Are private messages

[ZekeKelso]

I just think that you give our mods/wm's too much 'credit'. I don't think they have to time on their hands to sit around checking into certain people's PMs.

A month ago I would have agreed with you. But then again, a month ago I would have though it crazy if anyone suggested the wm's spent their time tracking what other website DIS posters post on. Given recent events, I think a lot of DIS posters are paranoid and suspicious.

Alex has said he has the ability to read PM's. A statement that he has never and will never read them would clear things up a bit.

EDIT BASED ON BICKER'S POST: Or Alex could just do what my company does - put out an official policy that they can and may read all email/pm's, so don't put anything in them you don't want the wm's to read.

 

[bicker]

I would suggest Alex not do that. As it is, we've been relatively lucky that PM spam hasn't been a major problem. If that changes, the ability for the WM to access PMs serves as a useful tool for combating that scourge.

I think the best way to facilitate private communications is to arrange for some encrypted communication mechanism between you and the person who you want to have private communications with. Beyond that, if you feel that email is private enough, then surely what Alex has already said should be good enough, since your ISP and all the servers that your email travels on from your ISP to your intended destination's ISP have said nothing more than that, themselves.

 

[tw1nsmom]

My emails (most) are privileged legal communication and aren't generally subject to disclosure. While they reside on a company-owned server and technically could be read, emails are not read as a matter of policy until it is suspected that someone is habitually violating policy.

Know your employer's policy.

This is OT:

That may be your employer's policy, but that's not the law. ALL information that comes in and out of a computer system/building belongs to your employer. That also included correspondence that comes through the regular mail with your name and their address on the envelope.

Practically speaking most companies don't search emails unless they think you've done something wrong. It's a time consuming and sometimes cost prohibitive activity. However, they can if they want to. Also, in your case, the level of suspicion is probably highly variable. It wouldn't take much to be able to say that someone suspected someone of something.

Oh BTW, most people already know this, but as an FYI...Deleting emails/information does not get rid of them. It makes it a little harder to get the information, but it's all still there.

 

[Chipmunk89]

ZekeKelso,

I wish I had the opportunity to know you.








j/k

 

[mudnuri]

I"m just curious here

never having sent a PM that would be 'bad' what exactly are you people posting that is interesting enough for someone else to read?

Are you putting the name of that other board in it?

I wonder if thats the case....a simple database search with a word used to search, would turn up all PM's that include that word, then the WM wouldnt have to dig, they'd be up on a list, sorta like if we type a search for the word "apple" all the posts with that word come up

I wonder if thats how databases work?????

Brandy

 

[Allison]

I have to agree with Bicker.

 

[bicker]

This is OT:

I don't think so, actually, and thank you for raising these issues...

That may be your employer's policy, but that's not the law. ALL information that comes in and out of a computer system/building belongs to your employer. That also included correspondence that comes through the regular mail with your name and their address on the envelope. Practically speaking most companies don't search emails unless they think you've done something wrong. It's a time consuming and sometimes cost prohibitive activity. However, they can if they want to.

I don't remember all the details, but this was a big issue a few years ago, with respect to what extent operators of communications systems are required to monitor the data that they have on their servers to ensure that their systems are not being used to support criminal activity. Claims that the service provider was respecting a promise of privacy were rejected by the courts and the service providers are subject sanction as accessories to the criminal activity. At the same time, encryption available from non-US sources surpassed what the US would allow for export, thereby nullifying the effect of the export restriction, which was soon thereafter lifted. With encryption readily available and internationally consistent, many services started supporting encrypted private communications, so that service providers could not view the private communications even if they wanted to.

 

[LaraK]

I"m just curious here

never having sent a PM that would be 'bad' what exactly are you people posting that is interesting enough for someone else to read?

Are you putting the name of that other board in it?
I wonder if thats the case....a simple database search with a word used to search, would turn up all PM's that include that word, then the WM wouldnt have to dig, they'd be up on a list, sorta like if we type a search for the word "apple" all the posts with that word come up

I wonder if thats how databases work?????

Brandy

That's filtered, kinda like the other cuss words. Actually, the server name turned up as filtered when I tried to invite people to my private board.

Here's a question, can a search be done on filter violations? I know that I was holding my breath for weeks knowing I'd been posting links to that server site and am a member at the other place on that server. I'd never done the attack thing, but I was a prolific poster who was actually on both sites when everything went down. Somehow I was spared (there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to it). I really hesitated sending invites after that because I was worried about my PM's being picked up for the filter violation (I have to bypass the filter if I want to send an invite to someone....points worthy).

ETA....to clarify, I was not posting links to that site...I was posting links to my private board on the same server.

 

[bicker]

I"m just curious here never having sent a PM that would be 'bad' what exactly are you people posting that is interesting enough for someone else to read? Are you putting the name of that other board in it?

Good question. I alluded to, earlier, a few things that folks might put in PMs that the service provider might want to be concerned about (i.e., spam, and discussions of criminal activity).

However, looking at this from a general real-world perspective, it would make sense to me for a service provider to decide they wish to monitor private communications, that are part of the service they offer, to ensure they're not being used by competitors to steal customers, for example, or engage in any other competitive attack against the service provider. They are well within their rights to do so, and should indeed do so if it best serves the interests of their owners.

To be clear: Alex's statement has made it clear that Werner Technologies does not do this. I'm just saying that they'd be righteously justified if they decided to do so.

I wonder if thats the case....a simple database search with a word used to search, would turn up all PM's that include that word, then the WM wouldnt have to dig, they'd be up on a list, sorta like if we type a search for the word "apple" all the posts with that word come up I wonder if thats how databases work?????

Yup, Brandy, they could readily work that way.

 

[SBmom]

Webmasters and Super administrators can "Flag" certain words or groups of words, those PMs would then show up for the WM or SA to read.

After learning that several posters have been banned because of things posted in PMs ,I have to believe that Alex and/or the Super Administrators ARE reading flagged PMs.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

This is sort of OT, but thought I would share in case you missed it in the news...

Fidelity Investments, one of the biggest mutual funds companys, recently had a scandal involving their traders.. You can google for details, but the way they found out what was going on was through their emails.....They were talking about their escapades in their emails.....the company owns the emails and people lost their jobs over this and it was front page news in Boston.

Not the same as pm's, I know, but this is how I think. I never put in a private message anything that would be hurtful to someone else or something that could come back on me. Maybe it was being raised by a policeman or maybe my husband's influence, he always said never put it in writing if it can come back to haunt you. Just the way I think..

It has always been my understanding that the pm's here are indeed private and I know I have no ability to read them...as my fellow mods will attest they cannot read either.. I can't imagine that the webmasters have the time to read anything other than these boards.....it is a full time job while you are actually working in a full time job. JMO

 

[mudnuri]

Webmasters and Super administrators can "Flag" certain words or groups of words, those PMs would then show up for the WM or SA to read.

After learning that several posters have been banned because of things posted in PMs ,I have to believe that Alex and/or the Super Administrators ARE reading flagged PMs.

being database stupid, thats what i thought happened, but wasnt sure if it could....heck...the search feature doesnt work so well i wonder if that super search works better

Brandy

 

[ZekeKelso]

GTo be clear: Alex's statement has made it clear that Werner Technologies does not do this.

Could you point me to that part of his statement? Thanks...

 

[Chipmunk89]

That's filtered, kinda like the other cuss words. Actually, the server name turned up as filtered when I tried to invite people to my private board.

Here's a question, can a search be done on filter violations? I know that I was holding my breath for weeks knowing I'd been posting links to that server site and am a member at the other place on that server. I'd never done the attack thing, but I was a prolific poster who was actually on both sites when everything went down. Somehow I was spared (there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to it). I really hesitated sending invites after that because I was worried about my PM's being picked up for the filter violation (I have to bypass the filter if I want to send an invite to someone....points worthy).

ETA....to clarify, I was not posting links to that site...I was posting links to my private board on the same server.

Bye LaraK,

We'll meet again in another life!

 

[SBmom]

being database stupid, thats what i thought happened, but wasnt sure if it could....heck...the search feature doesnt work so well i wonder if that super search works better

Brandy

According to Vbulletin.... flagged messages are stored in their "user menu" .

 

[Mkrop]

Bye LaraK,

We'll meet again in another life!

ZekeKelso,

I wish I had the opportunity to know you.








j/k

I am sorry I dont know if you are trying just to keep things light or not but I really find your posts to be a distraction to the conversation at hand.

 

[bicker]

Could you point me to that part of his statement? Thanks...

Yes, here:

As several posters have pointed out there is an aftermarket hack that can be installed to allow it but we have not installed it.

 

[Mkrop]

Given recent events, I think a lot of DIS posters are paranoid and suspicious.
.

I agree with this statement, until we get a clear explanation of what people can and cant do, until why people were banned, the atmosphere of confusion, paranoia, and suspicision will continue.

 

[mudnuri]

Yes, here:

bicker- thats the hack that allows ALL wm/mods to read pm's....there is NO hack needed for those with database capabilities to read the pm's.

If you have access to the database, like the WM does, you can read all that is posted here on the dis....

Like the folks at any company- who has access to those databases- they can read em...same thing...

Just 2 different things- 1 was WM 1 is Mod's

Brandy

 

[ZekeKelso]

Yes, here:

I think if you read further, you'll see he says he doesn't need that particular hack to read PM's. I don't beleive he has commented one way or the other on whether or not he has read any.