Internet search engine shows up name!
 

I have just discovered that if you do a web search on say for example yahoo, it come up with every single post you have ever written on this website! Now am I being stupid and did every else realise this would happened and I didnt?
Does that mean that anyone who isn't a member can read what we have posted on this website if they look hard enough?
If thats the case, how do I go about changed my user name? :ermm: :sad: :shocked:

PM me and I will change your username for you, no worries.

Like pretty much every forum, RYL does allow search engines to spider threads and many people have found RYL or been helped by it after finding their questions answered in a post here. Of course every post has whatever name you choose on it, so will show up.

This being the internet, I would never advise that anyone uses their real name or put anything they would not be happy strangers knowing about.

A vast number of people who join RYL do so after 'lurking' for a while, often not ready or scared to join and start posting.

So while there are disadvantages in the fact you have to use an alias on RYL (as on any other site) rather than your real name, having RYL open to all, members or not is really the only way it can work - especially when RYL is free and easy to join anyway.

Certain forums, such as the events and picture forums are not viewable by guests, or even brand new members to protect the identities and privacy of members, but unfortunately shutting RYL up to members read only would be very unfair to a lot of people, and mean many people would lose out on help they might really need.


Hope that explains :)


Harley

eek, *goes to google* *tests*

haha I got a message of...

'It has been detected that you have connected to RYL using an anonymous proxy program or website.
Proxies are not permitted to use use with RYL, and therefore your permissions on the site are severely reduced.
May we remind you that if you have been banned and are trying to get around that ban that this attempt has been logged by the Moderation team, as will any further attempts. Trying to get into RYL and use any of it's facilities when temporarily banned is seen as a further breach of the rules and therefore may result in a complete loss of your RYL account.
If you feel this prevention is in error, please Contact Harley'

when I clicked a link from googe after typing in my screen name :P

Just out of interest why did it do this? *confused* x

then it wouldnt let me go back a page so I got the msg again, god thats gonna look greattt init >.<

RYL has a proxy access ban. Programs that block your IP address from being tracked are proxy programs, and Harley has blocked people from accessing RYL using proxies becuase banned members could use proxy programs to access RYL without bring tracked. (I think I explained that right)

Ahh that makes all the sense now :) thanks, now I understand!

exactly why i changed my user name. lol

but then, don't all your username change on all your old posts too.
&so, if someone googled your new username, they'd find everything anyway?

I guess you have to hope and stop someone finding out your new name, if your careful they shouldnt know your name.. unless you chose a name such as Harriet.S as a username< cos thats like blatently obvious :P

Oh, bugger.

Yeah, bit late now init Ky?

Plus I know your full name and your address already...

Kaya Squirt
1, Squirt Road
Squirtville
Nr. ****ING NORWICH.
SQU1 RT!!11

Yea, I was quite worried about this, I mean, my username is my real name lmao, and it has my picture in it, and my age, and location, and my email etc. But to be honest, at the moment, I'd kinda hope someone my end would find out. Like, telling them without telling them?

But as for friends etc, I do worry, and have contemplated a name change.

I think I am lucky with the username I have used... there is a hell of a lot of stuff that comes up before any mention of posts.

I guess one way of getting around it is finding a name that is also one that means something e.g. mine being Health hazard means that loads of things like dangerous chemicals and stuff come up, lol.

I don't know if that is a stupid idea.

x

I proper lol'd at that.

Also, If you're writing shiz on a public forum, you shouldn't really have a problem with random people reading it.

I think a much bigger deal are some of the surveys in F&D that ask for peoples names, middle names, and birthdays. You can find a lot more information out in F&D than by googling their screen name.

It was the serious discussion posts that came up as well, i assumed that these would somehow be blocked from the random public view. Shows how little I know about computers then :( Thats what I was mainly concerned about. Oh well never mind, hopefully will get that name change soon

Oh shittt
I googled my name and the third result is a post I made on here. Third result! Its a really random one that I didn't even start aswell :S


ahaha
oh well who's gonna know

aha, i'm screwed then!

mine's gilbert which could be anyone.
so that shouldn't be too bad.
i'm gonna worry now though :s

Oh my god that's well scary! The FIRST 2 are from posts i made!

Cripes! xxx

I figured this out too a few days ago when I googled something about SH and a RYL post (not one of mine) came up. I tried my own username just now and on the 3rd page of results one of my posts showed up. For me I'm not too concerned...someone would have to know about the site or know my username first to even find me and then I only have my first name and location in my info. I guess someone could find one of my posts but it would take lots of investigating to make the connection of this username to me. *shrug*

ok can i change my user name then cuz i have this username for all the sites i use and i reeally dont want it linked tothose cuz i dont want anyone to know...

im alright, mine doesn tshow up untill the second page, and who's goign to knwo its me anyway? if they knew my screen name and that i used ryl, they would be more likely to come on here and search. eaith way, they cant access the RV forum or my journal so im safe.

/pointless post

i find it amusing
i was in a lesson and i saw it and i just kinda made an odd strangled sound
...

PM le James/Harley and they should be able to do it for you