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[Dafydd_Edward_Dragon]

Here's a quick simple question I have..

You know how you can set up your forum ID so that your IM icons show under your username in the forum (like MSN, Yahoo, AIM, etc.)   Does that information show to the public, or does it show to member's only?

I'm curious as I deliberately never set them to avoid spider bots finding my e-mail/screennames and me getting spammed at, because I saw the URL's for this icons are not spider proof/resistant as it shows the text right in the a href in the source code as plain text, rather than have one of things rigged where it has to be a human being to be able to digest the information because of it either being in a format spiders can't find or has one of those 'type the characters in this picture' security devices.

Also, if it is hidden from /public/ view, I know google spiders and the like are given special permissions on forums, if those kind of spiders are allowed, is the information deliberately hidden from those spiders too? I want no one but people who actually register to this forum to know of my contacts.

[solarion]

I don't know whether the information is hidden from google spiders and the like, but it's definitely hidden from spambots - I can't see them when I'm logged out. Nor can I see people's profiles, which would have the information anyway.

So you're probably pretty safe putting it on there.

[Dafydd_Edward_Dragon]

Humm.. Sel?, Aurelia?, Karn?, Moderators? any of you know for sure if they're hidden from google spiders? I don't want to appear in results if some spammer decides to google for '@hotmail.com' and find my address among the millions.

[Aurelia]

As far as I know, they're hidden but will need to ask Sel.  While we aren't in the same timezone right now I don't get to talk to him much to ask things, but I'll give him a poke.  He does check the forums though when he can so I'm sure he'll answer this later for you :)

[Ethelshai]

I just replace my normal address by a "please@ask.first" :D
So people just ask in PM lol

[Ravtrag]

Iv got my Email address in my profile and I have not needed to deal with spam or any thing. But I have "Hide email address from plublic" checked. (Thats in "Account Related Settings") And in "Forum Profile Information" Iv got my MSN address on that and still dont got any spam.

[Dafydd_Edward_Dragon]

I also have my e-mail address hidden, I want to know if it's safe to un-hide it. Out of an experiment I made a brand new e-mail account and posted it in a quiet forum, never using it anywhere else and within a couple months the spam came in in truck loads.

[Ancl Tsagaree]

I have my email/WLM(aka MSN, same email address for both) on public view, and I have yet to receive any spam. I guess micro$oft's email service has a competent spam defender.

[Dafydd_Edward_Dragon]

I dislike their spam filter because it tends to block a lot of non-spam stuff.

[Ancl Tsagaree]

That's why I make sure to check it every once in a while to see whether or not what's blocked should be.

[Dafydd_Edward_Dragon]

...Which defeats the purpose more or less... may as well just let the spam go to the inbox so you can inspect it faster

[Aurelia]

Sel will be back this weekend for a few days by the way.

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