Reading user PM's as a admin.
 

I am thinking some user's may be doing something undesirable in PM's,,how can I read what is going on in PM's please? Thanks in advance, JPT.

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...light=read+pms
Search ftw. :)

Search feature is in the right hand corner :)

I can never understand why someone would want to read some other person's mail.

Because I was alerted that people may be sending unapropriate messages to new members in a PM, JPT.

Because they are always curios lol.

Not true. There are times, such as if someone is causing trouble or sending inappropriate content via PM, that it is very necessary to be able to read them.

However that's not the topic of this thread. ;)

Thanks Ohiosweetheart for understanding. People do not realize the resposibility of owning a forum. I installed & discovered what I expected, someone posting imapropriate stuff in PM's. Now the problem is solved. Have a great week, JPT.

Meaning they are still always curious lol
:)

sort of reminds me of the issue with wiretapping. lol

How about this? Let me join your forum & repost what was being sent. Then I will contact your host, who will cancel your account w/o a refund. I just paid for a year of hosting & do not want the hassle of moving because someone was sending PRON (mistake on purpose) which was in a clickable link. Do some research on who is responsible when someone is TRICKED to view PRON. Happy holidays to all, JPT.

So how does the host get canceled again? :confused:

I run a forum mainly for teenagers and feel that I have a moral obligation to keep pedophiles off of my board, so I read my users PMs regularly as this is the medium that Pedophiles seem to like to make their attack on. I make it clear to my users in the TOS that all forms of communication on my website are monitored and if any foul play is going on, we'll find out.

Anyways, yes; this is the mod I use: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...light=read+pms

It's a big buggy but it does the trick.

I thought there was a forward button on PMs? :p lol

There are plenty of reasons to view someones pm's would make sense on a big forum if some members are causing problems, or spamming and suchlike.

There was a mod like this for phpBB2 aswell if my memory serves me correctly.

ES

or you could have the infamous Buddha on your forum...oOooo

Oh dear God not Pr0n, who's your Host run by the The Westboro Baptist Church? I know you have got the answer to your question and what you do on your own forums is upto you.

However me personally would never condone the use of effectively spying on conversations between members, I'm sure like someone said if there was a problem the apparent victim of the abuse would contact me themselves without the need for me to be second guessing people.

This is post #1 -- read it.

There are always going to be circumstances where some boards, with some users, under some circumstances *may* have a need to verify what the heck is going on in PM's.

Abused users generally do not tell a forum admin they have been abused, nor do they forward PM's to an admin for action, nor do they complain... they simply stop coming to your site. They tell their friends "don't go there, they have nasty people sending your crap in PM."

It is very easy to scoff about porn posts, but if you take a site within it's context and add a scammer, stalker, extortionist or some other element which may heighten paranoia and fear, it may be the only way to solve an issue.

Monitoring general comms is not what this is about. It's about caring for your members and trying to eliminate those that would do your members harm. Some sites get more than their fair share of 'abuse' from internet scum.

Nor sometimes can allogations of PM abuse can be proven, IE someone could easily forge a PM and forward it.

Huh? I said YOUR hosting can get cancelled, they dont offer refunds, JPT

But can get canceled for what?..
I don't see how someone sending a PM can get your host canceled

I think jpt means their web host can cancel their account as the link to porn can be considered a breach of the host's terms that they won't host porn. No?

And we have a winner! Thanks for explaining, and the host has strict terms about stuff like that. The person was putting up a link that looked like it went to a craigslist for CB radio equipment, click it & instant PRON, You violate these terms and POOF, wake up domains are down,,files are lost, etc. It is not worth the chance, so i will read PM's if I feel the need. JPT.

u should try a host such as one in Holland.

even though u don't run a pRon site, at least that country will allow for leeway since message boards [for example] are considered freedom of speech as long as u don't actually host anything. wink wink.

Regardless if it's 'inappropriate,' administrator and/or mods shouldn't have rights to view other users PM's. If a PM's is inappropriate, than, it should be reported. That's why we have the 'forward' button for. :D

So if a pedo was grooming a 14 year old kid on your own board via PM and you were told by someone else that it might be happening, but there was no proof?

Would you simply ignore it?

Although not directed at me, I would contact the 14 Year Old myself and state that there had been apparent suspicions that you maybe getting inappropriate comments from another Member. If he/she denied it, then there is little else I could do, you offer the help but in the end if the other person won't accept it then there is nothing you can do.

I mean a Pedophile is going to be very rare indeed, so I mean using that to back up Personal Intrusion of numerous members is not acceptable. If you use this, I would make sure you respect your members enough to at least tell them that there Private Messages aren't Private.

Fair assessment, though I'm not convinced that the child would want to say anything as they may to far too afraid to.

The example is an extreme one used to show that there are always going to be circumstances where the owner of the board has to make a choice. I the end, ingorance is no defence if someone gets hurt and the board owner gets to bite the bullet for inaction.

It also goes to show that discussions like this are pretty much pointless, because of the vastly different backgrounds that each of us come from, and the vastly different community boards we have running. There will never be a definative yes or no, there can never be.

In the end it is the owners responsibility to protect the members, and him/herself in any manner they see fit. If that means reading a PM to protect someone, then it is their choice and their right.

I think that if PMs are moderated on a board, it should be made very clear that they are, either in the TOS that they accept when registered, privacy policy, or via an official post.

I've had my hosting shut off twice due to inappropriate/illegal content and no they don't offer refunds and yes you have make new accounts and move your server. It's a huge hassle.

In the past I've used this... https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=122939

Has a few more functions than the other hack and you can read your users PMs. I also use this to see how my board looks to my members.

Regardless, we'll go what they forward unless he/she comes forward.

And what's the chance of a forum getting bunch of pedophile users? It's hardly like to happen. That only happens on Instant Message.