Private messages are NOT private

[Cristian]

When an administrator logs in as a member, can they bypass the password stage?

Are the passwords viewable?

On this forum admins cannot log in as a different user. Installing a mod and tweaking the code will probably make that possible.
I think it's the same with vBulletin. You probably have to install a mod and tweak .

Passwords are encrypted in the database on every board . No admin can view them.

[Pluto's Child]

When an administrator logs in as a member, can they bypass the password stage?

Are the passwords viewable?

On this forum admins cannot log in as a different user. Installing a mod and tweaking the code will probably make that possible.
I think it's the same with vBulletin. You probably have to install a mod and tweak .

Passwords are encrypted in the database on every board . No admin can view them.

Vbulliten has mods & tweeks for everything, it's all there on the vbulliten forum

[Phil]

One creepy feature of these forums that PA admin were never shy about their usage of is the ability to see what you are reading, which threads you've been on. Often if you are in an old thread, say about Charles or forum history, they would often mention how they noticed your browsing and could they help you to find something in particular

Heh...while I'm sure they're being genuinely helpful, some of my friends find their offers to help a little off-putting.

Anyone who pmed on PA at a certain point would know I always said hi to Bill...just in case. You really shouldn't be saying on the Internet (or anywhere) you aren't ready to own, that you aren't ok with anyone hearing...it's strange this isn't considered "common sense".

It is really silly to be on these on forums, with all that we talk about, and believe there's a such thing as "privacy" or "security", be mindful my friends

[norman]

Privacy, to me, has layers.

I know there's nothing I can do to stop the NSA's industrial scale snooping on me. They have their agendas, and I'm sick about that. But I can't stop them. The way I feel about that is more about the state of the whole world than it is about me and my personal privacy.

The thought that my neibor or my local council authority could be spying on me feels very different. It's getting too close to home by then, and I can imagine how that sort of thing can create issues for me, just me.

The thought that an employer or a forum admin or mod can be snooping on me feels even worse than that. Those are situations where i'm interfacing directly with them daily on the basis that they know the same about me as I know about them, NOT, that I'm being Pawned, Patsied or Played with.

If you walked in a Pub and sat there having a quiet drink and noticed the barman/landlord was sneaking a look through your bag, would you want to return there some other time, or go somewhere else? Would you even put up with it, there and then, or call him out and leave immediately?

[Pluto's Child]

One creepy feature of these forums that PA admin were never shy about their usage of is the ability to see what you are reading, which threads you've been on. Often if you are in an old thread, say about Charles or forum history, they would often mention how they noticed your browsing and could they help you to find something in particular

Heh...while I'm sure they're being genuinely helpful, some of my friends find their offers to help a little off-putting.

Anyone who pmed on PA at a certain point would know I always said hi to Bill...just in case. You really shouldn't be saying on the Internet (or anywhere) you aren't ready to own, that you aren't ok with anyone hearing...it's strange this isn't considered "common sense".

It is really silly to be on these on forums, with all that we talk about, and believe there's a such thing as "privacy" or "security", be mindful my friends

Vbulliten has a lot of features that to be honest seem built to create intrigues, the "who's online feature" has various settings (which is beyond literally seeing "who is online" which any forum has), the main one being whether you let members see what everyone is looking at, or just staff, staff can also see who you are PMing on it.

Normally mods would use this to keep an eye on unknown newbies or known trouble makers, which whether they realise it or not is all part of "creating intrigues" and it sucks them in whether they like it or not !

Threads also list who is on them and who has read them, again all adds to the drama, and then there is the thanks button, which creates cliques & has all manner of subtle psychological uses.

This might seem a bit overly dramatic, but as someone who has experience as staff on vbulliten & on an other site that has NONE of these features I must say how blindingly clear the effects & uses of these features are with hindsight, no snooping features, no intrigues, it's as simple as that.

Come to think of it Project Camelot didn't have most of those features either & was "intrigue" free, maybe that's why PA had way more members than PC even though it was Kerry doing interviews, because people love the drama ???

[norman]

........ and then there is the thanks button, which creates cliques & has all manner of subtle psychological uses........

The "thanks button" always makes me think of LR resonator circuits in electronics. I suppose only people with electronic cicuit design experiences will get what I mean.

Another not so acurate analogy might be multiple car pileups on motorways.

[Cristian]

Terminated some of the bots...yes too many

Left the google crawler now renamed Lucky Boots.

[Exit-0]

Never having been a big fan of "Geek World Magazine" - (a fictitious publication), I've been techo-nogically challenged, from the start.

When I began my journey down the Forum Trail, the driving purpose for that pilgrimage was to share my knowledge.

I've always treated the thanking feature as a barometer to indicate whether the message is getting through. How naive of me to not realize there were those lurking in the shadows, with nefarious intentions - a fool such as I.

Participating on a forum is like navigating any other social structure within this third-density-prison-matrix, there are always predators lurking to feed on the unsuspecting.

My personal contact with past Forum Life has left a bad taste in my mouth. Let's all expect, "ee" will result in a positive experience.

"I get on my knees and pray,
We don't get fooled again" - The Who

[Naga_Fireball]

Nice post Exit-0

A good way to gauge the worth of a forum is the amount of work done by admin, owner, popular kids. If work is discouraged or repressed then, time to go lol..

There was a gaming forum I used to really love. The people were not perfect but seemed full of life.

I like that kind of energy as it tends to forgive mistakes to serve the greater good.

[Phil]

I like that kind of energy as it tends to forgive mistakes to serve the greater good.

I think this is one of the most dangerous ideas, and biggest problems with any human creation. Excusing the bad for the good....aka ENABLING...is the victim side of the abusive relationship.

That doesn't mean your gaming forum is "bad" in my eyes, but I feel there's a real responsibility SOMEONE needs to take to make the creation as free from problems (LIES) as it can. That this prinicipal needs to be applied in an "as above, so below" from our interpersonal relationships (including with ourselves) up to the geo-political level.

PS--just like the "thanks" feature....I can't seem to find "quotes", so forgive the marquee, even though I like it so I'm leaving it.
PPS--I think it is good to forgive mistakes. But I also believe forgiveness is not enough.