BuddyPress.org

Looks like a couple of you downloaded the plugin within minutes after I made the original post here.

You might want to go back and get a new copy. The plugin is now at v1.1 and we’ve just added a new setting that lets users make an item in their profile viewable to all logged in users. So the 4 possible settings for each profile field, which control who can view the data, are as follows:

– Everyone (meaning even people who are not logged in)

– Everyone logged in

– Only my friends

– Just me

There ya go. Enjoy the goodies, and don’t forget to tip your developer

@r-a-y: Didn’t see that one, and after hunting around for a while I decided to stop hunting and make one work. I read and write code pretty fast so for me making one work is faster than hunting in this case.

Anyway, the one I released allows for only showing info to logged in users. The plugin you linked doesn’t do that. Plus I don’t see any reason not to give the user total control over their profile since it’s their info (thus no need for a setting to “Let user decide” )

Also, the one you linked has controls in the admin panel that govern a user’s profile. So if you want to let a user control their own settings you have to set every profile field to “Let User Decide” which is fine, until you add new profile fields and forget to go back and make that adjustment for the new fields.

I like the no maintenance route of just automatically letting the user take total control of their info.

Thanks for the link though.

And for clarity’s sake, I didn’t write the original code. I simply modified it to work with BP 1.2 and added a few features.

As for UI, there’s no need for an admin interface so none exists. To handle display of the field controls you have to modify CSS to work with your particular template unless it works out of the box Ok for you. Same as any plugin that puts content on a site.

@Erich73 – I figure that it will be eventually. It’s very easy to add.

@pedromiguel: Not sure what you mean by “ver 0.1 to 0.2?” — what exact plugins are you referring to?

@mrjarbenne – Good point.

To set a default privacy level that ensures no one inadvertently exposes info, open the file simple-buddypress-privacy.php using a basic plain text editor like Notepad on Windows (do not use Microsoft Word to edit code). Find this line near the top somewhere:

define( ‘CPT_BP_XPROFILE_PRIVACY_FIELD_DEF_VALUE’, ‘3’ );

Change the number 3 to 0 (zero). Save the file, then upload the plugin and activate it. By changing 3 to 0 the plugin will default to making all profile fields invisible to everyone except the profile owner. Then students can edit their profile and intentionally choose which fields to expose.

That’s the quick fix for your particular situation.

Of course that still doesn’t allow you to force any permanent settings since students ultimately get control. But I see your point – I just don’t agree with it entirely even in the case of elementary school students.

As a parent, I advocate teaching along with careful monitoring – the two go hand in hand. Of course being taught involves the student making mistakes – granted. So, if you really want to ensure that no student exposes sensitive information then consider not providing a mechanism for such information to be put into a Web site – particularly since unless you put those computers in a vault at night then you have no idea who is really accessing that information nor when it is accessed. For example, what if your school is burglarized and the computer(s) stolen? Or if your site is not hosted in the school itself, then you have no total control whatsoever over what happens to the information in the site.