Public link created
A public link to your chat has
been created. Manage previously
shared chats at any time via
Settings.
[ ] Make this chat discoverable
Allows it to be shown in web
searches
https://chatgpt.com/share/
[ Copy link ]
The use of the word "public" here is completely separate from the checkbox about making it discoverable.
The whole point of this feature is to provide you with a URL you can share with someone to let you see the conversation.
The issue of whether or not that should be included in public search indexes is incredibly technically dense. You have to understand what a search engine is, and that content can be deliberately excluded from search. If you know what a robots.txt file is that's easy, but most people have zero understanding of how search engines actually work.
Though this seems like a bit of a problem now that it's 2025.
Seems like (it should be) basic civic knowledge that things you publish in public can be read by everyone.
These days, publishing to web is the biggest "in public of all"... you can get potentially get more eyeballs than the front page of the New York Times, or if you put it up in lights on times square.
Despite not being the biggest fan, I'm not sure that this is an OpenAI problem per-se. They offer the option of sharing your stuff in public, people use the option. The consequences should be common sense.
Better than “allows it to be shown” would be “allows anyone to find it in web searches” but some people don’t read details so that would only help so much.
simonw|7 months ago
The whole point of this feature is to provide you with a URL you can share with someone to let you see the conversation.
The issue of whether or not that should be included in public search indexes is incredibly technically dense. You have to understand what a search engine is, and that content can be deliberately excluded from search. If you know what a robots.txt file is that's easy, but most people have zero understanding of how search engines actually work.
Kim_Bruning|7 months ago
Though this seems like a bit of a problem now that it's 2025.
Seems like (it should be) basic civic knowledge that things you publish in public can be read by everyone.
These days, publishing to web is the biggest "in public of all"... you can get potentially get more eyeballs than the front page of the New York Times, or if you put it up in lights on times square.
Despite not being the biggest fan, I'm not sure that this is an OpenAI problem per-se. They offer the option of sharing your stuff in public, people use the option. The consequences should be common sense.
You'd hope, at least.
unknown|7 months ago
[deleted]
SoftTalker|7 months ago
varispeed|7 months ago
Then again it does not specify what exactly public means.
This message was not created with neurodivergent people in mind.