Interesting! I've been too busy to look any further into these things. I keep noticing some sorta brouhaha about Stalker Facebook in the press too! One day I'll get around  to reading up, probably a day too late! One invests a bit of trust in certain sites.

I don't know what the old privacy policy was but this one has been in force since last November so its not to do with the recent update. I don't think this means that other users can find out your real name, it's just the people behind the scenes.

I'm not sure what the position now is in this currently, but the ex Labour government were forcing all ISPs in the UK to keep records of all users web-use and emails sent (restricted to date and name, not content).

El Loro, my query is about the change whereby livecloud groups are now being called 'channels.' I'm assuming, perhaps wrongly, that people who administer what are  all of these channels now have access to members email and IP addresses in a way they didn't have previously?

All I know is, this place has become buggered since yesterday afternoon. Can't post in most threads and even one I posted in earlier on today (the forum inevitabilities one) are now no longer accessible.

Why is the writing so tiny in my post up there ^^^^^. It wouldn't let me edit either.

I've just been able to post there and I can't say that I have had any posting problems.
Can you make a posting on this thread so I know where to look for it, saying what seems to be the problem. Are you able to access the thread? If so, what happens if you click the Post Reply button? Do you get the normal Post Reply screen complete with the usual icons (in the past I sometimes got the Post Reply screen with no icons and was unable to post anything but if I refreshed the screen I was then able to)? If you do get the normal Post Reply screen with icons, what happens when you click the Submit Reply button - nothing happens or the spinning cogs stay spinning?

In your post, can you give a couple of threads where you have had this problem. Can you also say which operating system you are using like I am using Windows XP Professional service pack 3. Can you also say which browser do you use, eg Firefox v 3.6.3.

What I can then do is to copy or link your reply over to the Feedback thread where it has the best chance of being dealt with. sorry for all the questions but the more info we can give, the easier it is for them to solve the problem.

I've just had confirmation that channel, (previously known as group,) administrators do, as of the recent changes, have access to members' email and IP addresses. Anyone who is concerned about this may want to change their registered email address or remove themselves from certain groups/channels? Don't have a scooby what the law is re Data Protection across the pond, but I'm clear that this would constitute a major breach of our Data Protection Act i.e. sharing personal data without warning or consent

It's fair to point out that earlier in the Privacy Policy it says:

Social Strata does not share personal information with other individuals, organizations, or companies
outside of Social Strata, unless we have your consent or unless:
• We are working with trusted partners who agree to abide by the rules of this Policy and have signed a confidentiality agreement.
• We respond to subpoenas, court orders, or legal process, or to establish or exercise our legal rights or defend against legal claims.
• We believe it is necessary to share information in order to investigate, prevent, or take action
regarding illegal activities, suspected fraud, or potential threats to the physical safety of any person.
• If Social Strata is involved in a merger, acquisition, or any form of sale of some or all of its assets, we will provide notice before personal information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

So I wonder why that didn't happen

I'm not up to snuff on this, but maybe the sort of changes it's talking about haven't actually happened?

Fluffy, It's been confirmed that it happened with the recent change

Super, surely all these sort of organisations have access to their members' e-mail addresses and ISP addresses? How else can they e-mail you about things? (good or bad) and how else can they suspend/ban certain activities via a specific ISP address?

No, 'blacklist' has been a function from day one.

I'm out of the loop. What has actually happened?
A merger?
An aquasition?
A sale?

When I pasted the paragraph from the privacy policy page, it came across with the we will provide ... that you were quoting on a different line to the previous line referring to mergers etc. I have now corrected this, so if you re-read it, it only relates to where there has been a merger or something.

Fluffy, the LC admin have always had access, understandably. However the changes mean that admin on all groups, now renamed channels, i.e. all of these  now have access too, if you are a member of that group/channel

Fluffy, Super is referring to the forum update and noticing that the term "groups" has become "channels".

Right I think I get what you're saying now. So James in the sinking ship and sBevis etc. now know my details as well?

Next question. Do you know how much they knew BEFORE, when they were still called Groups?

Yes, as an example.
I guess this won't be a problem for many but as my email address on here was in my rl name I have set up a new email account and changed my registered email on my profile. It was all relatively quick and easy when I worked out how 
For anyone who wants to do the same in the light of the changes just set up a new email account, then go to your LC profile and there's an option to edit email, put new email address in there and LC will send you an email to that account asking you to click on a link to verify the change.

Nothing

Super, I have sent a PM to Lori setting out your understandable concerns and have asked her to make a response on this thread, hopefully to ease your and others concerns.

Thanks El Loro, however I've already 'spoken' to Lori and she's aware that I've now changed my registered email address. I also suggested that LC might make an announcement re this matter and inform people what to do if they are concerned

So, how do we removed ourselves from other groups please?

Bazille, go into to the group, (channel) that you want to remove yourself from and on the top right it says: You Are A Member Of This Channel (Leave Channel - Invite Others) so just click on leave channel

Go to Your Channels from the Livecloud logo at the top of the screen.
Click on the channel you wish to leave.
At the top right hand part of the new screen you see Leave Channel.
Click on that and after you confirm you wish to leave, you will automatically be removed from that Channel.

I have now removed myself from all Channels apart from Gagajoyjoy as a direct result of what appears to be a very serious matter. Its one thing that Lori and the others can identify our identities. It's another when a member can identify other people's identities by setting up a group now called a channel. It's not helped by this change having been done without getting our permission first.

I wish I had a clue what's going on ...............I must confess to being a tad naive about these things. I registered on here thinking everything was OK. Can someone put it simply (ie three sentences at most) at what I should or shouldn't be worried about

1) Since the latest changes all groups have become 'channels'
2) Channel administrators, (people who started the 'group') have access to the email and ISP address of members
3) If you don't want them to have this info. (perhaps 'cos it contains your real name for instance,) you need to either leave the channel and/or change your registered email address to one that doesn't identify you

Hi everyone-

Here's the deal, as simply as I can put it.

One of our changes the other day was to drop support for "groups" and instead convert all existing groups to channels, so that no existing groups would lose their sites/information.    Channels do have a slightly different feature set than groups and one of the features is to be able to email members.  (Our TOS has always made it clear that channel admins can acccess email and IP info for their members... this is necessary so they can manage their own sites.)

We definitely should have made this point to everyone prior to the switchover.  Frankly, we just forgot that groups did not have this same access. 

Here's what you can do though if you don't like the fact that channel admins can discover your email address and/or IP address:

1)  Leave any channels where you have an issue with that.
2) Change your account email address.  Note that we do not verify email addresses currently, so you can list a completely bogus address and it will not matter (though you will not be able to get email notifications, obviously).

As an aside, we plan to add more clarity when joining groups that email/IP info is available to channel admins when users join channels (even though that language is in the TOS, we agree that you should be reminded each time you join a channel).

We really do care about your privacy.  This was just an oversight due to the consolidation of groups and channels.  Yes, not very bright on our part.

As an apology, just send me a dialog message and we'll give you a complimentary VIP premium membership... just contact me within the next 7 days!  Thanks!

Thank you .........................hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm- I guess anyone can start their own channel and thereby have access to info ....not good. TBH - it was so confusing when we moved over here I'm not entirely sure what I'm signed up too. I guess if someone has my real name it's not exactly desirable but ........if it's just a name - not the end of the world as far as I'm concerned.

Hi Ted, when I changed mine today, it said it was not verified until I clicked on the email link I was sent to verify it

Soozy:  Anyone can PURCHASE a Channel, but you have to JOIN it for that information to be accessible to the Admin.

Supercali-

Yes, it will be marked as not verified, but that only means that you won't receive email notifications.   You can still use the site if your email is unverified.

Soozy-

To find out what channels you are a member of, go to your My Channels page:

http://my.livecloud.com/channels

Think all of us have different views re our privacy on the net Suzy. One big differences for me is that LC/Social Strata have a clear and explicit privacy and data protection policy and Group/Channel administrators do not.

Thank you for that. The fact is - when Ga Ga shut down ....in the mad scramble to stay in touch with former Ch4 Big Brother posters I'm not entirely sure what I signed up for or who I joined. I spent a week or two flailing about like a headless chicken ...............as I say - I really am not that bothered - but thanks for the info.
 
And .........it makes me feel heaps better knowing that not just anyone can start up a channel - it means so much more knowing it has to be PURCHASED 

May I point out that every forum on the internet that you choose to join, as part of your registration process requires you to submit your email address.  This information is available to any admins.  Likewise each time you login, read a thread, post a thread or reply, your ip is collected and recorded, again, available to any member of the forum admin team.

This is not something new which has been introduced with the recent forum software upgrade.  It has always been the case oh phpbb, vbulletin and all the other main stream forum softwares.

In fact the only data not available is your password, which is usually stored as a MD5 hash.

When you join a forum of any description, and it asks for your email as part of the registration procedure, you run the risk of your email falling into unsavoury hands.  That is why it is good practice to have a seperate email address which you use specifically for things like msn, forums, facebook.  So that if it does get leaked, and then you start receiving suspect emails, at least it's not your important email address which is receiving them.

Supercali-

That's true but, as part of our LiveCloud TOS, we do have this bit (notice point 2 especially):

• If you administer a LiveCloud Channel:
  • You understand that you have no right to re-publish content posted to your channel by others in any other manner. Such content is owned by the content authors, who are granting you a limited license to publish such content on your channel
  • You may not distribute or sell any channel member information to any third party without the express consent of each channel member.
  • You understand that if payment is past due for the channel that it may be disabled and/or deleted by LiveCloud at any time. Upon deletion, all content on the channel wil be permanently removed.

Thus, they'd be violating our TOS, and your rights, if they distributed your personal info to anyone else.