELSE!!!!

Wow, I love this place.......lots of great help and a very responsive Admin crew!

Thanks again

[Anonymous]

I have searched and viewed all cached pages I could find on google today and from what I have seen the cached pages have already updated. But you would need to verify. Information looked anonymous.

I've emailed Google "security" in the past with cached problems before. They were able to flush the cache links quickly for me. Sorry I don't have the email any more. I had to list the search keywords for google to find them. In your case just listing the "profile name" should do it. They were very nice about it since it was identity information.
I believe as long at the links are still valid, they will update and erase over with new information over time.

[Barry]

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bobgr wrote:
THANK YOU BARRY AND EVERYONE ELSE!!!!

Wow, I love this place.......lots of great help and a very responsive Admin crew!

Thanks again

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Thanks for your understanding and I kinda love this place too!  Never a dull moment, that's for sure!