[Suggestion] Update the 'identities' section on profiles

[roydan]

In light of ICQ's fast approaching shut down, and Google Chat's double-digit number of worldwide users, I think there's rood for some updates:


ICQ should be gone, as well as Google Chat. FB can stay as it is, but Twittet needs to ba changed to X.

Instead of ICQ and G Chat, I'd suggest TG and Discord, even though TG is a recipe for disaster, we can't ignore its popularity around the forum.

Maybe add WhatsApp as well, as I see many users use it, and Email seems like the go-to communication method for businesses.

 

[Zwielicht]

Pointing out ICQ on the profiles was a nice move. I will discuss this with others on the team to look into removing that if we can.

I'll leave this one open to see what other members thinof of your other suggestions.

 

[xReminisce]

I would say Google Chat could stay
because.. Google Chat is also integrated in Gmail itself and set there as default.
(We know majority of users do not actually customize anything and won't even know you can turn it off)
You can actually just contact them in gmail.com and it pops up on the side.



I would also trust Google Chat over Skype any day of the week
I still have PTSD of fucking skype shitty syncing issues.

Although @Zwielicht,
I do agree we could also start adding more of the known messengers like discord/slack/telegram/Signal but that also could signal (no pun intended) BHW is endorsing off BHW communications/sales.. which we probably don't want either

 

[roydan]

Google Chat is also integrated in Gmail itself and set there as default.

Isn't it just the email, but exclusively to gmail and g suite users?

 

[xReminisce]

Isn't it just the email, but exclusively to gmail and g suite users?

I believe so
but that is also just like saying
why have skype/tg/ig etc, when not "everyone" uses it too

 

[BlogPro]

But @xReminisce won't that require us to add our full email to the profiles. Scrapers/Spammers will have a field day with it, because they'll know exactly where to look. Maybe some sort of anti-scraping measure to that field, not sure.

Other than that, it's a great suggestion. If only Google did usernames.

I second TG and Discord too.

Fantastic suggestion @roydan

 

[xReminisce]

But @xReminisce won't that require us to add our full email to the profiles. Scrapers/Spammers will have a field day with it, because they'll know exactly where to look. Maybe some sort of anti-scraping measure to that field, not sure.

True, they would have a field day with that
but they can already do if they scrape through the BST & HAF / WTB section too as people just spam their emails there with CONTACT ME via ANY THIRD PARTY BUT BHW aswell
people who ultizing it would be the same ones who already have their email somewhere in a thread or two already right..

If only Google did usernames.

if only...

 

[BlogPro]

but they can already do if they scrape through the BST & HAF / WTB section too as people just spam their emails there with CONTACT ME via ANY THIRD PARTY BUT BHW aswell
people who ultizing it would be the same ones who already have their email somewhere in a thread or two already right..

I agree to some extent.

But again, playing devil's advocate here, but wouldn't that be akin to exposing emails of a large cache of members here.

Right now, it's a blind scrape. They'll go through every page on the forum, find anything that resembles an email, scrape and store it. It could be support emails, it could be a member looking for a job, it could be a spam post in itself.

If emails get appended to profiles, scrapers would be able to actually segregate stuff allowing them to create hyper targeted lists.

Like scrape the emails of everyone who has a BST thread in the Links section (aka members who sell links), or everyone who has responded to a BST in the Links section (aka members who purchase links).

 

[roydan]

I agree to some extent.

But again, playing devil's advocate here, but wouldn't that be akin to exposing emails of a large cache of members here.

Right now, it's a blind scrape. They'll go through every page on the forum, find anything that resembles an email, scrape and store it. It could be support emails, it could be a member looking for a job, it could be a spam post in itself.

If emails get appended to profiles, scrapers would be able to actually segregate stuff allowing them to create hyper targeted lists.

Like scrape the emails of everyone who has a BST thread in the Links section (aka members who sell links), or everyone who has responded to a BST in the Links section (aka members who purchase links).

People are free to not share their details even today.
I see why email addresses are more problematic than Skype usernames, though.
I feel like it could be visible only to logged in members to make it more difficult and put on similar restrictions as we have on back to back posting to view user profiles.

 

[Salamouna]

I put my contact info every where and still getting people asking "how can I contact you?"

 

[Zwielicht]

I'm sorry, I forgot to provide an update to this one.

ICQ was removed as an option since this suggestion was made. At the moment, there aren't any plans to add any new options, though.

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