But is there no way to selectively choose what's indexed? By the end user? Like these alleged privacy settings on Facebook and so forth?
No there isn't.
What permissions and visibility exists on Microcosm powered sites exists at the level of the Microcosm.
The idea of user privacy settings on comments works as a concept for a social network where data is orientated around the user, but it couldn't work on a community/interest site where the conversations are collective by nature.
What you get in a forum are permissions and privacy settings at the scope of a forum/Microcosm. This is similar to how the "General" forum is globally visible but the "Private" forum is not indexed by Google and only visible and accessible by members of the site.
So the Microcosms (forums within a site) have permissions controlling visibility... and whoever moderates or creates those Microcosms define the visibility.
No there isn't.
What permissions and visibility exists on Microcosm powered sites exists at the level of the Microcosm.
The idea of user privacy settings on comments works as a concept for a social network where data is orientated around the user, but it couldn't work on a community/interest site where the conversations are collective by nature.
What you get in a forum are permissions and privacy settings at the scope of a forum/Microcosm. This is similar to how the "General" forum is globally visible but the "Private" forum is not indexed by Google and only visible and accessible by members of the site.
So the Microcosms (forums within a site) have permissions controlling visibility... and whoever moderates or creates those Microcosms define the visibility.
Thus... not a user setting.