TiVo Community Forums Archives - So, I was reading the forum rules....

TiVoCommunity.com
(c)opyright 1995-2005 All rights reserved
indexcheckTC
This area is a static history of posts in the TiVo Community Forum Archive.
This archive history was made for the simple indexing of search sites like Google.

Pages:1

So, I was reading the forum rules....
(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Posted by: Combat Medic

And I saw this....

quote:

The use of the the Private Messaging Service is not ?Private? in the sense that it is a message seen only by the sender and receiver. While the message is private from the rest of the members, it is not encrypted and the administration of AVS Forum.com, Inc. can view them if needed from the database. All rules that apply to posting on the Forums ALSO apply to the use of our Private Messaging System and violators may have their posting privileges subject to the same revocations as on the Forum in general.

I was wondering what kind of need we are talking about here. A need to alleviate boredom? Who all is the 'administration'?

Just wondering

Posted by: dswallow

This really shouldn't be in Happy Hour, but in Forum Feedback. ;)

But since there are rules about sending spam PM's to people, I always took it to be just a simple disclosure that sometimes they may need to look at PM's to determine such things and this is covering that sort of possibility.

I never took it to mean anything sinister. What with the sheer number of PM's that have to be going on it'd be more than a full time job to be officially nosy. ;)

Personally I prefer email; not just for privacy, but because it's easier for me to archive and track.

Posted by: Satchel

You obviously don't work in IT...of course all messaging systems are open to the administrators who want to spend the time to read them...anyone who thinks their messages are totally private is kidding themselves...

the guy or girl who administers the system can read everything you type...

Posted by: Cletus

I would also like an answer on this issue. It has been alleged before that information from private messages was used against a forum member as a means of "getting even" by a member of the forum administration.

I would certainly appreciate a clear statement regarding that.

Posted by: Combat Medic

quote:
Originally posted by Satchel
You obviously don't work in IT...of course all messaging systems are open to the administrators who want to spend the time to read them...anyone who thinks their messages are totally private is kidding themselves...

the guy or girl who administers the system can read everything you type...

Actually, I administer four different eMail systems. Two of them you have to Concent to Monitoring each time you login. But, they all say what will be done with the eMails that are read. This just says that if there is the 'need' to read them, they will.

-Mike

Posted by: David Bott

Hi...

I know that some people will just believe what they care to, but hey, what can you do? People just love to start issues on things like this and jump to accuse at any chance they get. They look to find ways to do so. But at the same time, it is no different that I saying that "We think that Member X has hacked our server and looked at everything. But we are not 100% sure of this, but we thought we would mention it anyways."

In any case...Seeing that the database (MySQL in this case) is not encrypted except for the password themselves, it is all stored in readable text. That means, any form of software like this has accessible data.

You can access the data from the command prompt of the server, via software like PHP-MyAdmin, or by a number of different ways. Be it this site or any other of the same type of site, this holds true.

Example...You do not think of it, but even your e-mails are sent and come in to the servers as readable text. Any admin who cares to can read any of it, anytime, unless an encryption system is used. 9And then that is not even 100%)

Seeing that PM's fly into these type of forums all the time, one would want to care to take the time to look. In this case of sites like this, a case could be called when spamming takes place, abuse of the system, personal threats that are reported and needed to be looked into, etc. Even legal matters where we can be asked to look into issues. BTW...You may recall a blanket warning was given about terrorists using publicly accessible forums like this with such a PM feature to communicate with the general "be alert" kind of tone.

To sum it up...I really do not have the time, nor the care to go looking for issues. People send me copies of PM's they have received. People send me e-mail they have received. People send me items that have been posted on other sites. (Same goes for the mods, they get they same type of mail.) I really have no need to go look for reasons to suspend or ban a person, they seem to come to me I am sorry to say. It is the same reason I do not even visit one site all together, why would I care to read what is being said to attack me, the mods, or the site? You see, I do not really care to read that type of message, for they do not know me personally, so I can not take it personally as such. However, attack my name in a campaign to deface me or attack my interests and company, than that is a different story all together. One however I personally do not handle.

I have worked for the local government for 12 years as Director of Network Operations and Security. I had access to every piece of data on the network from the police to the courts. I never would have not looked up data on something unless it was needed and asked for in writing. System admins need to live by such standards and rules. If not, things could be a real mess if their was no trust in such people. Even the admin who helps with this servers back-end can read them if he so chooses.

On a side note...I am happy, but sad, to say that as of last Friday I am now 100% self-employed running just my companies. I resigned 4 weeks ago to work in the field I enjoy so...that being, home theater.

As mentioned, people will believe what they care to and twist things to fit their needs. You asked so, I gave you the info that seems some others in the thread already have. Like I said, it is easy to just take something and make something of it that is not really their.

For what it is worth...At this time on this forum are 97,039 messages.

Hope this helps.

Posted by: Cletus

Like I said, I have heard allegations that information exchanged in PM between two members of the forum has been used by a member of the forum administration to undermine the relationship between the two. I would like to hear a clear statement that you have no knowledge of such thing.

Posted by: David Bott

Oh, you must be referring to Philosofy and Bob.

Well I can tell you that Philosofy let something slip when I was on the phone with him one night and I asked Bob directly about it. I guess it was part of a conversation they had via PM that I heard was turned into "David must be reading PM's" on anotehr site. Nope, can't say I did what you are seeming to want to accuse me of. Sorry.

Philosofy never used Bob's name and just used TiVo, it is simple to put TiVo and Bob together in regards to this forum. It was a slip up..simple as that. And Philosofy is not even a banned member.

Hope this is what you are referring to. Other than that, I really am not sure what you are referring to. Please feel free to take it to PM if you care to.

Posted by: phone1

quote:
Originally posted by David Bott
On a side note...I am happy, but sad, to say that as of last Friday I am now 100% self-employed running just my companies. I resigned 4 weeks ago to work in the field I enjoy so...that being, home theater.

The infamous "quit your day job." :D

Congratulations - why be sad? :)