Questions for moderators

Vulpiner

Im relatively new to the boards and Im just wondering if Moderators are able to view private messages.

How secure are private messages? Can moderators enable cookies in regard to them?

KdjaCL

Mods cant see your Private messages, if you want to report one you can forward it to one of them or an Admin. If the other person says they never sent it, the Admins can check that and only check in that case.


kdjac

Vulpiner

Thanks very much

Tar.Aldarion

KdjaC wrote:

Mods cant see your Private messages, if you want to report one you can forward it to one of them or an Admin. If the other person says they never sent it, the Admins can check that and only check in that case.


kdjac

What about for the laugh?

seamus

As KdjaC says, the only people who have access to your PMs are the Site Administrators. These are the people who own the site, so it makes sense that they can access them. They will only have a look though in cases where it's warranted - i.e. reports of abuse PMs, reports of illegal activity, etc. They don't routinely look at your messages

In terms of safety, they're about as safe as email. Your PMs can technically be intercepted and recorded, particularly if you're using a proxy server. Account access is also available via cookies, so if you or a recipient leaves themselves logged into a machine, then someone else can come along, read your PMs and/or send PMs from you.

Vulpiner

Tar.Aldarion wrote:

What about for the laugh?

Another thing: Do people become Mods solely on post-count?

Crucifix

Vulpiner wrote:

Another thing: Do people become Mods solely on post-count?

seamus

Vulpiner wrote:

Another thing: Do people become Mods solely on post-count?

No. The line is blurred now. Boards has been around for a while. It's pure coincidence that those with high post counts also tend to be mods.

Actually, it's not a coincidence. You generally become a mod because you appear trustworthy, interested in the forum, and hang around a lot, helping out. Thus, those who tend to post a fair bit, also tend to be made mods at some point. But just spamming won't get you made mod.

Tar.Aldarion

Most the people with high post counts would have been here near the start so that is why Vulipner. They appear trustworthy etc. seamus is right, spamming doesn't get you made mod...that gets you the Hmod position. :P

People tend to be made mod these days when they know a great deal about the topic of the new forum being set up or are at least very interested in it, along with being decent enough posters.

BuffyBot

Do people become Mods solely on post-count?

*demands shiny badge*

Vulpiner

I know Im driving you all mad now but how did TheBiggestC--t escape from prison/banning just now?

seamus

Vulpiner wrote:

I know Im driving you all mad now but how did TheBiggestC--t escape from prison/banning just now?

Short answer is...he didn't.

The_Minister

While we're having a Q&A session (I know, I know I should know this by now) bhat are Smods Hmods, etc? Which "outranks" which?

kaimera

SMod, CatMod, Mod, CMod, HMod..

I think. Last two could be wrong.

monkeyfudge

I thought all the cmods were extinct.

Sparky

vBulletin 3 does not allow Admins to read or view private messages, unless a hack is installed. It does however let an admin know how many PMs a user has in their inbox
Even if certain things went to extremes, cloud would have to trail through the database to get a certain PM, and with boards this big im sure its not a job he would like to do.

There are hacks out there for admins to view PM's, but if it was a Spam issue a report PM hack would be the order of the day.

The_Minister

Whats a catmod and a cmod?

kaimera

monkeyfudge wrote:

I thought all the cmods were extinct.

Indeed..all bar sceptre it seems :v:

Wiley youngster that he is.

CatMod is over a category eg. Amp is over the Games and all the fora that are under Games.

Cmod were community mods...now extinct it appears.

monkeyfudge

A catmod looks after a whole category... eg sports, rec, games etc.

a cmod is a community mod... but I don't think they are around anymore.

kaimera

On the topic of PM's...the private is wrt just the means of transmission, not the content. Just be careful of what you say to who just in case it ends up plastered all over the web somewhere.

The_Minister

What is a "community" in the boards sense? I get catagory now.

Vulpiner

kaimera wrote:

On the topic of PM's...the private is wrt just the means of transmission, not the content. Just be careful of what you say to who just in case it ends up plastered all over the web somewhere.

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

kaimera

http://boards.ie/wiki/index.php/Mod

Wiki ftw...tho nothing about CMods.

woops!

HMod = new Cmod.

http://boards.ie/wiki/index.php/Community_moderator

Vulpiner

kaimera wrote:

http://boards.ie/wiki/index.php/Mod

Wiki ftw...tho nothing about CMods.

woops!

HMod = new Cmod.

http://boards.ie/wiki/index.php/Community_moderator

It says there in the link that the mods can see what youve deleted? Thus, theyre able to see your pms?

kaimera

Only posts.

A forum moderator can see posts deleted by you

As been said, admins are the only ones to see yer pms if necessary.

What have you done anyway?

Vulpiner

kaimera wrote:

Only posts.


As been said, admins are the only ones to see yer pms if necessary.

What have you done anyway?

This "if necessary" bothers me. I suppose privacy is an issue no matter what medium you use. Whats to stop some mod voyeuring?

As regards your question, mother is buried in the cellar.:D

monkeyfudge

kaimera wrote:

On the topic of PM's...the private is wrt just the means of transmission, not the content. Just be careful of what you say to who just in case it ends up plastered all over the web somewhere.

To clarify... it has happend in the past that the recipient of a PM might post up the contents of that PM on a public forum. It's happened in the past and it's generally frowned upon... so just be careful who you are sending a PM to.

But it's not different to a letter, email or phone call in this respect.

kaimera

Vulpiner wrote:

This "if necessary" bothers me. I suppose privacy is an issue no matter what medium you use. Whats to stop some mod voyeuring?

As regards your question, mother is buried in the cellar.:D

Once more, mods cannot see your PM's.

Only the admins/owners of the site can. Like you said, privacy is an issue but I don't think there has been a case of admins browsing PM's for ****s and giggles. [maybe ecksor..but that may be unfounded ]

seamus

The Admins have better things to be doing than reading your PMs. Ever gone through someone else's email? It's dull.

As owners of the site (and therefore, all of the data on it), they have a right to read your PMs if they so require anyway

koneko

Vulpiner wrote:

This "if necessary" bothers me. I suppose privacy is an issue no matter what medium you use. Whats to stop some mod voyeuring?

As regards your question, mother is buried in the cellar.:D

They don't look at PMs. But as others have said, mods cannot look at PMs, and the admins really wouldn't be bothered (and they're a trustworthy bunch).
The only times I've known about that they've checked PMs is when someone was reported for something bad. Like if you decide to send monkeyfudge here a message and say "I'm going to slice you up and eat your monkey for dinner you sonofabitch" (and mean it). He feels threatened, reports it to the admins, and they look into it (and would probably ban you).

Nevyn

You are more at risk of the person you have pmed disclosing the pm or forwarding it on then the admins exposing it.

Talliesin

Vulpiner wrote:

It says there in the link that the mods can see what youve deleted? Thus, theyre able to see your pms?

They can see what you deleted on the forums they moderate (or all forums in the case of s-mods). PMs aren't in forums.

Sparky

Vulpiner wrote:

This "if necessary" bothers me. I suppose privacy is an issue no matter what medium you use. Whats to stop some mod voyeuring?

As regards your question, mother is buried in the cellar.:D

mods dont know the access details to the database. The admins reading your PMs isnt as easy as clicking a button.

Anyway Jelsoft, the owners of vB are thinking of renaming private to personal.
Pms ar'nt truely private, even H365 could read them, but why would they, the fact that they can won't mean they will.

WhiteWashMan

i can see everyones PMs becuase i have x-ray specs.

kittenkiller

Vulpiner wrote:

Im relatively new to the boards and Im just wondering if Moderators are able to view private messages.

How secure are private messages? Can moderators enable cookies in regard to them?

So who you been pming???
I'd be worried Vul, starting a thread like this is bound to draw suspicion to you & curiosity'll probably get the better of at least one of the people who have access to your pms & have a good ol' browse!
What're you trying to hide?

Rabies

BuffyBot wrote:

*demands shiny badge*

*demands better badge than BB*

kaimera

kittenkiller wrote:

I'd be worried Vul, starting a thread like this is bound to draw suspicion to you & curiosity'll probably get the better of at least one of the people who have access to your pms & have a good ol' browse!

Not likely.

Not a high enough profile to even bother checking PMs

Mercury_Tilt

This post has been deleted.

CuLT

Merc's Law of Least-Arsedness takes precendent

Merc

Tar.Aldarion

If they were corrupt and read them, they would just get bored pretty fast. Not much scandal in them.
/Me covers tracks.
>_>

Vulpiner

kittenkiller wrote:

So who you been pming???
I'd be worried Vul, starting a thread like this is bound to draw suspicion to you & curiosity'll probably get the better of at least one of the people who have access to your pms & have a good ol' browse!
What're you trying to hide?

Thats my face and thats my hand-writing, omg! Though my hair is longer than that.:rolleyes:

Anyway, it seems my paronia is unjustified.

Vulpiner

kaimera wrote:

Not likely.

Not a high enough profile to even bother checking PMs

Yes, Im such a pleb:rolleyes:

Asok

I'm reading them right now.

Vulpiner

Still not reassured. See that bubbles thread? Which of you is Bubbles?

Tar.Aldarion

I'm bubbles, why?

Faith

Me.

:rolleyes:

Which exact Bubbles thread are you talking about?

/edit: Dammit Tar, you got there first

Beruthiel

*groan*

Tar.Aldarion

Faith wrote:

Me.

:rolleyes:

Which exact Bubbles thread are you talking about?

/edit: Dammit Tar, you got there first

There is a new thread about me here, http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054928236
Maybe he refers to that.

Faith

You're causing quite a fuss, aren't you!

Tar.Aldarion

/Me looks through Vullpiners Pms...interesting...

Vulpiner

Boards.ie could be a big pyschological experiment. Seeing the personalities that are created online and then comparing them with their real-life personas.:D Bubbles could be part of it. The Mods are all pychologists in reality, even Tar. Us users are just pawns.:D