How private are PMs?

[Dance Demon]

as it says on the tin......are PMs completely private between sender and recipient, or can they be read by moderators and removed. I've had people who have told me that they PMd me, but I didn't recieve them .....Shouldn't private messages be just that...private

[Tiggerbabe]

Originally Posted by Dance Demon

as it says on the tin......are PMs completely private between sender and recipient

YES

or can they be read by moderators and removed.

NO

I've had people who have told me that they PMd me, but I didn't recieve them .....Shouldn't private messages be just that...private

Then I can only assume that they have not "sent" them, John.
Private Messages are exactly that.

[Franck]

Originally Posted by Dance Demon

as it says on the tin......are PMs completely private between sender and recipient, or can they be read by moderators and removed. I've had people who have told me that they PMd me, but I didn't recieve them .....Shouldn't private messages be just that...private

As Tiggerbabe says, moderators and admin have no access to Private messages. There are a few 'moderation' tools available to myself as an Administrator:

Delete all Private Messages of User X.
Delete all Private Messages sent by User X.

I've only ever used the second option once when someone who had just registered had proceeded to send dozens of Spam PMs which got reported to me.

If a Private Message is ever SPAM or abusive, then anyone should forward and report it to me so I can take the necessary steps towards the sender.

As for explaining missing messages, the most likely explanation I can think of is that the sender used the wrong User name, if the name exists it won't fail to send but the message won't arrive to the intended recipient. There are other possible failures as the system is not perfect in any way, though seemingly and judging by my SPAM filters rate of error, more reliable than email.

If you have any concern John, please let me know what happens and I'll investigate.

[TA Guy]

[removed, cos I don't want to get into trouble ]

[Dance Demon]

Originally Posted by Franck

As Tiggerbabe says, moderators and admin have no access to Private messages. There are a few 'moderation' tools available to myself as an Administrator:

Delete all Private Messages of User X.
Delete all Private Messages sent by User X.

I've only ever used the second option once when someone who had just registered had proceeded to send dozens of Spam PMs which got reported to me.

If a Private Message is ever SPAM or abusive, then anyone should forward and report it to me so I can take the necessary steps towards the sender.

As for explaining missing messages, the most likely explanation I can think of is that the sender used the wrong User name, if the name exists it won't fail to send but the message won't arrive to the intended recipient. There are other possible failures as the system is not perfect in any way, though seemingly and judging by my SPAM filters rate of error, more reliable than email.

If you have any concern John, please let me know what happens and I'll investigate.

Thanks Franck. Thats the explanation I was hoping for. Much obliged

[TheTramp]

Originally Posted by Franck

As for explaining missing messages, the most likely explanation I can think of is that the sender used the wrong User name, if the name exists it won't fail to send but the message won't arrive to the intended recipient. There are other possible failures as the system is not perfect in any way, though seemingly and judging by my SPAM filters rate of error, more reliable than email.

Hmmm....

I'll offer another possible reason it didn't arrive. Cos I've just done it myself

Typed in a PM, hit preview, rather than send. And then closed the window accidentally before I could send it

Luckily, I then realised what I'd done. And it was short, so didn't take long to retype. But someone else might just be doing it wrong without realising....

[Dance Demon]

Originally Posted by TheTramp

Hmmm....

I'll offer another possible reason it didn't arrive. Cos I've just done it myself

Typed in a PM, hit preview, rather than send. And then closed the window accidentally before I could send it

Luckily, I then realised what I'd done. And it was short, so didn't take long to retype. But someone else might just be doing it wrong without realising....

Another perfectly good point Steve. Iv'e done it myself before too. I wasn't trying to start a conspiracy theory ( not that you suggested I was)...it was just an enquiry, which has been suitably answered. Thanks for the help

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by Franck

moderators and admin have no access to Private messages. There are a few 'moderation' tools available to myself as an Administrator:

Are they encrypted in the database?

I have no idea what the internal database structure of vBulletin looks like, but is there any way that there might be something like

"select * from PM_table where username=fred"

that could be run from outside the application itself, and yield readable messages?

[El Salsero Gringo]

Originally Posted by ChrisA

Are they encrypted in the database?

I have no idea what the internal database structure of vBulletin looks like, but is there any way that there might be something like

"select * from PM_table where username=fred"

that could be run from outside the application itself, and yield readable messages?

Actually you can run raw SQL queries from within vBulletin if you're the administrator

[Andy McGregor]

Originally Posted by ChrisA

Are they encrypted in the database?

I have no idea what the internal database structure of vBulletin looks like, but is there any way that there might be something like

"select * from PM_table where username=fred"

that could be run from outside the application itself, and yield readable messages?

Which, of course, means absolutely nothing to a Biologist

However, my own opinion is that PM's are not private at all and I write them with this in mind unless I'm 100% certain of the discretion of the person I'm writing to. There have been notable cases where forumites have sent a PM and then had the recipient post that PM on an open thread. The only thing we need to consider is the honesty of the person alleging to have received that PM. For instance;

Originally Posted by PM from ChrisA

I love you Andy and whish I could be more like you in every way

Is a PM I receive each week from ChrisA

[David Bailey]

Originally Posted by Andy McGregor

Is a PM I receive each week from ChrisA

What, he sends that to you too? Chris, I thought I was the only one

[Andy McGregor]

Originally Posted by DavidJames

What, he sends that to you too? Chris, I thought I was the only one

Clear proof that there is no privacy in PMs. The simple fact is that the sending of something to someone gives them ownership of it. From that point on they can do what they like with it - because it's theirs. Privacy in Private Messages? I think not!

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by DavidJames

What, he sends that to you too? Chris, I thought I was the only one

Nah, all the hotshots and elite get one...

[David Bailey]

Originally Posted by ChrisA

Nah, all the hotshots and elite get one...

Ah, OK, fair enough.

I was wondering why you kept calling me Andy, I thought that was just your pet name for me or something...

[David Franklin]

Originally Posted by ChrisA

Nah, all the hotshots and elite get one...

... {Searches Inbox} ...

B**stard!

[RogerR]

Read This then

www.iptvreports.mcmail.com/ic2kreport.htm

or just search Interception Capabilities. First the americans announce their intention to be able to have 100% information surveilance then we get a new malware/virus running round the world allowing remote access!?!?

[David Franklin]

Hmm - seems ChrisA has put me on his list - I've now received the following:

To:XXX

I am Major Lee Groovy Dancer (I taught KGD everything he knows); the commander and head of the Secret Unit in charge of creating new moves for the Cabal of Modern Jive Hotshots (CMJH). I was working directly with the former Rebel Leader George Gustapha who is languishing in Ceroc exile. They want to prosecute him for illegal move distribition and the debouncing of 21 jivers during a public demonstration outside his home in May this year, which I would be prosecuted alongside.

The CMJH is now headed by Gen. McGregor who is determined in bringing peace to Modern Jive, he signed cease-competition agreement with Ceroc on Friday 10th Nov., 2000 and instructed us that peace must returned to our fatherdance after nine-years conflict, pledging to allow interdependant instructors unhindered access throughout the MJ scene. My fear is that Ceroc will try most of us and all our best moves would be confiscated why all traceable competition trophies to our name and families would also be frozen.

In view of this development, I am trapped with large quantity of move bibles, plastic trophies and competition DVDs that is in storage with my Wife who dose not have the know-how to teach these moves without any trace to our name and how to dispose these trophies and DVDs accordingly. My situation is very desperate, as I cannot desert my profession at this point in my life with all that I have acquired.

If you can assist me to legitimize these items by placing into your designated dance bags, I am ready to concede some percentage for your logistic and material involvement. Contact me for more details.

Yours faithfully.

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by David Franklin

Hmm - seems ChrisA has put me on his list - I've now received the following:

I hereby request that Franck reset your rep to 419.

[Dreadful Scathe]

Originally Posted by ChrisA

I hereby request that Franck reset your rep to 419.

Geek joke alert.

As for PM's being read, "you can easily look into the privatemessage table in your database through phpmyadmin and read any private message that you may have to read because of a complaint, etc.". So its an option but its not inbuilt vbulletin functionality. For further info read forums here

Any message - email, pm or anything else can be read by anyone in control of a private system if they really want to. Thats why you have things like PGP.