Rule #6: PMs - Clarification/Explanation Needed

**Hothir Ethelnor** · 15th March 10, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by BEEDEE

And to make one point, ABSOLUTLY CRYSTAL CLEAR. The moderators do not have access to, or the abilitly in any fashion, to read or otherwise intercept PM's.

Brian

So, is it possible that our staff may see and become aware of information transmitted via the Personal Message system of the forum? Yes it is.(emphasis mine)

So are you saying that the ONLY way a moderator CAN intercept a Personal message is if it's reported?

Thanks for taking the time to talk about this.

**herminator** · 15th March 10, 12:56 PM

Let´s hope he brings a beer!

**davedove** · 15th March 10, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by KiltedKnome

Oh oh....you have found his weakness - spelling!

Ah ha! An now that I know his weakness, my evil plan can move forward.

OOPS! Did I say that out loud. Uh...Uh...no I didn't say that. You must be imagining things. Let me get back to my storytelling..........

**Tony** · 15th March 10, 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by davedove

Ah ha! An now that I know his weakness, my evil plan can move forward.

OOPS! Did I say that out loud. Uh...Uh...no I didn't say that. You must be imagining things. Let me get back to my storytelling..........

Thwarted.

**Steve Ashton** · 15th March 10, 01:32 PM

I would also like to clear up another issue regarding this topic.

I want everyone to fully understand this;

The Forum Moderators have no access to, have never been able to, nor have they ever intercepted or monitored any messages, Personal or otherwise, sent between any two members of this forum.

There is one case however when it is possible that information contained in Personal Messages, emails, or other communication could be received by someone other that the sender and/or recipient.

This is why our members need to know that nothing sent via electronic means is ever fully "Private".

The forum software records every case of errors occurring, for any reason, within the software.

I, as the owner, am responsible for keeping this forum free of hackers, spammers and bugs in the system and are notified via email of each and every one of these errors.
It is how I was able to identify and describe to our programmer the errors which were causing our members to get bumped out.

If a member has given a bogus email address when they registered I will get a message saying that an email sent to them is not deliverable. This is how I am able to identify some spammers and hackers who attempt to gain access to the forum. A hacker or spammer will list their birthday and when that birthday date comes around the system automatically sends out a birthday greeting. If the hacker has given a bogus email address I will get an error message.
This would also occur if a member changes their email address and does not update their profile.

We also have times when we exceed our bandwidth. This simply means that the amount of traffic generated by our members at the moment has overloaded the capabilities of our servers. I need to know this information so that I can arrange to upgrade our service with our hosting company.
This is a huge forum and at times there are a hundred or more members on line. All posting, uploading photos etc.

There have been occasions when a Personal Message could not be delivered to the intended recipient. Be it bandwidth, an incorrect email address or even a bug or glitch in the system of undetermined origin.
In a very few cases I have received an email notifying me of an error that has occurred in the system or software and the message has included the entire text of the message that was sent. Including on a few occasions the entire text of a Personal Message.

The end result is that nothing sent via electronic means is ever totally 'private'. How many cases have you heard of someone in a company sending nude photos or suggestive emails to someone else in a company and those photos or messages ending up on the screen of someone else?

All I can do is rely on the care of our members to never include in Personal Messages anything of a private nature.

But it is interesting, and not just to me, that some members do seem to always bring this issue up. It sort of makes someone wonder what is so private that a member would be worried that someone, somewhere, is able to gain access to what they are saying in Personal Messages.

**bricelythgoe** · 15th March 10, 01:46 PM

A lot of people like a consiparacy: MOD's reading private messages.... Silly to me. My question would by Why would any MOD want to?

**Hothir Ethelnor** · 15th March 10, 01:54 PM

Well considering the fact that many members do not have their email public. It is often the only means of contacting them.

I know I have used the forum to post viewable pictures in a timely fashion to a person while participating in a swap started "legally" in public here. I can imagine other circumstances, but anyhow...

I don't know if something like that would get censored but I imagine that examining that post by itself, a mod might have come to the wrong conclusion.

**Steve Ashton** · 15th March 10, 02:30 PM

Do I really have to say it again?

The Forum Moderators have no access to, have never been able to, nor have they ever intercepted or monitored any messages, Personal or otherwise, sent between any two members of this forum.

Is there something going on "under the table" that people are so afraid of?Or are some people just throwing more fuel on the fire and trying to cause more dissent on a forum that has always been known as a polite and honest place?

Either the members will step up and put a stop to this themselves or I'm afraid the Staff will be forced to take action against the actions of Trolls.

This is what some of the changes to this forum are all about. We have given the membership the right, the responsibility, to govern yourselves.