Moderate / Reading Everybody's Mail

[aegersz]

Hi,

re: Personal Mail System

Due to the nature of my site where there is opportunity for illegal trading, i need to read everybody's email. they will be warned, also in the registration.

i can do it with lowercase member names but how can i do it with all ?

in effect, moderating mail.

[Illori]

read this http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=537082.0

also are you actually using SMF 2.1?

[Kindred]

in short no...   we will never make a mod or code available to do this and will never even instruct an admin on HOW to do this.

[aegersz]

I thought vBulletin could read visitor mail.

my site is a drug site and covert trading must be identified and shut down.

[Kindred]

I understand your reasoning. However, please understand ours. We can not and do not condone an admin reading the personal messages of a user.

The most I will say is that the personal messages are stored in the database.
We will not give instruction on how to get them, nor will we allow you (or anyone else) to advertise on our site that you are looking for a programmer to code it for you. However, you could hire a web programmer who knows mySQL and php to do it for you (on some other site).

[aegersz]

I am an old engineer and will turn my attention to sql.

another simple way is to copy the db to a dev. system, change the user passwords and then login.

I guess there are a few options.

worst case scenario.

thanks anyway.

[aegersz]

i wrote a couple of php progs: mail and ultimate profile comments table listing logic to monitor ALL mail and comments.

[Kindred]

well, I have to say -- I would never, ever visit a site which reads the PMs of users...

[☠ DeadMan ☠]

Well, Kindred.... Sometimes, you may, and not know it. With how some people are, you never know what they are doing.

However, I for one, if ever found a site that does, would be more inclined to report them for privacy violations, and have their site marked as untrustworthy.

[aegersz]

until drugs become decriminalised, i have to live with threat and it may be a case of damned if you do and damned if you don't.

[☠ DeadMan ☠]

Now, wait a minute.
Before I get more into this, what type of "drugs" are you talking about?
At first, I had thought legal, but now I'm not certain.
Either way, what you just said, raises a few red flags, in my opinion, on your site, and your posts here.
I'm really not too sure your posts and topics dealing with a "drug site" are really suitable for this forum.
Legalities and ethics aside, I really do not think any site about drugs, unless is a licensed pharmacy, etc. should even be discussed here.

[sangham.net]

Even police would get troubles, if not ordered by a real good reason and by the    public prosecutor, depending on national laws. Even a whole election, could fall on such a matter (may it of reason or not). Hot, very hot. Better disable mail and PM.

[aegersz]

i simply have tools to police any possible solicitation and have stated as such.

i have enabled PM / email for regular members.

[qICEp]

I dont think you will get any help anywhere. Its "our" privacy, hence the name for Private Messages.
Anyway, only thing i can tell you is that every Private Message is saved inside database, or maybe just disable PM's?

[sinnerman]

You could simply make a mod to automatically add CC: you in all private messages and not letting the user delete that.

That way you're also covered as it's pretty obvious in every single message that it is also going to your inbox.

[Shambles]

What a terrible idea.

[☠ DeadMan ☠]

Also, quite unethical at that.

[sangham.net]

Also, quite unethical at that.

What a terrible idea.

Yep! Would be great bonus if SMF could find a way to fix any such possibilities as far as possible. That would make a visit on SMF forums an argument for the users to avoid other forums. And yes, it will cost some costumers... but they live from the users and so...

[LiroyvH]

Yep! Would be great bonus if SMF could find a way to fix any such possibilities as far as possible.

Considering everyone can modify the source code *and* have access to the db as site owner, it's pretty much impossible; unless you were to implement end-to-end encryption on the personal messages. Which:
1.) Isn't exactly user friendly
2.) Can still be modified out of the code or code can be added to allow a server-side MITM.

It's technically pretty much impossible for us to guarantee such a thing.

[sangham.net]

Known, Mr. CoreISP, when following similar discussion. Maybe you find a way anyway. At least nothing is secure that's nature but maybe its good to make it as secure that one would need to know a little bit more. Or put a general costumer info in regard of the PM issue into the PMs-phps and on info pages for user. That's how SMF them self could secure them a little bit more and help users make a consciously choice when using PM (having the thought in mind: "When I send a PM, I am be aware that nothing is secret").

[aegersz]

even a phpMyAdmin database export is searchable and human readable.

there is no real security to a competent admin.

would be nice to see an audit log of internal message text; it's evolution and travel, etc.

[Kindred]

Johan,

Would you PLEASE stop commenting about things which you obviosuly have no clue about and have apparently no interest in learning about?

When one of the experts tells you that something is not reasonable or not possible, your incessant return of "well, maybe someone will be able to do what I suggest" is not only annoying - it is misleading to people who are actually TRYING to learn how to deal with software in a realistic manner instead of some whacked fantasy.

[Steve]

And that would be why he's the only person to have EVER gone on any ignore list of mine on any forum I've been a member of. (Don't bother responding Johan, I won't see it anyway.)

As far as this topic is concerned, since there's no room for debate (and rightfully so), maybe it should be locked?

[live627]

the only person to have EVER gone on any ignore list of mine on

Slacker

[sangham.net]

Johan,

Would you PLEASE stop commenting about things which you obviosuly have no clue about and have apparently no interest in learning about?

When one of the experts tells you that something is not reasonable or not possible, your incessant return of "well, maybe someone will be able to do what I suggest" is not only annoying - it is misleading to people who are actually TRYING to learn how to deal with software in a realistic manner instead of some whacked fantasy.

Sure, I am not a programmer, but with a little bit input how to formulate such, Atma is sure that a programmer would be able to do such, wouldn't he?

...Or put a general costumer info in regard of the PM issue into the PMs-phps and on info pages for user. That's how SMF them self could secure them a little bit more and help users make a consciously choice when using PM (having the thought in mind: "When I send a PM, I am be aware that nothing is secret").

There are a lot of people not aware of this and what else makes a programmer and his support for the user more trustworthy as being honest in inform.

Maybe it's after a little while more concern-able and does not invoke all preoccupations at the first place, Mr Kindred. Try to put "I" and "You" aside. That is the cause of troubles in thinking and the most progress hindrance everywhere.

[Kindred]

actually, your biggest problems is your constant putting aside of I...

Stop it.
We have spoken to you about this before.
Use the first person.
You are not royalty...  and even royalty doesn't use the third person all the time.
Just stop it.

Your second biggest problem is your inability to receive a NO answer and get it through your bloody, thick skull.

[Irisado]

This topic was solved last year and has been raised from the dead for no constructive reason.  For this reason it is now locked.