MyRespectability.org

Q. Can I hide my name or location from fellow Community Network members? Can I delete this information altogether to protect my privacy?

A. The short answer: If you wish, you can prevent Members from seeing any information about yourself other than your city and country. You cannot choose to hide that information.

The long answer: Please do not delete your name, abbreviate your last name, erase your address, or remove your city or other location information from your Profile page. You can make your last name show as only an initial if you have issues with identity theft, are in a "witness protection" program, or have other reason for needing to make your identity unknown to others in your community.

The Community Network is more secure than any system you have probably participated in, as it is an Intranet (see Intranet) that is not indexed by search engines. Only people with passwords to the Community Network can gain access. Compared to a printed directory or phone listing that anyone who wanders into your home or office can pick up and read, this is pretty secure. We designed it to be a safe, welcoming environment for Members to be able to safely get to know others like themselves, wherever they may be. We want Members to be able to network--to find a Member in the new town they are moving to, or to send a distant colleague to for help. If you do not share any of your information with fellow Members, networking becomes very difficult, to say the least, and the Community Network appears much less friendly. Bear in mind that having "anonymous" participants makes others feel uneasy and unsafe. Letting people know you are a participant creates a safer environment for all, and enriches our sense of community.

It may help to know that when a Member sends you an email from within the Community Network, your actual email address does NOT appear--the Member will only see your email address if you reply. We care about Member privacy, which is why street address information is one of the things you can choose to not share with others. We hope you will grow comfortable with the Community Network and become willing to share who and where you are with others.

How to Revise Your Settings

To change your display settings, click My Page from among the tabs at the top of any Community Network page, then click Edit Basic Information to revise your name display, or Manage Addresses to revise how your addresses are displayed.

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