Reading Private Messages

I just had a thought on something that a response may need to be thought up on in advance.

With the situations lately, quite a few members (myself included) have given Elwood permission to see our Private Messages. Is this just sent messages? Otherwise someone who has a message they sent to one of the members in question read could argue that it is an unauthorised viewing of a private communication. More precisely, with all the drama seeking I wouldn't be surprised it someone DOES try to argue it at some point.

Arghgh, you've got a damn good point there...

Oh, yeah, this is a newbie...

What about the administration simply bans all those TKers that only come out under their rocks to stir the pot when something's cooking? They can riot over at TK for all I care.

Seriously, I'm torn on the issue, but it's beginning to sound like the smart play. I'm putting it off until I have all the evidence in front of me, but I fear there's gonna be a lot of bans, a lot of hurt feelings, and a generally pissed off membership when this is all said and done. 'Course, if that's what it takes....

Release all the facts to people first, then ban if the general membership can't fix the problem.

Which is probably what we should have done in the first place.

But hindsight is 20/20.

It's pretty much the solution to a lot of problems.

Better late than never.

I agree with the plan Aurora put forth. Take out anything that reveals some personal information and release everything from in here relating to the issue. The DNR threads, everything.

If there is a hack that allows pm to be read (did Borgs install it?), I think it should be removed, if possible. Sure, there is a lot of no good going in via the pms, as seen in the gul/faisant exchanges, but there should be some level of privacy that the posters can expect. After all, it is called private messages, after all.

Indeed, after this is done removing the hack should be the order of the day. I was a bit uncomfortable with this but ultimately ok until I saw this post from Nick earlier today

There is no hack. You have to go into the database, either via remote login (SSH) or in the server control panel. Only 3 people have access to that, Elwood, Nick, and myself.

Though I wonder if you could use the raw SQL query function in the AdminCP to craft your own... but you'd have to know the table structure.

That'd be the method most likely to crash the board, though.

Is it possible to deny such access to the database? The idea that the pms are not private is unsettling to me and I can understand the concern on the board regarding the ability to do this. If not, it should be clearly explained to the board exactly what is involved in this, to *try* to squash any claims by Trollforge that the Admins are reading every single pm.

Simply put, I'm the only person that can give authorization to pull them and I don't even know how. I have to have Nick or O2C do it for me and they know the penalty if they pull them without my authorization.

Edit: And even if I asked them, I expect Nick or O2C to tell me to fuck off unless it's a dire emergency or we have the user's permission.

That's good enough for me, but the Usual Suspects will continue to , as they have since that little tidbit got out...

It's like checks and balances!

Checks and Balances! WHATTACONCEPT!

Borgs wanted it but I stopped him while I was in charge. That was my only veto ever. I think he spoke about installing it while he was in charge and the staff was against it but I can't really remember that.

Would have been lost in some upgrade in the meantime.

Yeah, we rode Borgs like a cheap whore every time he brought it up. Of course if he did it anyway, I assume Nick has long since removed it.

I don't think there is a person on this board who wants PM reading to happen as a matter of course. But I think in an emergency or when there is permission given it is a necessary option to exsist.

Look...if Jenna and Ted's hadn't been looked into, people would have believed Jenna just because of Ted's past. And no one deserves to be accused of harassment and saying something so dispicable when they never did.

But reading out of curiosity? No fucking way...that is another thing that would send me out the door permanently if I discover it.

Aye. There are times when it's necessary to do so. Which is why I'm glad Elwood is running things, since he understands the checks and balances necessary.

More importantly, he understands things like probable cause.