How do I change who sees my posts?
Just like you can make some information in your profile private, there is a similar feature that allows you to keep posts and questions private.
When writing a post, you may have noticed the "Who can see my posts" option. This is referring to the level of visibility your post, and any subsequent replies, has.
What do the options mean?
- The post/question, as well as the replies to it, will be visible to both community members and visitors to the community, including those who are not yet registered on HealthUnlocked.
- This means that individuals, who are not yet members, also receive support and find answers to their questions before they join the community
Selecting "anyone" will allow others who are searching for similar topics you have written about to find your posts through the HealthUnlocked search feature and on Google search. This allows more people to find this great community and the support available in it! In fact, more than half of users found their HealthUnlocked communities through seeing a HealthUnlocked post in their Google search result.
The " Only Community Members" option
- The visibility of the post/question is strictly limited to just the title, and the first 247 characters for anyone who is just a visitor (whether they are HealthUnlocked members or not), ensuring the author's privacy is not compromised
- Only members of the community can see the author's username and the full post/question and replies
- Replies to "Community" only posts are also not visible to people outside of the community
Both posts marked as visible to "Anyone" and to the "Community" can be found through RSS feeds. This can include the website of a charity and the NHS, as well as through search engines like Google.
The “Only community members” option limits access to your post to community members only. This means that your post will not appear on the homepage of your community for visitors, and when viewing the direct link to your post, visitors will only be able to see the first few lines of the post but your username and all the replies will be hidden.
Which option should I choose?
HealthUnlocked is designed for you to be anonymous. As long as you are following the guidelines by not sharing identifiable information (such as real names, specific location and contact information), your posts should be safe to be viewed by, and potentially help anyone. You can find our online safety tips here.
So, when should "Only Community Members" be used?
This option is designed to be used when a post contains sensitive, high-risk topics which could be triggering for others reading it. Reading a post when first viewing a community, without having a full understanding of the purpose and support available, can be very distressing for a visitor, so we ask for any post containing these kinds of topics are shared with community members only.
How do I change the option I selected on my existing post?
You can change who can view your existing posts by editing them. For posts that are limited to the community only, you should see a padlock in the upper right corner of the post.
If you wish to get in touch, to discuss your privacy on HealthUnlocked or any other issue you may have, please contact us below!