Private messages "pm's"

[monkeyboy]

Originally posted by Rajah
I feel the PMs here are "safe".

So we could now call them P.M.S.

 

[Jolie C]

That's the second time you've made me laugh today, Monkeyboy!

 

[Jolie C]

I hope the PM's are safe because if they aren't, boy, SOMEBODY is getting an eyeful!!

 

[HauntedMansionGeek]

Originally posted by Rajah
If the software here is like other places, the *capability* exists for the WMs (or at least one or two) to go in and read people's PMs at least from the database.

But with the number of people on the DIS, the practicality of it is totally impractical and I feel that the people who run the DIS wouldn't do so unless there was a very good reason.

I feel the PMs here are "safe".

I agree, I don't think it's worth anyones time or trouble to read people's PM's here or anywhere else.
On the systems I've been on, there was zero capability to do so that's why I always assumed there'd be none here but I probably assumed wrong.
Still, like Rajah, I believe PM's on the DIS are "safe".

 

[HauntedMansionGeek]

Originally posted by Jolie C
I hope the PM's are safe because if they aren't, boy, SOMEBODY is getting an eyeful!!

*gasp* Are YOU being NAUGHTY?!?!?!?!?

See how wrong I was! I always thought you were a good girl!!

 

[Jolie C]

Oh, I am a good girl! But I can't speak for anyone else sending pm's my way or anyone else's way...

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Originally posted by Rajah
If the software here is like other places, the *capability* exists for the WMs (or at least one or two) to go in and read people's PMs at least from the database.

But with the number of people on the DIS, the practicality of it is totally impractical and I feel that the people who run the DIS wouldn't do so unless there was a very good reason.

I feel the PMs here are "safe".

Rajah (and Patti) the question is and should be, does the capability exist. If yes, the existance of that capability and how users of this board feel about that capability may determine how they use their PMs. If it DOES exist, it should be public knowledge, for the sake of full disclosure about being a member here. Any member can then make an informed judgement about how "safe" they feel it is.

The number of people who post here is really irrelevant. No one's saying that the mods/WMs go in and read ALL PMs. There do appear to be members whose PMs some mods/WMs MIGHT be interested in reading...and quite possibly there are NONE that they're interested in reading. But again...that's not the question.

And yes...I've heard, when this subject has come up before, that anything on your computer can be hacked into by strangers, which has nothing to do with the question, or the answer, either.

It really shouldn't be a big deal, or a debate, to have a simple question answered.

 

[ScarlettO]

Originally posted by JerseyJanice


That's not how I see someone who spreads lies about others and interferes in other people's relationships.

Deceitful manipulator would be a better description for such a person IMO. (I've got some other choice words for such skunks, but this is a family board. )

Skittle-dee-dee.....I never knew all that occured in DIS PM's....sounds like interesting reading to me.

 

[HauntedMansionGeek]

Originally posted by MaryAnnDVC
Rajah (and Patti) the question is and should be, does the capability exist. If yes, the existance of that capability and how users of this board feel about that capability may determine how they use their PMs. If it DOES exist, it should be public knowledge, for the sake of full disclosure about being a member here. Any member can then make an informed judgement about how "safe" they feel it is.

The number of people who post here is really irrelevant. No one's saying that the mods/WMs go in and read ALL PMs. There do appear to be members whose PMs some mods/WMs MIGHT be interested in reading...and quite possibly there are NONE that they're interested in reading. But again...that's not the question.

And yes...I've heard, when this subject has come up before, that anything on your computer can be hacked into by strangers, which has nothing to do with the question, or the answer, either.

It really shouldn't be a big deal, or a debate, to have a simple question answered.

Good points Mare, and you're probably right on all of them.

 

[snoopy]

I can tell you for sure that when I was a mod there was no way for us to read PMs.

But I think asking the WMs that question is a fair one.

Again, is it possible for the WMs to read PMs? And if so, has it been done? If yes, under what circumstances?

 

[WebmasterAlex]

Mary Ann,
Rajah has pretty well hit the nail on the head. OBVIOUSLY any data on a computer can be retrieved by somebody.
No moderator or Webmaster has access to a program that will directly read PM's. The database server is a seperate box that only the tech people that need the access to do their job have access to. That is a very limited list. One of those people would then have to write database queries etc to try to pull the information they need out of the database.
Like ANY computer information including your medical records somebody can always read it.
The question asked was can moderators read pm's and my statement is true. There is absolutely no capability for a moderator or webmaster to read PM's.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Originally posted by WebmasterAlex
OBVIOUSLY any data on a computer can be retrieved by somebody.

OBVIOUSLY. I stated that myself.

Like ANY computer information including your medical records somebody can always read it.

Right. But the original question seems to me (my interpretation) if it's the difference between being able to "click on a button" that's readily available to read PMs, or purposefully devoting time to "write database queries etc to try to pull the information they need out of the database", which I'm really clueless about the time or energy involved anyway, but thanks for the info.

The question asked was can moderators read pm's and my statement is true.

Oh, I never doubted when you answered the original question, as it was stated, that your response was true.

 

[snoopy]

Its probably best asked, "Alex, can you read PMs? Do you?"

It goes without saying that any person who is tech savvy CAN hack into a private message system. I think the better question is DO you?

And I'm assuming your answer is no, that even if the capability exists, you do not read private messages, correct?

 

[DMRick]

But the original question seems to me (my interpretation) if it's the difference between being able to "click on a button" that's readily available to read PMs, or purposefully devoting time to "write database queries etc to try to pull the information they need out of the database",

Nope my question was just a simple one..the original question was just as asked, no interpretation needed..can mod's read the PM's. I think most of us on computers know that there will alway's be hackers, but that wouldn't fall under the Disboard answer..that would be a different issue which doesn't have anything to so with them (and why on earth would the "normal" hacker care about my pm's LOL). I then added the question, can web masters read em. It's been answered..thanks Pete for being so quick on this.

 

[WebmasterAlex]

Mary Ann, exactly.. there is no button or mechanism labeled "read Pm's" for anybody.
Rick I understood your question and I think most people did. It was a fair question
Snoopy...ONLY yours.....that really wasn't very nice what you said about me the other day!

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Originally posted by DMRick
Nope my question was just a simple one..the original question was just as asked, no interpretation needed..can mod's read the PM's. I think most of us on computers know that there will alway's be hackers, but that wouldn't fall under the Disboard answer..that would be a different issue which doesn't have anything to so with them

Uhhh...that was my point...that the original question WAS the simple question about can they be read. Alex responded that anything on a computer can be hacked, which I think we all know.

thanks Pete for being so quick on this

Did Pete post??

 

[DMRick]

Oops..sorry..thanks Alex LOL

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Originally posted by WebmasterAlex
Rick I understood your question and I think most people did. It was a fair question

Well, GOSH, so did I.

Yes, it was a very fair question.

 

[Blondie]

Uh oh...the secret is out!

Pete is really Alex...or is it that Alex is really Pete?

I better send a few PM's and find out!

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

Oh great! Now I feel like I'm under pressure to make sure my PM's are "snoop worthy". Like I don't already have enough to worry about with spelling and grammer (oops, I meant -- grammar)