How far can we go in identifying other Family Tree patrons on this forum?

Paul W

From a response to a recent post, I am reminded that I am referring to the contact id here and not a person's username. My query concerns confirmation we definitely can't quote, or include screenshots, which reveal such names, when posting in Community. I believe this to be the case based on previous moderators' comments, and noting some Community members have redacted such names from their screenshots.

I had a case involving this issue earlier today, whereby I referenced the profile (ID) concerned, rather than directly showing (through a screenshot) the user's contact id. Obviously, this detail can be immediately seen once any interested party gets to the profile page referenced!

In a further instance, I have had to post a private message to a moderator concerning one of those contact id names that appear to represent an officially approved FamilySearch project (but probably has just been chosen by an individual to look "authoritative"), because I believe it would breach the code of conduct by quoting it here.

I would be grateful if a moderator could kindly confirm that such detail cannot be directly published here, however.

Ashlee C.

@Paul W According to the Code of Conduct, you should not "post personally identifiable information, such as phone numbers, email addresses, passwords, or helper numbers. This is for your safety."

This rule is in place to help protect the privacy of all living individuals. If a name is connected to a living person, we ask that Community members take care to protect it.

Within the Community, we refer to members only by their usernames—the names shown at the top of each post or comment. It's fine to tag other users to bring them into a discussion. However, sharing a FamilySearch contact ID or username of someone who has not chosen to participate in the Community is not allowed. This includes in screenshots.

We sincerely appreciate the thoughtful effort you’re making to understand and follow the Code of Conduct. Your care helps keep the Community safe and welcoming for everyone.

sc woz

@Paul W

If i am reading this correctly under the Community Code of Conduct it reads

1. Posting personally identifiable information including, but not limited to, phone numbers, email addresses, passwords, helper numbers. (This is for your safety.)

This is not limited to your own information but any living person.

Adrian Bruce1

Thanks for identifying the section @sc woz but I would contend that we need FamilySearch to produce an explicit statement whether or not we are allowed to include screenshots containing a contact id or not.

My problem is that contact ids could be considered to be "personally identifiable information", and, if so, should therefore be forbidden.

This will make life exceedingly difficult for the Community when it comes to screenshots. Further it is profoundly illogical when we realise that this Community brands every contribution with the relevant contact id - while the software also allows us to tag people with their contact id.

And then, of course, we find that the main FamilySearch system uses contact ids across the system.

ColinCameron

And both the above responses used a contact id of another user.

Paul W

@sc woz

I just included you in a private conversation (with another moderator), to give you some further background into one specific reason why I raised this query.

beatriz25307

Se puede saber, cuando un familiar en otro lugar diferente busca la misma información..que yo ando,buscando?

Ashlee C.

@Paul W FamilySearch Community is a public online forum, meaning its content is searchable through search engines like Google and Yahoo. To respect our users' privacy, even though usernames (contact IDs) are public on FamilySearch, we refrain from posting the names of users who have not chosen to participate in discussions. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in upholding this standard. Thank you!

Paul W

@Ashlee C.

A fellow moderator expressed elsewhere that usernames are not the same as contact id names.

I feel we still need further clarification on this issue. You appear to recognise where this is particularly problematic in saying:

we refrain from posting the names (my emphasis) of users who have not chosen to participate in discussions

I and other Community members would not have a clue as to the identity of someone who called themselves, say, "White Knight", or even "Profile Conflation Project", so please clarify if we can publish these names (say in the use of screenshots) on this forum, or if it would only be a breach of the code of conduct if we printed screenshots that showed "real" names such as "Donald Andrew White" or "James Anthony Black"? (With apologies if, in the unlikely instance, there should be FamilySearch patrons with either of those chosen-at-random names.)