Private Messages, ARE they PRIVATE........?????

**DOGMAN** · 03-04-2010, 12:33 PM

If you guys want to read my pm's go ahead....if your that bored, It'll give you something to do for a few minutes

**pocomoonskyeyes** · 03-04-2010, 12:42 PM

I'll just have everyone know that the Mods read at least half of mine, Since that is who they are sent to! Isn't that right Crash?

**Justin Case** · 03-04-2010, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by rwc1969

I don't know squat about how forums work, but I do know that admins and mods can gain access to view all your pm's and such if they want to, and many do.

PM's aren't necessarily private, unless the admin deems them so.

I know one forum in particular that went to hell because the admin was reading pm's and allowing mods to do the same.

Not In VBulliten,, Mods For sure Can't and Admin Can only with a Hack,, And I am Pretty Sure Most Admins do not Hack their own system ,, Maybe The Kids do on Game sites etc, No Respectable Admin would do that,, Besides, Who Cares what in peoples PM box ?

**Justin Case** · 03-04-2010, 12:45 PM

LOL, I wonder How Many PM deletes have happened since this thread was posted ? LOL

**pocomoonskyeyes** · 03-04-2010, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by Justin Case

LOL, I wonder How Many PM deletes have happened since this thread was posted ? LOL

Not me. If they want to read 'em fine.

**crashdive123** · 03-04-2010, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by rwc1969

I don't know squat about how forums work, but I do know that admins and mods can gain access to view all your pm's and such if they want to, and many do.
PM's aren't necessarily private, unless the admin deems them so.

I know one forum in particular that went to hell because the admin was reading pm's and allowing mods to do the same.

I am not doubting you when you say it happened on another forum that you were on. I will say this again, and take it for what it's worth - Moderators on this forum cannot read the contents of your private messages. I do not have Administrator access, but Rick says that he cannot read them either. If you are doubting our word, then I don't think anything we say would be helpful in convincing you to the contrary.

**Rick** · 03-04-2010, 05:23 PM

Ditto what he said.

**2dumb2kwit** · 03-04-2010, 10:24 PM

Originally Posted by crashdive123

I am not doubting you when you say it happened on another forum that you were on. I will say this again, and take it for what it's worth - Moderators on this forum cannot read the contents of your private messages. I do not have Administrator access, but Rick says that he cannot read them either. If you are doubting our word, then I don't think anything we say would be helpful in convincing you to the contrary.

Well, OK....but if my PM's start getting moved to the "2D vs Ken" thread.....

LOL

**Chris** · 03-04-2010, 10:52 PM

I can see PMs if I want to, by merely viewing the raw database files, it isn't complex or difficult.

I don't do so as a rule, but any data that is not encrypted (which is everything except your passwords really) can be viewed in the raw database files.

I've had to do so in the past with particularly problem members, legal issues (violent threats) or allegations of PM spam. But they're not monitored.

No one else can read them, not Rick, not Crash, not Sarge.

**rwc1969** · 03-04-2010, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by crashdive123

I am not doubting you when you say it happened on another forum that you were on. I will say this again, and take it for what it's worth - Moderators on this forum cannot read the contents of your private messages. I do not have Administrator access, but Rick says that he cannot read them either. If you are doubting our word, then I don't think anything we say would be helpful in convincing you to the contrary.

I'm not saying you guys do it!

But, the ability to do it is there and it most definitely without a doubt happens on other boards, vbulletin or otherwise, and the mods get access to those pms. Whether they are forwarded to the mods by the admin after he hacks his own system or whatever Justin says they do I don't know. All I know is they read them.

The admins and mods of a forum I visited frequently were and probably still are accessing the pms. I doubt very much the admin who ran the forum I'm thinking of knew how to hack anything, but he certainly was using vbulletin recently and before that it was phb or something and he was reading people's pms the whole time. He was the owner of the site.

There's no way he could have had issue or referenced what he did if he did not read people's pms that were not intended for him. And there's no way the mods could have responded to those references without knowing what the admin knew, alas, they were all reading everyone's pms.

Also, I've read posts on other forums I visit where there were issues with this very thing. The admin and mods were accessing people's pms. They were spying on them. Lotsa ruckuses have come up over this issue.

Sourdough asked if pms are private and my answer based on experience in general is: only if the owner, admins, etc. deem it so, otherwise no they are not.

All I can say is don't assume anything you post anywhere on the net is private or will remain private. The internet is a public network, not private. Once you post something or pm something you have no control where it goes or who's hands it ends up in. You are relying on the honesty and integrity of the forum owner, admins, mods, and it's possible that forum can eventually change hands or as Justin already said get hacked by who knows who. Then you are relying on the new owner or hacker to protect your data, data that you essentially have no ownership of in the first place.

**Rick** · 03-04-2010, 11:53 PM

RWC - That last paragraph is excellent advice and very, very true. I'm reminded of an old saying...

The spoken word is like the air.
The written word is always there.

**Justin Case** · 03-05-2010, 12:19 AM

Originally Posted by Rick

RWC - That last paragraph is excellent advice and very, very true. I'm reminded of an old saying...

The spoken word is like the air.
The written word is always there.

Best Advice all the way around

**Alaskan Survivalist** · 03-17-2010, 04:04 PM

Moderators reading PM's are least of my worries. I was searching for photos just now and clicked on something called shared files and saw Interpol listed there!

**Sourdough** · 03-17-2010, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by Alaskan Survivalist

Moderators reading PM's are least of my worries. I was searching for photos just now and clicked on something called shared files and saw Interpol listed there!

Interpol is looking for "Nativedude" and "Spud".........I know this because I am the Man from U.N.C.L.E.