[Guide] How to make most of your profile info

[ovcijisir]

I'm amazed how most of the users here don't use their "Profile info" page nearly enough as they could.

There are many things that can "Profile info" page be useful for:
-spreading messages
-sharing information about your websites
-sharing referral links (it is ok as long as they stay on your "Profile info" page
-other marketing purposes

Maybe you already noticed that there are fields on your P.I. page (MSN, YIM ...) that were used by obsolete messengers (MSN was discontinued in 2013, AIM in 2017, YIM in 2018, ICQ in 2023) but those fields can be used to be filled other info.

From all the messengers available only Skype is still used.

Few days ago I made little experiment to see how much information can be stored in "Profile info" page and I was surprised to notice that it can hold much more info then I thought it would.

Here is picture with "Profile info" page and fields are numbered 1-9:



Each of those fields has some maximum number of numbers, letters and even emojis that it can be stored into it.

Next table shows this information:

Field No	Field name	Numbers	Letters	Emojis	Max. number of characters	Visible for non-members / unlogged members
1	ICQ	✅	❌	❌	19	❌
2	AIM	✅	✅	❌	16	❌
3	MSN	✅	✅	❌	255 (must have e-mail address format)	❌
4	YIM	✅	✅	❌	32	❌
5	Website	✅	✅	✅	255	✅
6	Skype	✅	✅	✅	840	✅
7	Bitcoin address	✅	✅	✅	1024	✅
8	Other contact info	✅	✅	✅	1024	✅
9	Location	✅	✅	✅	255	✅

As you can see some information can not be seen by non members/unlogged members of the forum.

Also please note that adding ICQ, AIM and YIM will add their logos under your personal text below avatar:



But those logos are not visible for non members/unlogged members:



Hope someone will find good use of this information, I would be happy to hear your opinion about this topic and your use case of your "Profile info page".

[Amphenomenon]

Good job, your guide is really good though doesn't hold much significant ground since majority of the social fields has been discontinued, while some doesn't follow the latest trends. Though it has been spoken by many for Theymos to update the profile info to go with the latest trends.

This guide is still helpful in making us understand how our profile info works and their functionality, and how to still make use of the various fields even when majority they're now out of trends.

[ovcijisir]

Good job, your guide is really good though doesn't hold much significant ground since majority of the social fields has been discontinued, while some doesn't follow the latest trends. Though it has been spoken by many for Theymos to update the profile info to go with the latest trends.

This guide is still helpful in making us understand how our profile info works and their functionality, and how to still make use of the various fields even when majority they're now out of trends.

Thank you for your feedback Amphenomenon, hope you will find this info useful. Until Theymos updates forum software to remove old messangers we can at least use those fields for something else.

[Davidvictorson]

Indeed this is very useful. I know some users who have used their profile info section, I think the website part to direct users who look at their profile to their website. The email part, I heard should not be visible to be public as it poses a significant risk because some hackers can use the email to gain access to your bitcointalk account. If that is the case, I wonder why it is still there and who will take such risk.

A small suggestion is not to use a specific name of a social media platform to replace ICQ, AIM, MSN, or YIM. Instead, it should be left customizable for users to input whichever social media platform they prefer. Another reason is that if these platforms are replaced with the new messengers like Facebook, X, Telegram, or Instagram, they could become obsolete over time. Requesting updates to suit the latest trends would then become a daunting task for the administrator.

[ovcijisir]

A small suggestion is not to use a specific name of a social media platform to replace ICQ, AIM, MSN, or YIM. Instead, it should be left customizable for users to input whichever social media platform they prefer. Another reason is that if these platforms are replaced with the new messengers like Facebook, X, Telegram, or Instagram, they could become obsolete over time. Requesting updates to suit the latest trends would then become a daunting task for the administrator.

Removing those obsolete messengers would also have sense for me but as far as I know it is very complicated thing to do, because this option is integrated in forum code. Also probably this is not high priority thing so we will probably have to live with it.

[bitmover]

A small suggestion is not to use a specific name of a social media platform to replace ICQ, AIM, MSN, or YIM. Instead, it should be left customizable for users to input whichever social media platform they prefer. Another reason is that if these platforms are replaced with the new messengers like Facebook, X, Telegram, or Instagram, they could become obsolete over time. Requesting updates to suit the latest trends would then become a daunting task for the administrator.

Removing those obsolete messengers would also have sense for me but as far as I know it is very complicated thing to do, because this option is integrated in forum code. Also probably this is not high priority thing so we will probably have to live with it.

There is a topic about updating those profile information
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5511815.0

Sadly, the profile isn't much useful the way it is.

In my opinion, X, telegram and github are very good alternatives to those

[BitcoinBarrel]

I would advise not putting email addresses in your profile because it will get indexed by search engines and you will get spammed.

[JunaidAzizi]

Indeed this is very useful. I know some users who have used their profile info section, I think the website part to direct users who look at their profile to their website. The email part, I heard should not be visible to be public as it poses a significant risk because some hackers can use the email to gain access to your bitcointalk account. If that is the case, I wonder why it is still there and who will take such risk.

A small suggestion is not to use a specific name of a social media platform to replace ICQ, AIM, MSN, or YIM. Instead, it should be left customizable for users to input whichever social media platform they prefer. Another reason is that if these platforms are replaced with the new messengers like Facebook, X, Telegram, or Instagram, they could become obsolete over time. Requesting updates to suit the latest trends would then become a daunting task for the administrator.

Yeah, the information is very helpful, especially for newbies, as they do not know much about these options in the profile. They only set up their profile with limited information like their birthday and name. However, after this post, they may consider these additional details. Talking about the email option, it poses both benefits and risks at the same time. This option enhances communication among users, allowing them to communicate directly with each other. However, the risks are also significant, especially for those involved in certain services or who have a large number of assets. So, my suggestion is to please hide your email address, the benefits are minimal, and the chances of scamming are higher. A person who wants to communicate will find other ways to reach you, but hackers can easily access your email.

[Catenaccio]

I would advise not putting email addresses in your profile because it will get indexed by search engines and you will get spammed.

Email address can be shown or hidden with option choice in profile settings for "Account Related Settings".

Code:

Hide email address from public?

Tick on it if you want to hide your email address and don't tick it if you want to show your email address to public eyes.

I agree with you that it should be hidden, for privacy as well as for security of your account including forum account and other accounts that use the same email address. It can help you minimizing risk of being scammed through emails.

[ovcijisir]

I would advise not putting email addresses in your profile because it will get indexed by search engines and you will get spammed.

Email address can be shown or hidden with option choice in profile settings for "Account Related Settings".

Code:

Hide email address from public?

Tick on it if you want to hide your email address and don't tick it if you want to show your email address to public eyes.

I agree with you that it should be hidden, for privacy as well as for security of your account including forum account and other accounts that use the same email address. It can help you minimizing risk of being scammed through emails.

I would also be careful in adding Telegram account too. Telegram account that is displayed in public may also be used by scammers to send you personal messages. In any case always be careful when unknown person contacts you and try to promote some "investing opportunity".

[Ambatman]

Just like you said, most don't make use of it because it's not useful to them.
What you stated are things owned by selected few especially by users that sell a product whether goods or services.
They are important to market a product or service but ain't quite important to individuals that ain't into such
Or interested on their privacy
Hence it's obsoleteness. It would be better to update the sites but I think some users of the section have found a work around to it.

[ovcijisir]

~
What you stated are things owned by selected few especially by users that sell a product whether goods or services.
They are important to market a product or service but ain't quite important to individuals that ain't into such
~

The people that sell products and services can benefit the most from this, but I would not agree that other people can not have uses from this too. You can always fill those fields with your personal information, or something else that you would like other users to see.

[dkbit98]

Maybe you already noticed that there are fields on your P.I. page (MSN, YIM ...) that were used by obsolete messengers (MSN was discontinued in 2013, AIM in 2017, YIM in 2018, ICQ in 2023) but those fields can be used to be filled other info.

There are some talks and discussions about changing and replacing this archaic fields with more modern social media links and icons.
I would certainly support that or making empty fields for people to add whatever they want.

I would advise not putting email addresses in your profile because it will get indexed by search engines and you will get spammed.

You have to use email address for registration, but you can hide it in settings, and I would suggest doing that.
 

[Luzin]

The another problem is that most members also hope that the information remains anonymous. So most don't seem to take advantage of that feature. According to your explanation, some services are also no longer running. Based on that, maybe we can give advice to the forum manager to repalace some features that are no longer running. Maybe it can be replaced with other information that is still supportive. IMO

[Samlucky O]

It's actually a good one. not really that people are not aware about it, but I think most people just don't care to add any additional private information about themselves here. Expecially those who just want to totally remain anonymous. Because adding more information about themselves is tantamount to revealing there true identity as here is just a place people are known by just a random username. I think those with the porpos of promoting there business and want to reveal their identity will be in position to add all necessary information accordingly.

[Darker45]

Aside from the fact that those platforms for which slots are provided are already inactive for quite some time, I guess the point is to withhold as much information as possible. As a matter of fact, if we can have an account here without providing even an email, that would be better. The meta these days is privacy. Linking all your contact information or providing them all in a single profile is probably frowned upon by most in this community.

Anyway, for the profile to be relevant at least, it's about time those dead applications be replaced with the likes of Telegram, Discord, Twitter/X, Reddit, and others.

[hugeblack]

It seems useful but other than adding Telegram/Twitter and some general tips these fields cannot be used especially since they do not give you URL links and can be misleading. Unfortunately I suggested modifying these fields or changing them to Social Media which is currently being used and some suggestions from 10 years ago but no update has been made.

[OcTradism]

I would advise not putting email addresses in your profile because it will get indexed by search engines and you will get spammed.

I actually advised people don't do this in Forum account: security, privacy, and recovery.

I created my account a long time so I can not remember that whether the forum with its default settings, hides email address for forum member. I believe it is hidden by a default setting. A user who creates their account recently can confirm it, I believe it will be a confirmation, not denial.

Risks:
Leak them (email, ie.) will put you under attacks of phishing sites, spam emails, etc. It results in risks not only on your forum account but also on your other things (bank accounts, exchange accounts, personal secret things, etc.)

Or how to return account access to this mail xxxxxxxxxxx?

Your Bitcoin Forum ([Suspicious link removed] to xxxxxxxx by IP address xxxxxxxxxxx.

In posts, people don't need to share their email addresses too if they only have problems and want to ask community for help, ideas.

[lovesmayfamilis]

Knowing that some messengers have not been active for a long time, I do not think any users will be interested and click on them. Yes, I agree that those interested in doing business here on the forum can resort to your strategy to make it easier to reach their contacts. But most users prefer to remain anonymous; well, in extreme cases, adding their telegram address will be enough for communication. In addition, adding suspicious, one might say hidden links, to inexperienced users can result in the theft of their information if the link is phishing.

[knowngunman]

I would also be careful in adding Telegram account too. Telegram account that is displayed in public may also be used by scammers to send you personal messages. In any case always be careful when unknown person contacts you and try to promote some "investing opportunity".

Not only telegram, most of the things shown in a user profile are contact informations. Majority of people here deliberately ignored to finish setting up their profile for security reasons and some users fill it wrong information or sarcastic info. Like you point out in your original post, it can be useful and helpful for those interested in marketing their brand as it would give people easier access to them.

It's still cool for bringing it to our notice. Some people or most especially the newbies might not be aware of it and this will definitely be helpful and serve as guidance for them to set it up if they're interested in doing so. However, one must be ready to entertain unsolicited contacts after setting it up.