are PMs private ?
 

just curious are the "Private Messages" one Accy web user sends to another Accy web user .." Private" or do the moderators (or any one else apart from the security services) have access to them ? not asking for any nefarious reason , just curious
Thanks

Re: are PMs private ?
 

Why would the security services have access to them.

Ask yourself a question. If you built a forum would you make it so you could read PM's in case some people started threatening others etc.

Re: are PMs private ?
 

PM=Private Message are just that,the mods cant read them the only person that can read a pm is the member its sent too
security services cant read them (Data protection act)

Re: are PMs private ?
 

The only way that you will find out is to buy a forum script and run your own forum. If you do that and find that you can read all PM’s then you would never be able to admit it without damaging your forum.

However as moderator for over 4 years on the Golden Talk forum I cannot read other members’ PM’s and I should imagine that other moderators on other forums cannot either.

So that just leaves the owner and administrator/s. If they can, they will never admit it.

Re: are PMs private ?
 

no, it was just an innocent question, nothing to hide , just wondering if it was okay to discuss the proclivities of an ex-cabinet minister and the merits/tastes of guacamole dip v the merits of mushy peas with another Accy web user .....and I didn't want others(the moderators) to get the wrong impression
thanks

Re: are PMs private ?
 

I think that answers the question to be honest.:eek:

Re: are PMs private ?
 

Technically its very easy for the moderators to read PM's if Roy has installed an additional plugin. Whether this is the case or not only the mods know :D

Re: are PMs private ?
 

you don't even need a plugin if you know your SQL

Select PMs from Table.where.PM.are.stored where user = "joe bloggs"

JOb done

Re: are PMs private ?
 

so the moral of the story is.......dont go cybering in pm's cos the mods will be having a laugh at your expense if you do :D:D:D:D

Re: are PMs private ?
 

I will say it again the mods DO NOT have access to pm's or that part of the site they can not read pm's at all

Re: are PMs private ?
 

Well done entwisi! Why on earth did you have to show how clever you are and then give instructions for any Joe Bloggs to be able to do it!

Could you not have just left it at:-

Then those that don't know their SQL wouldn't be tempted to have a go at reading other peoples p.m.'s?

There are times you make the mind boggle!

Re: are PMs private ?
 

:rolleyes: i was joking

Re: are PMs private ?
 

Looks like your secrets will be safe, well at least until they are sent to the person concerned.:D

Re: are PMs private ?
 

Les, firstly only ROY I believe has access to teh physical server that you need to be able to run SQL on. Secondly the SQL I posted was dummy SQL and would need far more to it than that, I have no idea what the table name is(although it isn't hard to fnd out as the forum is open source and available for free), or even the table description to find out the data colum containg the text. What I was showing that as these forums all use a database to store the information it only needs a simple query on teh database to find out anything stored in it.


If you wish to castigate me do it from an informed position please!

Re: are PMs private ?
 

Im pretty sure Mick and Roy have better things to do than read peoples pm's!

Re: are PMs private ?
 

well i got told off for posting an old pm in the forum .... even though it was about 16 months old.....

Anyone wants to read mine though first will have to donate to shillelaghs fund...:p

Re: are PMs private ?
 

Eh??? The forum is free? Vbulletin forum is far from free, $160 per license and $30 a year for updates. If you know of a Vbulletin that's free, that'll be an illegal nulled copy which this site definitely isn't.

As for pm's, that's at the admin's discretion. He could install a plug-in or view the SQL tables, but why would you want to? At our site (read my sig) no moderators can read the pm's. I'm the only admin and choose not to unless there was an incident like cyber stalker or some kind of grooming incident going on. Which I'm glad to say there hasn't been!

Re: are PMs private ?
 

I didn't say he did read them, I pointed out that its all in the database and with half decent SQL skills you don't need a plugin.

As for finding the table name its taken my all of 5 mins to find it out from the vBulletin site itself so not exactly hidden.

OK, I was thinking about phpBB when I mentioned OSS but its still not difficult to get the info without resorting to dodgy copies.

Re: are PMs private ?
 

im a moderator on another site and i read everyones pms ( security reasons as we need to keep a close eye on some members )

it depends on what privelages the site owner gives his moderators and admins

yes it is possible for admins and mods to read your pm's if given the right privelages but if mick says he cant then i have no reason to doubt him although he could if given the required access by roy

simple answer is not to post anything you absolutely dont want others to see and do it other ways if your that paranoid

so far none of my pms saying mick is a wally havnt been picked up on :D

Re: are PMs private ?
 

Do you tell the members that you read the pm's chav1, private messages that aren't private.
Re security services, you'll find data protection won't apply to them. They can access what they like. Even your month old text messages that you thought you erased. Stories I've been told are quite unbelievable how they catch these terrorists.

Re: are PMs private ?