Are PMs Private?

Lenny Lovett

What I mean is: Who has access to my PM account besides myself? Moderators, Category Moderators anyone else?

The Hill Billy

They are private. As far as I am aware - nobody, not even Admins have access to PMs.

mike65

I thought the admins could take a look.

Ponster

Just you.

Mods and cmods only have tools that allow them to move threads around and such. Admins most likely have access to the admin CP which gives them site-wide abilities but this still doesn't give them access to PMs.

The only ones who could possible read them are the handful of people who have access to the database that the site uses to store the PMs and other information.

Ponster

mike65 wrote: »

I thought the admins could take a look.

Not with the plain version of Vbb that we are running though it is possible to add a hack to allow this.

Eoin

mike65 wrote: »

I thought the admins could take a look.

I think they've said on several occasions that only people with direct access to the database would be able to see a PM. The only difference being reported PMs, which all the admins can see.

Sarky

And the effort required for that tiny handful of people to dig through the databases for such unreported PMs is way more than they could be bothered with, unless the Gardai or similar insist.

You're safe, unless you use the PM system to be a jerk. And that would be breaking rule #1, so you'd be a fool to do that.

Rev Hellfire

Sarky wrote: »

And the effort required for that tiny handful of people to dig through the databases for such unreported PMs is way more than they could be bothered with, unless the Gardai or similar insist.

You're safe, unless you use the PM system to be a jerk. And that would be breaking rule #1, so you'd be a fool to do that.

Lets be honest here, for anyone with access to the d/base retrieving PM's is trivial either directly or though the installation of mods which facilitate this.

But thats not the issue the real question people are asking is "Can I trust boards.ie to respect my privacy". And thats a question only they can answer.

It basically boils down to if you want something to remain totally private and inaccessible don't post it.

That said perhaps the admins should look at seeing if there is any form of pki which can be integrated with the forums and people can manage their own private key and have public ones available on boards.

Daemos

AFAIK Admins can see who has PMed who, but they can't see what's been said

As has been said the people in control of the database could see them, but I'm pretty sure I remember Ross saying there is no way they would ever do it

Overheal

Admins can only view the contents of a PM if the PM has been Reported. Nobody beneath the Admin-level has any access whatsoever to your PM's

oscarBravo

Overheal wrote: »

Admins can only view the contents of a PM if the PM has been Reported.

This.

I can't read people's PMs. I can't see who has PM'd whom. But if the recipient of a PM reports it, all the admins get to see it.

Zaph

Lenny Lovett wrote: »

What I mean is: Who has access to my PM account besides myself? Moderators, Category Moderators anyone else?

Nobody else other than yourself can access your PM account.

Hill Billy wrote: »

They are private. As far as I am aware - nobody, not even Admins have access to PMs.

True.

mike65 wrote: »

I thought the admins could take a look.

False.

Ponster wrote: »

Just you.

Mods and cmods only have tools that allow them to move threads around and such. Admins most likely have access to the admin CP which gives them site-wide abilities but this still doesn't give them access to PMs.

The only ones who could possible read them are the handful of people who have access to the database that the site uses to store the PMs and other information.

In extreme circumstances, usually involving the Gardai and a warrant, it is possible for Ross or Conor to retrieve a PM. However the amount of time and effort required to do this make it impossible to do so on a regular basis. once retrieved, a PM will only be seen by a couple of people in the office (Ross, Conor, DeV, Darragh or Dav).

eoin wrote: »

I think they've said on several occasions that only people with direct access to the database would be able to see a PM. The only difference being reported PMs, which all the admins can see.

True, all admins can see reported PMs.

Sarky wrote: »

And the effort required for that tiny handful of people to dig through the databases for such unreported PMs is way more than they could be bothered with, unless the Gardai or similar insist.

You're safe, unless you use the PM system to be a jerk. And that would be breaking rule #1, so you'd be a fool to do that.

Sarky speaks the truth.

DaPoolRulz wrote: »

AFAIK Admins can see who has PMed who, but they can't see what's been said

As has been said the people in control of the database could see them, but I'm pretty sure I remember Ross saying there is no way they would ever do it

False, admins cannot see who has PMd who. We have absolutely no access to any PM accounts other than our own.

Overheal wrote: »

Admins can only view the contents of a PM if the PM has been Reported. Nobody beneath the Admin-level has any access whatsoever to your PM's

True.

I hope that helps put a few minds at ease and dispels some of the myths about PMs, but feel free to ask any more questions you may have.

Diabhal Beag

Zaph wrote: »

In extreme circumstances, usually involving the Gardai and a warrant, it is possible for Ross or Conor to retrieve a PM. However the amount of time and effort required to do this make it impossible to do so on a regular basis. once retrieved, a PM will only be seen by a couple of people in the office (Ross, Conor, DeV, Darragh or Dav).

Has this ever happened?

Zaph

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Has this ever happened?

I have a vague recollection of hearing about it happening once, a long time ago and certainly way before I even became a mod, but I could be thinking about something completely different.

pickarooney

At the risk of stating the obvious, one other person has access to every PM you send or receive - the person sending or receiving it.

Conor

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Has this ever happened?

We have had several Section 8 requests from the Gardai, but I don't recall any ever involving PMs.

It may have happened before my time though.

seamus

Like everything computer-based, somebody other than you always has access to your messages.

If you're really worried that some 3rd party will see your message, the only surefire way to avoid it is to not send the message in the first place.

Boards.ie's vBulletin install doesn't provide plain access to PMs, so the only way in is through the database. Accessing a user's PMs through the database is trivial, but it assumes that;
a. Conor, Ross and/or DeV are willing to defy their personal ethics and risk their jobs, and
b. That they actually give a **** about the content of your PMs.

Whatever about point a., you can take it for granted that point b. is not a possibility

Daemos

So long story short, they're called Private Messages for a reason