PRIVACY ON THIS FORUM

Please post here feedback, recommendations, questions, requests, technical problems, etc. I will use this area to post information about how to best use the forum.
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JohnM
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PRIVACY ON THIS FORUM

Post by JohnM » Wed Jul 31, 2013 5:09 am

When we were on the Cafe I often wondered if the Moderators could look at our Personal Messages. I cannot speak for what they do there but I can for here.

Personal Messages are not accessible to anyone on this forum including me (the Site Administrator) and David the (Global Moderator). This is not a setting, it is just the way phpBB forums work.

Additionally your password for logging on is not accessible.

So you can complain about me all you want in the PMs and rest assured that I will never see it. :roll:

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David DeTenyo
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Re: PRIVACY ON THIS FORUM

Post by David DeTenyo » Wed Jul 31, 2013 12:05 pm

John M. wrote:When we were on the Cafe I often wondered if the Moderators could look at our Personal Messages. I cannot speak for what they do there but I can for here. ...
I believe they can look into PM's at TMC. Steve Brooks wrote: "The Magic Café reserves the right to review any message posted in its Private Messaging system, for purposes including (but not limited to) investigation of the selling, trading or other distribution of illegally copied media ("bootlegs") or any other illegal activity. The Magic Café will investigate any report of illegal activity and take any action deemed necessary, including reporting the illegal activity to the proper authorities. ".

So the 'private' message function on TMC is not that 'private' afterall ... .

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JohnM
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Re: PRIVACY ON THIS FORUM

Post by JohnM » Wed Jul 31, 2013 3:22 pm

That is not cool.

I like it here that I get an email when someone has sent me a PM. Then I logon and check it out.

When I would see the blinking "You Have A Private Message" box on the Cafe I would be excited to see who was writing me but many times it was advertising messages. That was always a big letdown.

Now that we are here it is more obvious that the Magic Cafe Forum is not run very well.

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JohnM
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Re: PRIVACY ON THIS FORUM

Post by JohnM » Wed Jul 31, 2013 7:37 pm

I just looked into this further and there is a MOD I can install that would let admins look at PMs but I am not installing it. There is no need to look at people's private messages.

If in the future we have issues and I find it helpful to be able to look at certain members PMs, then I will let everyone know before I install the modification. The nice thing with MODS are that they can be uninstalled as well.

It is true that many of the other forum software programs do allow the viewing of PMs as a standard admin feature but not phpBB.

The user passwords on phpBB are encrypted in the database and not accessible.

I really don't expect ever needing to install the MOD since the only way to gain membership to this forum is by knowing one of us.

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David DeTenyo
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Re: PRIVACY ON THIS FORUM

Post by David DeTenyo » Thu Aug 01, 2013 2:11 am

I agree. There is no need, private means PRIVATE, and should there ever be a problem there are other ways to deal with it.

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SimonC
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Re: PRIVACY ON THIS FORUM

Post by SimonC » Thu Aug 01, 2013 2:18 am

Reading PMs - The thought police
Editing posts - The ministry of truth
Scaring members into conformity - Room 101

It's like 1984 over in the MC, which incidentally is where SB got his haircut.
Now you see me...

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