ProZ won't let go of my data (old CVs) Autor de la hebra: Klara Tuckova
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Klara Tuckova 
República Checa
Local time: 05:00
Miembro 2020
inglés al checo
+ ...
On Jan 2, I contacted support with a simple request - to delete my old CVs from their servers. To my surprise, I was met with massive resistance and manipulation (or just incompetence).
They did everything to make me think it has been taken care of, while in reality, it hasn't.
In their first response two hours later, I was plainly told my files have been deleted from their servers. This was not true at all. I gave them a list of 6 direct links to cfcdn.proz.com/profile... See more On Jan 2, I contacted support with a simple request - to delete my old CVs from their servers. To my surprise, I was met with massive resistance and manipulation (or just incompetence).
They did everything to make me think it has been taken care of, while in reality, it hasn't.
In their first response two hours later, I was plainly told my files have been deleted from their servers. This was not true at all. I gave them a list of 6 direct links to cfcdn.proz.com/profile_resources/myprofileID/myCV.pdf (the address is just an example), and all of them still worked.
They also told me that they submitted a cache refresh request to Google on my behalf (I don't know why, I didn't ask them to do that).
The next day, I reopened the ticket and explained the difference between cached search results and files stored on a server. I also repeated my request. An hour later, I got a reply in which my explanation went ignored, and I was instead given a long-winded explanation on how search engine caching works, in addition to being told to submit a request to Google to update their search cache.
Again... Google doesn't have anything to do with this. And didn't they just tell me they've done that for me?
I was feeling like I was talking to a bot. I told support again that they misunderstood, explained myself again, and received no answer since then. The direct links were still working fine and the PDFs were still downloadable directly from ProZ.com.
On Jan 6, I checked the links again (one never knows). The first one didn't work anymore. Yay! I checked the second one. Gone. Wow, how about the last one then? Gone! Amazing. It's been resolved.
Or has it? Just to be sure, I checked the rest. And I'm glad I bothered. They worked fine, and still do.
Just to be clear, I am using direct links, not going through any search engines.
I alerted support about the three remaining files on Jan 7 (I waited in case they were going to delete the rest, but that didn't happen.) No response. Just silence.
I gave up today, closed the ticket, and left a well-deserved negative feedback.
As of Jan 9, my CVs are still on ProZ's servers. Support has been unhelpful. I wrote to [email protected] today and will give an update in this thread once (if) I get a response.
If you submit(ted) a CV deletion request, don't blindly trust them. Always make sure the links don't work anymore - them not being visible in search results doesn't mean ProZ doesn't have them.
Also: They directly lied to me about my CVs having been deleted from their servers. Imagine if someone had a stalker and ProZ told them, no worries, everything is gone. Then ProZ has a breach and the CVs leak - the person is screwed.
Any ideas on why ProZ would hang onto old CVs like this? Or was it just bad luck and I landed on an incompetent support team member?
[Upraveno: 2025-01-09 13:55 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Klara Tuckova wrote:
Any ideas on why ProZ would hang onto old CVs like this? Or was it just bad luck and I landed on an incompetent support team member?
Incompetence. That's clear when they claim that Google's cache should be involved in data accessed via a direct link. I would inform them at that privacy address that if they don't remove the personal data requested, you will file a complaint with the Czech Data Protection Authority at https://uoou.gov.cz, which could lead to a fine for breach of the GDPR.
| | | | | If you are still seeing the files, can you try clearing the cache in the browser you are using? | Jan 9 |
Hi Klara,
Sorry your support experience has been frustrating. I took a look at your recent support request, and from what I can see, the files you requested be removed were removed. If you are still seeing them, can you try clearing the cache in the browser you are using? Please let me know if that does not do the trick. Thanks!
Jared
| | | | Klara Tuckova
República Checa
Local time: 05:00
Miembro 2020
inglés al checo
+ ...
PERSONA QUE INICIÓ LA HEBRA | My friend can download the PDFs just fine | Jan 9 |
Jared Tabor wrote:
from what I can see, the files you requested be removed were removed
Hello Jared,
To test this, I just sent the three remaining links to my friend who has never opened them before (so no cache involved), and they work for him just fine. He just downloaded the PDFs. Did you really check all the links?
Edit: typo
[Upraveno: 2025-01-09 15:02 GMT]
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| Proz servers out of sync? | Jan 9 |
I have had Proz bugs where the different servers were not synchronised, so depending on which server you landed on, the bug occurred or did not occur, a bit like a Schrödinger's Proz (only by trying can you know if the bug is active or solved).
Have the CVs been removed from some servers but not all?
| | | | Klara Tuckova
República Checa
Local time: 05:00
Miembro 2020
inglés al checo
+ ...
PERSONA QUE INICIÓ LA HEBRA | A little experiment | Jan 9 |
Thomas T. Frost wrote:
Have the CVs been removed from some servers but not all?
You might be onto something. I just tried to open the links through several VPN servers (US and a few other ones), and the page returned an error - no file found. Interestingly, when I "returned" to Czechia (still using a VPN) the links stopped working here too, while they worked before. But my friends from Czechia could still access them. I even sent the link to a new person to double check, and it was still downloadable and everything. So I turned the VPN off altogether to see it with my real IP address (also from Czechia), and the files are accessible again to me as well. I have no idea why this is, but it's clear the files are still on a server somewhere.
Edit: Just for clarification - when the link is not working, it doesn't say "no file found", it says "This XML file does not appear to have any style information associated with it. The document tree is shown below." And then it displays some code instead of the file. Just in case someone knew how this worked...
[Upraveno: 2025-01-09 18:04 GMT]
| | | | | File caching by local ISP? | Jan 9 |
Hmmm... Don't mind me. Just thinking laterally...
| | | | Klara Tuckova
República Checa
Local time: 05:00
Miembro 2020
inglés al checo
+ ...
PERSONA QUE INICIÓ LA HEBRA
Jennifer Levey wrote:
File caching by local ISP?
I think we can rule that out (but thank you!) - according to my partner who works for my ISP, all traffic between me and the end server is end-to-end encrypted, so they don't see anything.
He thinks it could be perhaps server cache...
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Klara Tuckova
República Checa
Local time: 05:00
Miembro 2020
inglés al checo
+ ...
PERSONA QUE INICIÓ LA HEBRA | Content delivery network servers caching the files? | Jan 9 |
Here is my current theory:
ProZ uses a content delivery network service and the files are cached on the service's servers. That would explain why they called the subdomain "cfcdn" - could be short for CloudFlare Content Delivery Network.
From Cloudflare's website:
"A content delivery network (CDN) is a geographically distributed group of servers that caches content close to end users. A CDN allows for the quick transfer of assets needed for loading Internet conten... See more Here is my current theory:
ProZ uses a content delivery network service and the files are cached on the service's servers. That would explain why they called the subdomain "cfcdn" - could be short for CloudFlare Content Delivery Network.
From Cloudflare's website:
"A content delivery network (CDN) is a geographically distributed group of servers that caches content close to end users. A CDN allows for the quick transfer of assets needed for loading Internet content, including HTML pages, JavaScript files, stylesheets, images, and videos."
"While a CDN does not host content and can’t replace the need for proper web hosting, it does help cache content at the network edge."
Source: https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/cdn/what-is-a-cdn/
Could someone from ProZ confirm? ▲ Collapse
| | | | | What happens if.... | Jan 10 |
... you upload a new empty CV (or, better still, a page-full of Lorem Ipsum placeholder text) that has exactly the same PDF filename as one of those you've been trying to eradicate?
I would expect (I might be wrong... after all, I'm just thinking laterally...) that this new dummy CV would displace/replace the old CV file from the various caches scattered around the web.
And if it doesn't, errr... what would that imply?
| | | | Klara Tuckova
República Checa
Local time: 05:00
Miembro 2020
inglés al checo
+ ...
PERSONA QUE INICIÓ LA HEBRA | Thank you Jennifer | Jan 11 |
Jennifer Levey wrote:
... you upload a new empty CV (or, better still, a page-full of Lorem Ipsum placeholder text) that has exactly the same PDF filename as one of those you've been trying to eradicate?
I would expect (I might be wrong... after all, I'm just thinking laterally...) that this new dummy CV would displace/replace the old CV file from the various caches scattered around the web.
And if it doesn't, errr... what would that imply?
I really appreciate your input. It's so sad that the community has been more helpful than the official support. Maybe it's because I only pay ProZ $120/year? And they have this headline on their subscription plan page: "ProZ is on your side". Yeah, about that...
As for your idea, unfortunately, the name of the PDF doesn't matter - given my experience, I believe it works like this:
When you upload a CV (let's call it CV 1), it gets assigned its own unique ID in their system (invisible to you). Later, when you replace it with an updated version (CV 2), that version gets a new, different ID, so nothing is overwritten even if the filename is the same. CV 1 is not really deleted, it just stops being displayed to you. Let's say that over the years, you update your CV several times, so all the older versions still sit on ProZ's servers. I found out about 6 of mine, but maybe they have more that I don't know about.
I don't mind they were sitting there, all it should take is to request removal... but then I got ghosted after trying to find out why they are still out there after support said they "deleted" them, so here I am.
I wrote to Jared yesterday and asked him to get back to me since his suggestion didn't work. No response from [email protected] yet.
By the way, some of my friends reported that the CVs are not available to them anymore, while others can still directly download them just fine. But I am not sure if I should trust ProZ, even if everyone eventually reports that they can't download them anymore, because after all this, it looks like ProZ doesn't understand how their own system works.
| | | | Klara Tuckova
República Checa
Local time: 05:00
Miembro 2020
inglés al checo
+ ...
PERSONA QUE INICIÓ LA HEBRA
No response or support from anybody from ProZ yet, not even a simple "we're looking into it".
I will not waste my money on this site ever again.
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