[Should be done] Commenting in posts that only admin/mods can view! [V.2.x.x]

[Logician]

I have coded this hack (a very similiar one indeed: thread inline private messages). I even completed the hack and tested for a long time in my local board. It creates SO MANY problems but I corrected most of them either. However I canceled the project and give it up, because even if the hack seemed ok, I couldnt trust it and comparing the usage benefits, it required too many file editings, introduce so many problems to trace and I could never be sure if it's fully secure (in terms of message privacy).

Some of the problems you encounter:
* You need to cover all gaps without missing one so that the comments are not exposed like when quoting the message, printing the message etc...

* Most crucial part is to hide the message when someone makes a search: You need to change default the message indexing/searching behaviour of vb DRAMATICALLY (IMO which is the most complicated part of vb, search.php). Because even if you hide the comments in showthread.php, printthread.php, newreply.php etc. vb still finds them in a keyword search, besides they are exposed if the searcher choose to preview messages while searching. To solve this problem I used "encryption of private messages" and it worked but it's really a hell of a job..

Anyway as I said it can be done if you work hard and if you work harder to test it very extensively to not to miss a gap to expose the private messages, but I think it is not worth trying so as to get such a feature.. My 2 cents.

Logician