noracharles: (Default)
Nora Charles ([personal profile] noracharles) wrote in [site community profile] dw_suggestions2010-07-06 06:46 pm

Add privacy warning to faq about forwarding email from your username@dreamwidth.org address

Title:
Add privacy warning to faq about forwarding email from your username@dreamwidth.org address

Area:
privacy

Summary:
In the faq (http://www.dreamwidth.org/support/faqbrowse?faqid=196&q=forwarding&lang=) it is implied that forwarding email is a privacy concern, but it's not explained why. I would like a sentence added explaining that doing so may reveal that address to other users.

Description:
This is one of those things where a moment's thought will tell you the answer, but I didn't think, and other users may also be ignorant about the risk:

Don't forward your username@dreamwidth.org mail to an email address you do not wish connected to your pseud, because if it bounces, the person who emailed you will get an auto-reply containing the private email address.

I learned the real life name of a fandom friend this way.

Poll #3745 Add privacy warning to faq about forwarding email from your username@dreamwidth.org address
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 47


This suggestion:

View Answers

Should be implemented as-is.
47 (100.0%)

Should be implemented with changes. (please comment)
0 (0.0%)

Shouldn't be implemented.
0 (0.0%)

(I have no opinion)
0 (0.0%)

(Other: please comment)
0 (0.0%)

matgb: Artwork of 19th century upper class anarchist, text: MatGB (Default)

[personal profile] matgb 2010-07-07 08:08 pm (UTC)(link)
I'd have had to guess at it as well, wouldn't have ever occured to me given my username is my real name, pretty much, but...
briarwood: (FGT Izzy Smile)

[personal profile] briarwood 2010-07-08 06:16 am (UTC)(link)
Agreed. It's one of those things that should be obvious, but we don't think about until it happens.