Hurrah James!

I know I've made it if my name comes up in Google! I found it rather fascinating actually...as I said, I'm not giving out any information that directs anyone to me (once I'm famous I'll take my profile down )...so I'm not overly concerned. But that's just me - I totally respect the wishes of anyone who does not want to have a profile and it doesn't put me 'off' them if they don't.

It's no big deal in the larger scheme of things...

Nahed

It seemed odd to me when I first joined WW that having asked me for a user name my other name came up at the top of the profile. Not that I minded, but I do find myself wondering whether people prefer to be called by their user or their given names. The profile is useful to give one an idea of what someone is about, and it helps with the comments, but I understand why anyone would want to hide their details. Possibly less people would if their given names weren't displayed. And Google is downright scarey the way it picks up everything, especially as there's another Nell Grey with a list on amazon who's nothing whatever to do with me!

Hi Nahed,

Of course I know you're a woman, NOW.

But when I joined WW, for some reason - Word's worth - I thought was a man.

Not that it matters.

Dawn,

David,
And there's me thinking it was the chamber maids that kept her out of wedlock... curses!

Was Shakespeare a man or a woman? One person or several? What do we actually know about her/him, and does it make the slightest bit of difference?
But, if you did have the chance to find out, wouldn't you be tempted?

Alas, poor researchers. We go to the parish records and the blasted profile's been hidden...

<Added>

Yes, the fart's quite annoying, Dee... but it's that red eye that really freaks me out. Wherever I go in the room it seems to be blinking right at me. Freaky...

Now that I've read this thread, I think I'm going to hide my profile. Some people I work with regularly search google for people they know, and share any results they find with whoever they happen to be speaking to (I'm sure they must have something better to do, but apparently not!) At this stage in my writing, I don't think I'm ready for them to do that.

So, sorry to you people who like profiles, but mine's going. Or maybe I'll just change my name...

Sam

<Added>

Huh, even with a changed name, it still comes up in google when I search for my real name. Oh well.

Dee - Adaware only makes that fart when it finds something. If it completes its scan without finding anything it doesn't do it. I use Spybot S&D as well, that scans differently and sometimes finds stuff Adaware misses.

Swandale - Google won't stop finding you until it trawls WW again - the pages with your name on them are cached. It could take up to three months for it to disappear.

I'm not sure how I feel about profiles. Given my surname, I'm always going to come up quickly in Google. However I know enough about Internet security to know that if the pondlife want to get your personal info they won't do it from a webprofile, they'll do it directly from your computer, which is why I'm firewalled to the hilt have several different types of antispyware software, and don't use Internet Explorer or Outlook Express.

Paranoid, much?



Cas

Crumbs! I've never even heard of firewalls and farting software before today. Suddenly I feel all afraid..
Off to hide under the bed..

x
tc

Hi tc -

The webcam under your bed shows you really are scared. Pull the internet link out of the wall, turn off all the electricity, remove batteries, then draw the curtains.

I am strangely disappointed when I find the profile missing. I like reading the author's details on a book cover - the sex, age and background helps me to appreciate the attitude, style and imagination.

Even if the details a false, like Len's, they still show the face the author would like to be able to show.

As an example, do any of you share my relief that Ralph is really Ralph-ette, after he/she has been sending 'Huggs' all this while? I remember hoping that 'Huggs' stands for something other than close contact, and I have been rather restrained in replying to Ralph-ette's more enthusistic comments. Now she can hug to her heart's content, if he really is female, and not kidding us again.

Enough from me, I agree with Dee,
but I am off the get Spybot anyway.

All the best,

JohnK

Oh, sorry to scare you John.
The huggs are meant in a purely platonic way, honest.
That started out when I was a wee net-rat back in 199... something. I joined a support group and everyone was "hugging" every one else. If I told you it's a deliberate mispelling (you need two arms to 'hug' properly...) you'd be really scared, right?
It's just something that stuck...
If you prefer, you can have best wishes

So, erm...

Best wishes

Ralph(ette)

I must be strange, because I always knew that Ralph was female...but didn't know how to confirm it without sounding like a right t*t if I turned out to be wrong...

Thanks Dee, for bringing up this subject..I can die happy now :D

Hey Ralph, love that Hugg thing about the two g's for the two arms...I noticed that, and I did think why two g's? but I guess I'm not a very outwardly inquisitive person. I just thought you must have a good reason for writing it that way - and that was fine by me. I should ask more!

Nahed x



<Added>

Blimey...look at the time! pillowwww!

......Can I come out now?

Strangely enough I installed spybot over the weekend have always had a firewall and avs but those of you who dont may want to go to trend house call for an extra on-line anti virus scan its free and works well but you still need an avs on your puter for regular scans.

Norton seesm to upset some operating systems AVG come sout well against all purchased software and it is free but there are a nuber f others the trick is to ensure you update them at every opportunity ( free updates on line) Firewalls there are many but again good versions free to home users.

I also use ashampoo which clears out cookies and orphaned files, it will also speed up your internet connection if you aren't on Braodband by rejigging the windows settings.

as for intenret explorer and express needs must really but I/E seesm to be having loads of problems at present, wish I had bought a Mac.

as for Elizabeth 1 and Will perhaps most of Will's work was written as a result of an excercise on 16th century write words site.

ref prophiiles who says what people put on them is true

as for google I have a number of famous people who share my name so I am well down the list when it comes to google searches i think around the 160,000 mark so can't think anybody would bother and just in case they do I'm broke.

A number of Members have suggested that the profile details I have loaded up in this Forum may not be factual. I do not know why! I thought it was absolutely true.

However as others have confessed to certain smokescreens, I can tell you that my words were not ALL the truth... but I do like cooking.

Dear IB, can you send me some more of that green, steaming liquid, please.

old friend ('in your dreams, brother' LEN

<Added>

Another of those bl**dy Smiley things. It's when I press the close bracket! I see the bracket but it loads down/up as a Smiley! Help!

Haven't read most of this apparently lengthy discussion, but I don't tend to read most profiles anyway. A life of bitter cynicism tells me that most people lie through their teeth to make them look better to people they may never meet.

I prefer to judge people on what they have to say for themselves in genuine discussions.

Thanks to everyone who mentioned Google. I've just checked and discovered my closest friend is Thomas Gray, something of a writer himself. Google reveals that one of old Tommy's best pieces was an obit he penned in August 1742 on the subject of my premature death. So that's all right then, nobody's going to hassle me now.

Richard

* Oh hell. This looks like Ralph arriving with a spade.