Privacy

[callmeal]

Hi again....

My 2nd topic.

Just wondering ..... as a user (member)  on a site that uses SMF 1.1.4


Well, I'm a bit concerned for one thing that apparently .... from what I've read here ... that the administrator COULD ... if they wanted .... view our personal messages via the personal_messages_table  (as another post on this site  indicates). I guess it comes down to the needs and integrity of the individual administrator.

My question though ....

I know that when you post, your I.P. address is logged. Useful, if they WANTED to ban you. I wonder though, if you just look at that site in guest mode (haven't logged in) , do they also know you've taken a peek/ where you've peeked etc; ?

I suspect the answer is 'Yes'

Edit: I should qualify the above. Of course, I'm aware on the forum of which I'm a member .... that 'guests' can be viewed reading various topics ...


What I meant was as a 'guest' ... do they know it's me ... (still loggin my I.P. ?).

[karlbenson]

Personal messages aren't encrypted in the database.
In fact encryption wouldn't work, because the key would need to be somewhere on the server. And the admin would have access to the key.
There is no way to view PM's via smf directly though.

Even via PHPMYADMIN It isn't that easy aswell. Because the messages are split over 2 tables, so it doesn't make easy reading.
Although to be honest, I don't know of any proper admin who could be bothered viewing PM.s
If they are sneakily viewing pm's there is no way to know.  It is a trust issue.
But the same can be said for your email and whether gmail or yahoo are reading them. You have to trust them.
If in doubt, don't use their pm inbox.

With regards to banning.
It depends on the type of ban.  Some bans just prevent from posting. But they can prevent you from viewing.
In that case it IS logged that banned user tried to view or post etc.

I don't think that bit is a privacy concern though. Its reasonable administrative practice that would be allowed by any privacy laws.

[callmeal]

^
Thanks for your response, Karl.

I will admit to having been banned one time ... in a very unfortunate misunderstanding (posted under a pseudonym ... they suspected I was a 'spammer' .... I would have gotten away with it under my known name).

I subsequently found I was no longer able to even view the site in guest mode ....

Now .... I am currently not banned (although shall we say ... things are a little 'sensitive')  ... so you're saying  (since that IS the case ... not banned ) ..... that I CAN view that site as a guest ... and need have absolutely  NO concern that they somehow know I have peeked ?

[karlbenson]

SMF can log it when banned users try to return.  Thats the purpose, to let admins know.
If they have no added the trigger to prevent your viewing, then I doubt that it is logged (other than in the who's online page, as a guest)

[callmeal]

^
Thanks again.    Well, I do believe I can 'peek' in peace ! 

[callmeal]

Actually, though .... a nagging doubt in  my head ....


One time I was chatting via PM's to a moderator at this site ....

We discussed a current member (not banned) ... who hasn't posted in approx one year. The mod told me the person in question had visited the site ... but not posted ...

I wondered (to myself) ... how the hell do you know that ?

[karlbenson]

It will log it with a users profile.
Last time active (eg logged in).
And when their last post was.

[callmeal]

It will log it with a users profile.
Last time active (eg logged in).
And when their last post was.

I have been able to see the user in question's profile .... and that they were logged in a year back. But my question is ... how was the mod able to tell me said user had viewed since (guest mode) the time of their last post ?

[karlbenson]

Because they must have a 'ban' trigger in effect to prevent them posting or viewing.

And when they returned (even as a guest). Since the ban trigger is brought into effect, it logged it.
And via the profile of the user, via the track user page. It showed they attempt to view x

[callmeal]

Uhm ... Karl ... a couple of posts back ... I thought I'd mentioned the member I discussed with the mod is not / was not banned. That's my problem .....

[karlbenson]

SMF by default doesn't have functionality to log everything every member does on the forum.
It would be overwhelming the amount of data.

They might be using a visual warning mod or some custom mod to track users activity. (even something like Google Analytics).

Also technically speaking every server (not related to smf) will probably have access logs that logs the ip and every file served including pages/images and a link. I know Apache has these.

Overall I don't think there is much to worry about though.
If you that concerned, don't visit the website at all.

Most of these measures aren't to affect normal users, but mideviants.

[callmeal]

If you that concerned, don't visit the website at all.

Most of these measures aren't to affect normal users, but mideviants.

Good advice. I'm a mideviant !   


















                             
Caught me in the act ? ^