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Journals

Hi cj29, anyone

I noticed sometime early last week that entries to my journal though made private in the selection criteria section does not work entirely. When I typed in my username and some key words from my private journal into google, the contents of my so called private journal appeared. So I did another test and indeed I noticed that private entries are made public.

Is that how it is meant to work? Has anyone else come across this.I guess everyone is using some sort of nickname so perhaps for some it wouldn't matter. But I felt real unease that what I thought was private was free to everyone through Google.

Also how do I deregister from MedHelp

17 Responses
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242912 tn?1660619837
Thanks sumi, I see it now....
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi,

I problem I seem to be encountering is in the journals section.

Click on the Journals tab
You will see New Journal Entry
Title
Journal Entry
Photo with a small blue box

Privacy with a small blue box ( The following words appear below privacy - ie this journal entry will be visible to Everyone . You can change this Everyone to Only Me for private stuff.

Hope this is clearer

Sumi


Helpful - 0
242912 tn?1660619837
Send me a private message: Everyone Only my friends Nobody
View the 'Photos' tab in my user profile: Everyone Only my friends Only Me
Send and view 'my notes' Everyone Only my friends Nobody
Invite me as a friend: Everyone Nobody

This is all is says when I go into my privacy settings.  Am I missing something?  Am I in the wrong area?

Thanks sumi...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Yeah, I have my journal set up to private and I did a test entry - a one liner - about frisium and bp. Now it didn't appear immediately but around a day later. At first I thought it was because I was logged in but I have tried when I am logged out. When I am logged out,and google in keywords sumihari frisium bp  I see my entry - one liner ( maybe it only shows one line??) anyway when I try to access the entry, it asks me to log in (which means that the security works at this level).  So it is possible that only the first line entry appears in the public domain and probably my computer has some sort of tracker installed.

Sumi
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Avatar universal
It is below the photo option , under privacy, next to it there is an option, this journal will be visible to (with everyone being the default), you can change that default to only me or your friends.

Sumi
Helpful - 0
242912 tn?1660619837
How do you set your journal to private?   I see that notes and photos have the option, but not journals.  How do you do that?

Thanks!
Helpful - 0
480448 tn?1426948538
I see more of what you are saying...you have your journal set to private (which I didn't realize could be done, thanks for that!)...and it is STILL showing up in google?  That's definitely an issue.

Does it show up here, on the MH site?

Hopefully they'll fix that...cuz I bet their are bunches of people with private journals.  Let's just hope it's an isolated problem!  Sorry it happened to you, though!  :0(
Helpful - 0
242912 tn?1660619837
I didn't know you could google your own screen name and have THAT come up.  Wow, I was thinking of putting up a photo of myself and my husband, but now, no way!  

I guess I'm naive about the Internet, but I'm learning...
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Avatar universal
I have just sent a test journal entry to JS Geare.  The journal problem which I encounter takes about 1 day to appear in Google - not immediately. And it does not matter whether I have logged out. And when I log on in I can see my journal in MedHelp with the label Privacy next to it because I set it up to be only visible to me.

Anyway I hope it is just my computer and FMX's which is kind of peculiar.

Nursegirl, thank you for your advice, I pretty much disclose what I willing to spill out , nickname or realname. I have reported those suspect posts in another forum.  I like the disclaimer idea as well - some sort of posters .

Sumi
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Wow, ok...I will ask MedHelp about it your questions.  It does make one wonder a little bit.  I will try to figure something out ASAP for you.


Helpful - 0
480448 tn?1426948538
Hey there!

I do not think that the journal entries were ever "meant" to be private...only the PM's.  I'm sorry this happemed to you...but it is an important lesson....where pretty much ANYTHING you type on the www will be accessible.  You have to be very careful.  Also...that is why nicknames are used, to protect your identity and privacy.  My advice to you...if you post on more than one forum(site)...use a totally unique nickname for each forum.  That way people can't find any related posts you've made somewhere else by googling.

Have you ever googled your name?  You might be SHOCKED at what you find.  The internet is a fabulous thing...but really, you have to be very careful, and with the exception of private messages...have to assume that anything you type can and will be seen by millions of people.  Again...with the nickname...that shouldn't matter too much...b/c it doesn't get related to YOU.  But on the www, it is important to own your words.  If you don't want something "out there", simply don't put it out there, ya know?

Also, as far as people giving advice like you were talking about..I've seen the same thing on several forums as well....and it irritates me too.  Thing is...medhelp has disclaimers EVERYWHERE about not discounting your own medical care...or taking the advice in lieu of proper in-person medical care.  I wish that some posters would be more reponsible though, and temper their posts with disclaimers about visiting one's own doc and such....and mentioning that their posts are sometimes simply their OPINIONS.  But, not everyone will always do that.  You CAN report them if you choose...then medhelp can look into it.

But, this is a great thread, sumi...because I'm sure a lot of people didn't realize that the journals were open for everyone to read.  Heck, you can click on anyone's user name and read their journals.  Maybe a clearer disclaimer when you go to type a journal would be helpful?



Helpful - 0
242912 tn?1660619837
I think Medhelp is working on getting CL's for all the forums, but like I said, I believe someone is always watching the activity of each forum, but I could be wrong.  So far, my experience here has been wonderful, but then again, I keep to a few select forums on a regular basis and usually don't go anywhere else.  

Possibly other forums aren't as structured because they're not as busy.  

I can definitely understand your concern, Sumi.  

Oh, and you can't "deregister" from Medhelp.  You just have to stop posting, delete your profile and move on I guess.  

Take care....

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Avatar universal
I guess I should . Thanks.
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242912 tn?1660619837
You should really report the person you're talking about.  As far as I know, ALL the forums have moderators who watch for people like that.  If this person is in fact doing what you think he's doing, then someone will investigate if you report it.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I was also wondering whether you noticed anything odd in any other forums. I have so far found this all members and responses in this anxiety forum very supportive.

Since I not only suffer from anxiety but back and neck problems, I decided to browse in the back and neck community forum. And I spent some time reading some of the posts and I kept on coming across a frequent contributor (not mentioning who but it would be obvious) who kept on responding and recommending people to consult an Upper Cervical Specialist. At first I thought I was in the doctors forum as this contributor used the Dr title. I later checked his profile to find that he was a chiropractor so it became quite clear to me he may be using this site to advertise perhaps not himself but his specialisation. I could be wrong with my hunch, but I do find it sad that the forum is not 'policed'. Usually people who resort to medical communities are vulnerable as they are in a lot of pain both physically, emotionally and mentally. And if you have a frequent contributor with the Dr title , finishing off with a comment something like " you should consult an Upper Cervical Spine Specialist' can create tremendous anxiety in some people especially hypochondriacs who would feel the urge to seek out such treatment when it may be unsafe and or unsuitable. Why aren't some forums more structured like ours, we at least have community leaders.

I hope you have had better experiences with the other forums, but I have health anxiety,  and some forums are very unhelpful but at least I am strong enough not to fall for the traps.

Thank you for reading.

Sumi
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Avatar universal
Thank you for responding so quickly, yeah, dumb me too, so you are not alone, no more writing personal stuff in these journals or any other sites. It is a pity that nothing really is very private these days, even therapists cannot be trusted as they sometimes use our personal cases for furthering their research. I say this from my own experience with one therapist in the past.

Thank you again and have a good day.

Sumi
Helpful - 0
242912 tn?1660619837
Yep, that's the way it works alright.  Recently, I read someone talking about finding their journal through Google so I googled Medhelp and there are our posts and journals for all to see.  You wouldn't even necessarily have to be googling Medhelp.  One might be looking up a prescription drug for example and come upon Medhelp THAT way.   Except for PM's, I believe ALL OF THIS can be accessed on the Internet.  Makes you think a little differently doesn't it.

Dumb me, I thought we were all in a nice little cocoon here.  HEL-LOO!!
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