Some of the new features look good. Not sure how I feel about all of the social media additions though (yes, I know they are expected now). [Note: initial posts in this topic were split off from a different thread]
Great seeing the boards up and running again! The new features sound good. Only thing I'm worried about is the whole 'social' embedding, e.g. it's a known fact that Facebook integration on websites seriously compromises the privacy of it's users, even when you don't have an FB account.
As always, beware what you post when giving out information, then if it does become public to undesirables it won't matter. Always amazes me the stupidity people have with social media. giving their address, age, when going on holiday; etc. Ideal opportunity for people to steal identities or rob.
This goes beyond that, FB integration on websites causes unwanted tracking. Every website that has FB integration sends meta-data about your visit back to FB which it puts in a database. Interesting read: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...itors-even-if-youre-not-a-user-and-opted-out/
Google also databases your use of your browsing via their search engine, and your ISP tracks all sites you visit. Basically, every click you do and every site you visit and every post you make is logged somewhere. That's why you should only post what you are happy for total strangers to read and know about you, if anything. Darwin Prize awarded to those that don't.
There are ways to minimize that. On chrome, install Disconnect and Ghostery, enable the "Do not track" command, on your google account, set the privacy settings to not show you aimed publicity, to not track your location, to not track your reserch/youtube history, etc. It's not perfect, but it's minimizing an unavoidable modern tendency.
Well I don't need a bridge, but that kind of configuration stops aimed publicity, and there's not an online log of where I was and when for every minutes of everyday, which is a start ain't it?
Read: I do not trust Google, so I am going to stop their search engine tracking me. On my Google-made browser.
I wouldn't be as likeable as I am without my contradictions. BTW, I used the word minimize, not cancel, and I'm kind of on the verge about trusting Google. That trend is not going away anytime soon, better learn to live with it.
To be honest I think the 'foil hats at the ready!' addition to the topic title is insulting to critical members who have expressed their concerns regarding privacy issue's on this new board. Don't get me wrong, I understand it's hardly unavoidable that a lot of one's data is going to end up at the big boys of the internet. But the fact that one can hardly get around the collection of big data, doesn't mean we should bend over and just give everything to everyone. Especially considering the contents being discussed at these boards one would expect the board being more protective for it's users. Let's turn it around, how many of you would like to post with their full name instead of their nicknames? Basically with the Facebook integration on the boards, those with a FB account leave a perfect track record at FB with which websites/pages they have visited etc with their full name attached to it. So lets say a fellow member e.g. Borman releases a nice unreleased gem (tied to a MS IP), and in this particular case they don't stop at a C&D letter and also go after those who downloaded it (which is not that far off seeing certain copyright holders already actively doing this), in that case I'm sure the majority would not be so fond of the fact that crucial meta-data of this site is being shared with other parties.
