Note on profile if a journal can be searched

[melannen]

Title:
Note on profile if a journal can be searched

Area:
privacy

Summary:
People can set their journal to be indexable or not by outside search engines, and also whether they can be searched through site search. It would be nice to be able to tell which journals have that turned on and which don't.

Description:
Right now, AFAIK, there is no way to tell from looking at a person's journal whether the journal content can be indexed/cached by Google and other outside services, and also which who can find the journal from site search. I suggest that this information be included somewhere on the profile, even if it's just the extended profile.

It would be useful in several different cases:

- Some people prefer not to leave comments in journals that can be publicly indexed, due to stalkers or other privacy issues. This would make it easier for them to tell which journals are (relatively) safe.
- When people are compiling linkspams, newsletters, or similar overviews, it would be helpful to know which relevant journals won't show up on search and will need to be checked individually.
- Knowing whether a person allows search and outside indexing is a useful piece of information regarding their overall feelings on privacy (in the linkspam example, say, people might decide to ask about linking a post widely if the owner has indexing and search turned off.)
- Having the information on the profile would remind people that the setting exists and they need to keep an eye on it.

And etcetera.

Downsides: There might be privacy concern over people not wanting their searchability to be publicly visible, but I'm having trouble seeing why anyone might need that kept a secret. There also might be issues if people comment in a journal assuming indexing is off, and the journal owner later turns it on, but that sort of thing is already a risk with any sort of semi-public posting.

Poll #6501 Note on profile if a journal can be searched

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 52

View Respondents

This suggestion:

View Answers

Should be implemented as-is.
21 (40.4%)

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

Shouldn't be implemented.
11 (21.2%)

(I have no opinion)
18 (34.6%)

(Other: please comment)
2 (3.8%)

Comments

[melannen]

Ah, yeah - this wouldn't do anything to change a person's actual options regarding privacy.

(I am not personally a proponent of public-but-not-searchable, but I do think there is a clear benefit for certain types of speech, particularly those which are legal grey areas in their posters' countries of origin, or could otherwise cause RL problems for people, to be unlocked but under the radar. It's risk management - you want the information to be shared as widely as possible among a community of like minds, but you also don't want it do be easily found by people who don't already know where to look for it. Which is why I have all search on, but I also have a notice on my profile warning people about it)