Heads up: some academic research taking place

Opt out.

Opt me out please. If I had some idea what it was about i'd consider it.

Here is (or can be) anonymous, FB/Twitter is not. You know your audience with FB and Twitter and have the ability to restrict it - not so here. We depend on MNHQ for that. The title of this thread doesn't make the purpose clear at all. I only came on because I heard what it was about - there is nothing about the title that says posts will be analysed.

I can't see this producing rigorous academic results which is why I think it is commercial. Possibly this research has been commissioned by MNHQ to target their adverts - they say they've worked with them before.

If you think the researchers are going to be reading threads on MN I think this is unlikely. MNHQ will give them data from specific boards, presumably with those of us who have requested to be excluded from this 'research' omitted from that data. I don't think their data processing is someone reading a screen looking for keywords, the data will be processed by some kind of software and that's why MN have mentioned it IMO. Data transferred, held and processed off-site by a third party.

I don't want to be included because I sometimes post when pissed I'd like to know what it's all about. They don't usually ask; what's different this time?

While I'm not stupid, and I know that anything I write on here can be read by anyone, I don't like the idea of someone deliberately collating my posts from lots of different threads and putting it all together. I know some people on here (and on related sites) do it all the time, and I know it's all open so they can if they want. They don't have to ask, but since in this case they are, I'm saying no.

If they want to tell me what it's all about, then I might change my mind.

I'd like to opt out thanks very much

I can't get worked up about this. Happy to be included.

I wish to be excluded

... and you may think my post was patronising - but it is incredibly frustrating how many MNetters don't realise what they're doing when they post here (or on any other site), and then they complain that somehow MNHQ are in the wrong

@GorgonLondon

But what are the reasons why you would opt out?

Anyone could (and probably is) already reading what you've been posting.

Sassitudeandsparkle - do you think MN are lying about this? They have said it is university researchers. I doubt anybody who wanted to do it for commercial reasons would even ask. Because everything is already available to be viewed by anyone browsing the site!

Yep. It's the principle of the thing, I don't want to take part in research when I don't know is what it is for. The researchers were courteous enough to ask MN, and MN were courteous enough to ask us so I am respectfully declining.

I'm very aware that my posts are publicly visible, and that they are probably used for a number of purposes. This does not mean that I have no right to refuse to be a research subject if I am asked.

What are the good reasons? You would be if anything less identifiable in this research than you are actually on the MN boards.

So although you let the whole world see what you write, you want to stop one particular reader just because they asked?

So just because some people don't ask before they do something, means that if you are asked you must always say yes?

I wonder how many of those wanting to protect their anonymous posts on here, regularly expose their real lives on Facebook, twitter, etc. It's hardly consistent.

You are incredibly naive if you think that MN is somehow a nice, unpilfered bubble on the internet.

No, you are incredibly patronising if you think that we are all too stupid to realise that.

There are still good reasons for opting out when we have been given the opportunity to do so

why are MNHQ asking permission in the first place?

Study ethics requirements?

It seems a bit odd for people to be asking for their posts not to be included, since they are already in the public domain.
The Daily Mail copies posts from here, complete with user names, and you can't ask them not to include you!

I'm opting out please HQ.
And must remember to update here if I NC over the next few weeks. Presumably you'll update this thread when the research is finished?

I don’t wish to be included.

I am very unhappy with the opt out approach.

If they're only being given access to whatever appears on the public boards, like the rest of the general population, why are MNHQ asking permission in the first place?

Well, except my bad grammar and swearing, but that's their cross to bear.

They're being given no access at all to anything in the back end - nothing beyond what they can see on the public boards

I don't see what the problem is in this case.

Those of you who want to be excluded should probably stop posting on any social media from now on.

Companies are reading and analysing what we post here (and on all other sites and fora) all over the internet to see what people are saying about their brands, or about specific issues. It's called social scraping, and it's big business within the marketing world.

You are incredibly naive if you think that MN is somehow a nice, unpilfered bubble on the internet.

Please exclude me.