On Gmail? Here’s how to prevent ‘anyone on Google+’ from being able to email you

Have you heard the news? Google just launched a new Gmail ‘feature’ that basically allows anyone to email you if they know your Google+ handle.

OH NO

Given that your Google+ handle nearly pretty much has to be your full name, the potential for abuse here is not insignificant.

Fortunately (for you) there’s a handy way to get around this and you can thank Mr Will Oremus for the tip off. Ready?

And that’s that. Why oh why Google think this is a good idea, I don’t know. Alas, there it is. Question for you, dear reader, will you be adjusting your settings? Or will you be leaving ‘as is’? Which way and why. Leave a comment and let me know. I’m intrigued.

______

Update: Further clarification from a Google employee makes light of this. I guess the difference between having your contact details on your website and Google making you email-able by anyone on Google+ is that Google didn’t make the decision in the first instance, you did.

 

On Facebook? I can see your private messages UPDATED: No I can’t.

But it’s probably worth hiding those old posts anyway…

———————–  UPDATE ———————–

So it’s looking like these posts weren’t Private Messages after all. Back in the old days of Facebook, say between 2007 and 2009, the layout was quite different and, instead of sending each other messages and having to deal with Timelines et al, we used to have the option to write wall-to-wall.

We weren’t all as social-media-savvy back then and believe it or not, your Mum, your boss and all your co-workers weren’t as up to speed either…

Hence the openness of all those wall posts. Major panic subsiding, minor panic still worth cleaning up…

———————————————-

This is happening right now…

Here’s a grab I took before hiding the relevant issues.

The best possible fix is to hit the SETTINGS icon at the top right and hit ‘HIDE FROM WALL’

So far, TechCrunch have picked it up with others following.

If you don’t want people to see your private messages on Facebook, do this now.