# If you have a hidden profile it is more difficult to follow your arguments **URL:** \ **Category:** Site Feedback\ **Created:** [October 15, 2022, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302 "2022-10-15T20:02:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/41 "2024-05-28T19:45:58Z")
I’m resurrecting this thread because I strongly believe that making profiles hidden is a terrible “feature” here, for all the reasons listed above. Has anything changed? Can this be turned off? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/42 "2024-05-28T21:22:01Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Has anything changed? My opinion certainly hasn’t changed. Hidden profile functionality should be disabled. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/43 "2024-05-28T21:57:56Z")
I also still strongly agree. WE?, Did anything come out of bumping it higher up? A reason for a “no” at least? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/44 "2024-05-28T22:01:47Z")
I started another conversation on it today oddly enough. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/45 "2024-05-28T22:08:43Z")
Great minds think alike and all. Thanks for looking into it. ---
**Author:** ![dgy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a587f6/32.png) [@dgy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgy)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/46 "2024-05-28T22:17:51Z")
> **Hid off-topic post. {WE?}** > > Why not a threading option? ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/47 "2024-05-28T23:13:47Z")
A hard no. The way I see it having that option for a private profile is a security measure. A decision for personal reasons not deception or nefarious skullduggery or to be an irritant to other members by keeping one’s. presence low key. Mmmv ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/48 "2024-05-28T23:16:19Z")
> [@chela](#): > > The way I see it having that option for a private profile is a security measure. What do you think having a private profile does for you? No one can tell anything about you from it. All it does it make it hard to follow your public posts here. Which are still searchable, but more clumsily. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/49 "2024-05-28T23:18:50Z")
The only personal info in my profile is what little I chose to share. I could have put nothing or even something fictional if I wanted to be more secure. Making my profile private adds no extra security. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/50 "2024-05-28T23:19:49Z")
You already perhaps _know_ me as far as you can throw me. lol. I don’t get the question. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/51 "2024-05-28T23:23:12Z")
> [@chela](#): > > I don’t get the question. Well, you say the option of keeping a profile private is a security measure. I’m asking _how_ is it a security measure? Posters make public posts here. A private profile makes it difficult to read those public posts. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/52 "2024-05-28T23:31:20Z")
No. It doesn’t make it harder. How so? All of my sdmb posts are public. Do a clumsy search or drop a dm if a question That’s all Public private why is that so hard to accept in a profile view? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/53 "2024-05-29T00:06:11Z")
What are you talking about? ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/54 "2024-05-29T00:22:47Z")
Nothing much to add other than to say I also think the hidden profile feature should be disabled if possible. ---
**Author:** ![dgy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a587f6/32.png) [@dgy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/55 "2024-05-29T01:12:22Z")
> **Hid off-topic post. {WE?}** > > A threaded interface shows each conversation/subconversation as a hierarchy of threads. So, you can start with one post and directly see and follow just the subsequent posts in that conversation. The display is less cluttered and more condensed. > > (sorry, I can’t seem to inline an image) > > Here, there are two topics shown: “Help!! My Internet seem to be down”, started by “gray\_wolf” at 4:04AM on 20170417 and “WELLS-CTI surface mount sockets” started by Winfield Hill at 5:19AM on 20170418. > > The first topic’s THREAD has been expanded to reveal all of the posts that followed in that topic. bitrex and Martin Riddle replied to the original post at 5:31 on the 17th and 6:58 on the 18th. gray\_wolf replied to bitrex at 5:57AM on the 17th (no one replied to Martin’s comment). Rheilly Phoull replied to gray\_wolf’s comment at 8:55. And, gray\_wolf AND Rob replied to Rheilly Phoull’s post. > > You can see the chronology and relationship of the replies displayed graphically (the dotted lines emphasize this). > > So, if I have no interest in following the subthread that Rheilly Phoull started, I know to ignore (not click on) those two posts “indented” below it. > > When you have dozens of posts responding to each other, these relationships are more visible; you can see who is talking to who without scrolling through screens of SEQUENTIALLY PRESENTED posts (as seems to be the case, here). ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/56 "2024-05-29T01:13:51Z")
You’re describing how a site like Reddit works, not a traditional message board like this one. I don’t think that suggestion has anything at all to do with hidden profiles. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/57 "2024-05-29T01:14:15Z")
Got it, totally unrelated to the thread. Please drop this inquiry from this thread. ---
**Author:** ![dgy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a587f6/32.png) [@dgy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/58 "2024-05-29T01:27:29Z")
Sorry, I thought it very applicable to the notion of being “more difficult to follow your arguments” as it makes the interaction of posts so obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/59 "2024-05-29T04:39:39Z")
> [@chela](#): > > No. It doesn’t make it harder. How so? See post #1. > [@Max\_S](#): > > Doing a search is about ten times as difficult as a filter. Off the top of my head, **chela** , you tend to only post once in topics that I read. Short posts, too, usually one or two sentences. At least that’s my impression - I live in the more debate-focused forums. And it’s also biased by the fact that if you post more than once in a thread, I wouldn’t note the fact. Because your profile is hidden. I think I’ve replied to you maybe once or twice ever. This is not a coincidence. Sometimes you do get more involved in threads. I remember you had a presence in the [“How do we feel about teachers fired for posting homemade porn?”](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-feel-about-teachers-fired-for-posting-homemade-porn/994614) thread. And I specifically did not engage with you at all because your profile was hidden, and I didn’t feel like reading all your posts without the filter function. So while I don’t have you “on ignore”, be advised that I have ignored your posts. Because they are harder for me to read. Because your profile is hidden. Likewise in the [“When does a kiss merit 1-4 years in jail? (Spanish soccer)”](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-a-kiss-merit-1-4-years-in-jail-spanish-soccer/989844) thread, which I read but didn’t participate in, I sort of skim your posts and the posts of people replying to you. I don’t give your posts the full consideration I do for other posters. Because it’s harder for me to follow your posts across large threads. Because your profile is hidden. I’m _not_ saying you have ulterior motives for a private profile. I don’t really care why you do so (though I don’t see any benefit). ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302/60 "2024-05-29T11:44:10Z")
> [@chela](#): > > Public private why is that so hard to accept in a profile view? I’ve explained exactly why upthread, and since **my** profile isn’t hidden all you have to do is click on my name to filter my posts. Nice and easy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302.md?page=4)