I've followed this thread for a long time and I laugh every time I read some bleeding heart going on about privacy. Forums are OWNED by their administrators (although in some cases admins are merely employees of companies who OWN the forums).

This means they also OWN the entire contents of the database, because they OWN the website. This means they can look at it as much as they like without anybody being able to do a single solitary thing about it :)

IF on the other hand, they were taking the information contained within the database and selling it to a third party and it wasn't stipulated within the privacy policy that they'd be doing this, then you've got a right to complain as this has been made illegal in many countries (particularly the US and UK which I'd imagine is where a majority of you are operating from).

If you're going to cry about people reading the messages of their members to ensure their safety then you're no better than the people causing the need for this kind of functionality. I bet if some kid on your board is raped because some sick bastard groomed them via PM on your message board you'll feel really intelligent because YOU didn't take steps to allow you to police your own website properly.

I feel so much better having said that now :)


Cheers,
Robert

Vbulletin owns the intellectual property, shall you let them monitor your 'movements'? Can Vbulletin monitor all you do, as the Administrator, with their software and what is attached to it? I understand security and safety, it is how I make a living.

Jelsoft sold me software called vBulletin, which they can track using a web bot in the admin panel to make sure my license is on the right domain.

Jelsoft do not own the contents of the database on my website, they purely own the intellectual rights to the code which they authored which in turn allowed me to create said database :)

I can look at my database as much as I like :)

any newer version of this?

i also remember a pm reader having the option to view PM's via the admin user edit.. cud this be done again please?

...and I can rob a home when no one is home. :tired:

I suggest you have a look at 1 of the 3 vB3.5 hacks available for this.

Of course you can, with enough determination you can get past any security system*

The difference is it is not illegal for me to browse the contents of my own database :) I can look at it all I want because at the end of the day there isn't a thing anyone can do about it without removing my access and thus breaking the law themselves (theft) or having the law changed (unlikely).

So nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah :p At the end of the day you can try to impose your "reading their messages is bad" morallity on me all you like but it will change absolutely nothing and I'll still be able to make sure my users are safe quickly and easilly if and when the time calls for it :) Plus like has been said before, anyone who assumes a website's administrator can't access "private" messages they've sent or have received really needs to go to college and take a long course in common sense.


* Disclaimer: I in no way advocate or encourage anyone to break the law, whether it be breaking into houses or anything else.

could you link me? i havee searched only 2 i found.. this one, and the pm.php in the admincp.

Great idea, great hack. THX

Hello,,

any one links me to the newly 3.5 version of this hack please ?

thanks in advance,,