The Privacy Watchdog's Discussions

The Privacy Watchdog!

Privacy Tutorial

Ning has made a change that makes it easier to ensure your desired level of privacy on this social network. Check out slides 9 and 10 on the updated privacy tutorial to learn about this. If you find the print too small click HERE for other viewing options.

(updated 13 Aug 09)

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At 2:48am on August 13, 2009, Morticia (Not My Real Name) said…: Thank you for keeping on top of this issue and keeping us informed. Much appreciated.

At 10:17am on April 4, 2009, The Privacy Watchdog said…: On 13 Feb 2009 the following message about privacy was sent to everyone subscribed to this site:

Dear participants,

Several people have inquired recently about privacy on the Unfettered Mind Ning site. Some expressed surprise and concern when they learned that a Google search can bring up their personal page on the site, as well as comments and contributions to discussion forums.

Unfettered Mind's social network began with the Then and Now group on Facebook. The Ning site was set up as an alternative to Facebook for several reasons:
the number of people expressing interest suggested that a dedicated network could work
the proliferation on Facebook of little pseudo-connection applications was a distraction
Facebook isn't designed for discussion forums,
many had concerns about Facebook's questionable policies, particularly around the privacy implications of Beacon.
Ning offered a low-cost solution to all of these issues, with only the minor inconvenience of the Google ads, which make it possible for Ning to offer this service. Because we mentioned privacy concerns when moving from Facebook to Ning, some people may have concluded that the Ning site was completely private and not subject to search engine activity.

Let me be very clear here. The Unfettered Mind Ning site is a public site, searchable by Google and other search engines and open to view by anyone on the internet.

If you wish to participate but do not want to have a public record of connection with your postings on this site, then we suggest and encourage you to use a pseudonym, a suitable picture, and an alternative email address (in netspeak, an avatar). You can reveal your true identity to friends, associates, and other people you meet as you choose.

You can also change your Ning name (but not your email) and your picture by editing your profile page (http://help.ning.com/cgi-bin/ning.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2820).

Detailed information on Ning's own privacy policies are available at http://about.ning.com/privacy.php.

We deliberately made the Unfettered Mind ning site open to the public so that people who happened upon it could also join and participate. This decision has been vindicated by a number of emails we have received expressing appreciation for the level of discussion on the site. Here's an example from a recent newcomer:

"its activity, the involvement of members, the calibre of the discussion, the continued work on the sutras and people's work on their practise. Other Buddhist sites may be well organized but they never struck me as attractive as UM & they are teaching sites, outreach sites or news sites. They have not become virtual sanghas to the level that Unfettered Mind's members display to a reader."

This decision has its downside. A number of people have tried to use the site to promote their own businesses or services. To counteract that, we have actively discouraged such self-promotion and will continue to do so. If you come across self-promotion entries in the forums, groups, videos or elsewhere, please let us know, as we are not able and do not want to monitor all activity on the site.

With over 300 members, we have a growing vibrant community. Please let us know of any other concerns or questions you have, and we will do our best to provide a timely and constructive response.

Yours sincerely,

Ken McLeod (Director, Unfettered Mind) and Ann Braun (Site Administrator)