Visibility and privacy controls

<h1>Visibility and Privacy Controls</h1> <h2>Overview</h2> <p>On Zakaya, you have control over who can see your information and activity. Our privacy settings are designed to give you flexibility in how you participate in the community while maintaining your desired level of privacy. This article explains the various visibility and privacy options available to you and how they affect your experience on the platform.</p> <h2>Profile Visibility Settings</h2> <h3>Basic Profile Information</h3> <p>Your basic profile includes your username, profile picture, and bio. You can control who sees this information with the following options:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Public</strong>: Anyone on Zakaya can view your basic profile information</li> <li><strong>Community Only</strong>: Only members of communities you've joined can see your profile</li> <li><strong>Connections Only</strong>: Only people you've connected with can view your profile details</li> </ul> <p>To adjust these settings:<br /> 1. Go to <strong>Settings</strong> &gt; <strong>Privacy</strong><br /> 2. Under <strong>Profile Visibility</strong>, select your preferred option<br /> 3. Click <strong>Save Changes</strong></p> <h3>Activity Status</h3> <p>Your activity status shows others when you're online. You can choose to:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Show to everyone</strong>: All users can see when you're active</li> <li><strong>Show to connections</strong>: Only your connections see your online status</li> <li><strong>Hide completely</strong>: No one can see when you're active</li> </ul> <h2>Content Sharing Controls</h2> <h3>Post Privacy</h3> <p>When creating a post, you can set who can view it:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Public</strong>: Visible to anyone on the platform</li> <li><strong>Community</strong>: Only visible to members of the specific community</li> <li><strong>Connections</strong>: Only visible to people you've connected with</li> <li><strong>Private</strong>: Only visible to you and any specifically mentioned users</li> </ul> <p>You can set a default sharing preference in your privacy settings, or choose a specific setting for each post you create.</p> <h3>Comment Visibility</h3> <p>You can control who can comment on your posts:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Anyone</strong>: All Zakaya users can comment</li> <li><strong>Community Members</strong>: Only members of the community where you posted</li> <li><strong>Connections</strong>: Only people you've connected with</li> <li><strong>No One</strong>: Disable comments entirely</li> </ul> <h2>Activity Tracking</h2> <h3>Read Receipts</h3> <p>Read receipts show others when you've seen their messages. You can:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Enable for all</strong>: Everyone can see when you've read their messages</li> <li><strong>Enable for connections only</strong>: Only your connections see read receipts</li> <li><strong>Disable completely</strong>: No one can see when you've read messages</li> </ul> <h3>Typing Indicators</h3> <p>Typing indicators show when you're composing a message. You can:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Show to everyone</strong>: All users in a conversation see when you're typing</li> <li><strong>Show to connections</strong>: Only your connections see typing indicators</li> <li><strong>Hide completely</strong>: No one sees when you're typing</li> </ul> <h2>Search and Discovery</h2> <h3>Search Visibility</h3> <p>Control how others can find you on Zakaya:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Discoverable by everyone</strong>: Anyone can find you in search results</li> <li><strong>Discoverable by community</strong>: Only members of communities you've joined can find you</li> <li><strong>Limited discovery</strong>: Only people with your exact username can find you</li> </ul> <h3>Buddy Match Program Participation</h3> <p>The Buddy Match program helps connect new members with established ones. You can:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Opt in as a buddy</strong>: Make yourself available to be matched with new members</li> <li><strong>Participate as a newcomer only</strong>: Get matched with a buddy but don't serve as one</li> <li><strong>Opt out completely</strong>: Don't participate in the buddy program</li> </ul> <h2>Privacy Impact on Community Experience</h2> <p>While privacy settings give you control, they can affect your community experience in different ways:</p> <h3>High Privacy Impact</h3> <p>Choosing the most restrictive privacy settings may:<br /> - Limit your ability to be discovered by potential connections<br /> - Reduce engagement on your posts<br /> - Decrease opportunities for community interaction<br /> - Make it harder to build relationships</p> <h3>Balanced Approach</h3> <p>Many users find a middle ground works best:<br /> - Making basic profile information visible to community members<br /> - Sharing posts with specific communities rather than platform-wide<br /> - Enabling read receipts for connections<br /> - Participating in the buddy program</p> <h2>Examples of Privacy Configurations</h2> <h3>For Maximum Privacy</h3> <p>If privacy is your top concern:<br /> - Set profile visibility to <strong>Connections Only</strong><br /> - Hide activity status completely<br /> - Set default post privacy to <strong>Private</strong><br /> - Disable read receipts and typing indicators<br /> - Set search visibility to <strong>Limited discovery</strong><br /> - Opt out of the buddy match program</p> <h3>For Community Engagement</h3> <p>If you want to be an active community member while maintaining some privacy:<br /> - Set profile visibility to <strong>Community Only</strong><br /> - Show activity status to connections<br /> - Set default post privacy to <strong>Community</strong><br /> - Enable read receipts for connections only<br /> - Set search visibility to <strong>Discoverable by community</strong><br /> - Opt in to the buddy match program</p> <h3>For Content Creators</h3> <p>If you're focused on sharing content widely:<br /> - Set profile visibility to <strong>Public</strong><br /> - Show activity status to everyone<br /> - Set default post privacy to <strong>Public</strong><br /> - Allow anyone to comment on posts<br /> - Set search visibility to <strong>Discoverable by everyone</strong><br /> - Opt in as a buddy in the match program</p> <h2>Changing Your Settings Over Time</h2> <p>Your privacy needs may change as you become more familiar with Zakaya. You can adjust your settings at any time:</p> <ol> <li>Go to <strong>Settings</strong> &gt; <strong>Privacy</strong></li> <li>Review and update your preferences</li> <li>Click <strong>Save Changes</strong></li> </ol> <p>Changes to your privacy settings will apply going forward but won't affect content you've already shared under previous settings.</p> <h2>Additional Privacy Tips</h2> <ul> <li><strong>Review regularly</strong>: Check your privacy settings every few months</li> <li><strong>Community-specific settings</strong>: Some communities may have additional privacy options</li> <li><strong>Message privacy</strong>: Direct messages are always private between participants</li> <li><strong>Content deletion</strong>: You can delete your posts and comments at any time</li> <li><strong>Account visibility</strong>: You can temporarily deactivate your account if you need a break</li> </ul> <p>If you have questions about privacy settings or need assistance, you can always reach out to our support team through the Help Center or the global chat room.</p>