Reading personal messages from other members

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[Harro]

There was an interesting discussion on the SMF forum about reading personal messages from other members.
Was in the dutch part of the forum, so most of you won't understand it..
But what do you think of it?

Do you do it or would you do it?
Or only in certain circumstances (like an argument between 2 members, each telling lies about each other to you).
So basically to find "proof" of misbehaviour.

Or would you never do it?

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[Serendipity]

I don't think I'd do something like that unless it was absolutely necessary, like if a member was soliciting using PMs. As for "proof", if someone takes the time out to report it, than I'm just going to deal with it normally, why put so much effort into digging around?

[Ghost]

I don't see a reason for myself to do it, what is in your Personal Messages is your personal stuff. If I needed to find "proof" about something then they could give me permission to see the evidence, but then again, they could also change the information in the meantime.
At one time I had a section for things like that on my forum, you filled it out with a copy of the pm and submitted it to the admin. I took it out because it got to be alot of work when people started changing things in the "evidence".
So all and all, I have no reason or any want to know! Unless it violates the forums rules.

[Jacqueline]

I put in my terms of service that everything is subject to monitoring.  It is very rare that I need to look at private messages, but there have been occasions when I needed to.

[Harro]

If you want to prevent changes the only thing you can do is digging in the database.
Copy paste or something like that is to easy to change.

Personally I won't do it, except when I suspect there is something wrong or I need evidence.
But when you are the admin of the forum I believe you should have to right to have access to everything related to the forum, so including everything inside the database like personal messages.

[bambolin]

I will never read PM for any reason. I don't agree with reading PM. As the word says PM is private messaging.

[Harro]

It's personal message
Wouldn't you even read if 2 members are having an argument, each blaming each other?

[Dakuipje]

I wont.
Never, private is private and should remain private

[DarkVelocity]

I wouldn't do the first thing but for members Safety Admins should have the right to look in pm inboxes.

[Dude200]

Over an argument between two members, I wouldn't, however if I suspected a moderator or another staff member doing something bad then yeah, or if a member was reported spamming, trying to hack, etc.

[Miles]

I think "Personal Messages" Are just that there personal messages from whom to whomever I think it's a persona l invasion of privacy, But if there was a despute against another user or a threat then I think the administrator's should be able to take action and be able to view the messages

[Harro]

Agreed.
Sometimes it is just something you have to do.
But most admins hope that they should never do it I think.

[ilovegames]

Is there a mod on smf for this?

If so can someone post it here?

[Harro]

There is no such mod and there will never be one that is approved by SMF.

[Owner]

ok, i dont agree with someone putting an "evidence" board on a forum, no offence but if you got a some thing like that with members posting in there alot, there just strait up stool piggins.. i hate rats, if you dont have anything better to do then to: "tell a moderator" your stupid! frankly, i would look at whos ever pm's i wanted, its my forums, my rules. i dont care when you join my forum, there isent something called "privacy" i got in in my discloser as well. if they dont like it move on, i dont beleave in giving personal information tho.. thats something i would never do, i wouldnt want it too happen to me, so i wouldent do it to others, when gaia gave the cops that guys info they were so wrong, it was in the paper an everything.  they say, bad poblicity is good poblicity

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