Simple Machines Community Forum

Customizing SMF => Building Your Community and other Forum Advice => Topic started by: joehark on April 08, 2018, 08:23:45 PM

Title: are users anonymous?
Post by: joehark on April 08, 2018, 08:23:45 PM
Is there some place in the docs that explains user anonymity? Can they remain anonymous even from each other?
Title: Re: are users anonymous?
Post by: landyvlad on April 09, 2018, 01:09:37 AM
Anonymous in what sense?
Title: Re: are users anonymous?
Post by: joehark on April 13, 2018, 10:47:51 AM
Anonymous in the sense that only The forum or a sufficiently authorized moderator knows the identity, meaning the true name and email address of any member. Members of the board that I wish to create will want assurance that their identity is not known or available to other members.
Title: Re: are users anonymous?
Post by: Kindred on April 13, 2018, 10:58:12 AM
That depends on what they use for a username.

After all, if my  display name is "Joe Schmoe", and that's actually my real name - then people can see my real name.
However, as my display name is "Kindred" - you have no idea what my real name is.

As a user here, you can look at my profile...
you can not see my username
you can not see my realname (because it's not listed anywhere on this site at all)
You can not see my IP address
You can not see my email address
Title: Re: are users anonymous?
Post by: joehark on April 13, 2018, 11:07:27 AM
Thanks.
Title: Re: are users anonymous?
Post by: joehark on April 13, 2018, 11:15:50 AM
I should have asked, if I allow buddy lists, do their real email addresses remain cloaked from each other?
Title: Re: are users anonymous?
Post by: Kindred on April 13, 2018, 12:07:51 PM
yes.

please read the online manual and you can/should probably install a test version to play around with