Google added a small profile search box at the bottom of your profile page.
Example http://www.google.com/s2/profiles?q=Tony+Ruscoe |
The search doesn't look as good as Philipp's home made version. Check this search:
http://www.google.com/s2/profiles?q=blogoscoped
vs.
http://blogoscoped.com/files/google-public-profile-search.png |
I've just updated my profile page (there wasn't much there before) including a sentence mentioning Google Blogoscoped and my profile has been automatically added to the SERP you linked to.
Looks like it was looking for "Blogoscoped" on it's own (eg not Blogoscoed.com) and wasn't searching the right hand links either |
That's interesting. If Google's indexing profiles in real-time, why did they need to add a sitemap? Just for other search engines?
BTW, even when I searched for [blogoscoped.com] it still didn't return Beussery's profile. |
Did a fast search for my town and found this. Too funny!
http://www.google.com/s2/profiles/113004782837241030110 |
"Your search – TOMHTML – did not match any profiles."
:-|
|
Your search – Plendoranaomanao – did not match any documents. |
The next thing that needs to happen is for more people to be comfortable actually being found on the Internet using their real name (as I am not).
the more you connect these things up the more likely it is at some point that you reveal everything about yourself by one slip of a setting somewhere.
Is there a guru at Google making sure that by posting my blog or photos under a pen name I don't in some way make available my medical records, even if I think I've isolated the two things?
I have yet to see evidence that someone at Google is minding a barrier of privacy between what I am willing (and should be willing) to share and that which I am not willing (or should not be willing) to share.
It looks muddled to me, and of course it isn't only Google making it so.
The question isn't one of intent (are they evil?) the question is one of competence, and in this arena they need to be almost infinitely competent. Passwords having gotten out can be changed. Much less easy to change your home address and impossible to change your medical status or criminal record. What possible upside can compensate for all the possible downsides? And I say all this as a longtime supporter of Google. I just don't see evidence that they are paying attention to where these things could go. |
OK I understand now, why I wasn't in the search results. I had to check the checkbox "Show full name publicly so people can find you". But this isn't a good & comprehensive label, because when the checkbox is unchecked you can't even find yourself in the results by searching for your city, your company or your description. the label of the checkbox shoud be "set this profile public / private" |
<<the label of the checkbox shoud be "set this profile public / private">>
I disagree: "set a profile public/private would be confusing", as the check box doesn't change the privacy of your profile, but only how you can find it through web search.
Indeed, all profiles are public and displayed for applications such as Google Maps and Knol.
The check box, I think, only matters for search. Hence the "Show full name publicly so people can find you". |
What's the link with "full name"? Showing or not my full name shouldn't be related to search results. What if I want to hide my full name, but not my pseudonym, my city, my country, my description, ... ? |
TOMHTML You can hide your full name, but not other information. Open your profile, click edit profile then remove the check mark from "Show full name publicly so people can find you", it will show the nickname in your profile instead.
|
... and you will be no longer searchable in the Google Profile Search Engine. |
TOMHTML Ya, if people use your full name to search for you. But they can find you for example by searching for your nickname.
|
If I uncheck the checkbox "Show full name publicly so people can find you", no they can't. http://blogoscoped.com/forum/143950.html#id144017 |
I think the Google Profiles, while a little late in the game with profiles, definitely has the chance along with Google Friend Connect, of putting a real dent into social networking services that already exist.
I was excited to find out that I was "white listed" to test out google Friend connect. So my little Naples, FL website – [free.naplesplus.us] – has it and I suspect, as more and more sites get Google Friend Connect enabled, and people start moving their profiles to Google in the process, you'll start to see more and better Google Profiles popping up.
Is it creepy to be easily findable? Well, for myself, I gave up on the privacy thing a few years ago. I just went with it and said to myself, "Okay, if y'all wnat to find me, then go right ahead" and went overboard in creating boring profiles on just about any service that looked half interesting.
I just hope that Google Profiles adds a nifty "Add as a friend" feature. They'll just have to be REALLY CAREFUL about that for the same reason other social networking services have to be careful: the potential for abuse.
And, why the heck not, here's my google profile: http://www.google.com/s2/profiles/116220525110856958463
whoops – hey, what just flew out the window again? Ah yes. Privacy :)
Kenneth Udut, Naples, FL USA Webmaster of newly Google Friend Connect enabled [free.naplesplus.us]
[Some URLs unlinked. -Philipp] |
I've found an interesting use of Google Talk badge (http://www.google.com/talk/service/badge/New): Add one as a link page on your Google Profile. There shouldn't too many visitors, so this could be a great way to make yourself more accessible...
Google could make this feature native in Profiles, working the same way it does for email through profile (identification via Google Accounts). BTW, I wouldn't be surprise if they expand chat to Friend Connect: such an IM system could bring semi-private conversation rooms to public websites, which I think was the primary goal of the (now deceased) Lively. |