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[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Getting on for 2000 posts...............here at OOf .......and I have enjoyed it.

Most of the guys and girls are great...........and overall TB and his admin team have done a great job................they seem to believe in "light touch regulation".....are generally not judgemental......and believe in just letting us get on with it.

O.K............... we all know that there were a few problems with a couple of members last night ................but OOF is still a good place to be.

But I do feel that the admin team has lost it's way a little today. :-/

The admin team has said............and I quote.

"just so everybody is aware .....................I will be putting a monitor on certain people's PM boxes......................This gives me the ability to view   PRIVATE MESSAGES."

SorryTB .......but this is not acceptable to me ........and I hope not to other independent OOF thinkers either.

These messages are by their very nature ............well ......PRIVATE.
We all speak at length on this forum ................about "freedom of speech"....and the threat of big brother...............and the erosion of our civil liberties.

This invasion of our private communications ...................is something that I would expect to find in the Romania of Nichalai Cercescu............or the U.S.S.R. of Stalin. :-/ :-/ :-/

So come on TB...................in my opinion ..............you are one of the good guys ..............it's really best not to go down this route.

I think that this would be a good opportunity.........................for the admin team to tell us all ..............................that they have no interest in our private affairs .....................just as we have no interest in theirs.

[STMO123]

A fair point. A lot was said in haste last night, some of it by people who should know better.

[Lizzie_Zoom]

I must agree with you Optimist, although I do really understand why the Admins did resort to this given the situation that arose, and I praise them for their action.  It was sorely needed.

But, having said that private does mean private, and the Forum should have nothing to fear from what members put in their PM's.

As I stated yesterday we expect to enjoy the freedom of free speech and opinion on this site and in the UK as a whole.  It is when certain individuals abuse and insult that "gift" in public on the open Forum that the problems arise.   What is said privately should not worry anyone.

[Darth Loo-knee]

I hear what you are all saying.....
But.
The Admins have done something to stop all this Madness that is happening of late.

I for one love a laugh and a joke and have spent hours on here since joining over 2 years ago, meeting some lovely people and hopefully some more. I have made friends with people as yet I have not met.
It really comes down to us as Members, if we can't behave like grown ups it will ruin this Once Brilliant Forum, then we will all be at a loss.

Hotel21 is one of the nicest Blokes I have ever come across (I am not arse licking in anyway) and that would be a great loss to lose him too.

I am sure none of us want this Forum to close or finish so lets pull together and let it carry on like it has been doing for the last two and a half years

Cheers
Daz

[Chris_H]

In the world of IT nothing is private.  I would suggest that users get used to that idea irrespective of the PM issue.  No IT system can run without Systems Administrators who need access to all areas.  Perhaps un-beknown to most users here, the concept of 'private' is heavily loaded with caveats.

There are some systems where 'private' means what you would expect such as your PIN number at your bank although the writer of the program that stores it would be able to de-crypt it.

My take on the 'private' of PMs is that they are not posted on the forums - i.e. not 'public'.

Personally I have had access to databases of personal information when writing back-office applications and have developed a mindset of 'not looking'.  It takes some doing and it is voluntary but if I didn't have the choice then I could not debug real-life computer systems.

I have no qualms about the Admins seeing any PMs and don't see any security or social risks as I bear that in mind when writing.

HTH

P.S. I notice they are Personal Messages, not Private Messages

[Elite Pete]

Did something happen last night, i'd forgotten all about it.

[STMO123]

Did something happen last night, i'd forgotten all about it.

That's because I got you drunk first

[platty]

I do feel that drastic measures would only be taken if necessary - and it appears that in this case it was. I read it that only "certain" peoples PM's were being monitored so most should have nothing to be concerned about, surely?

I am a firm believer that when someone provides a service/resource, as the Admins do this forum, they hold the right to run it as they see fit and I do not believe that we are in a position to dispute that, whether the decisions appear to be well though out or not.

I have never run a forum but can imagine that it takes some doing, and for that alone I think the Admins deserve a large medal  

Am I barking up the wrong tree?  :-/

[Elite Pete]

Did something happen last night, i'd forgotten all about it.

That's because I got you drunk first

Whatever I was drinking last night gave me a sore bum this morning

[STMO123]

Did something happen last night, i'd forgotten all about it.

That's because I got you drunk first

Whatever I was drinking last night gave me a sore bum this morning

Did you find the fiver I slipped in your back pocket?

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Did something happen last night, i'd forgotten all about it.

That's because I got you drunk first

Whatever I was drinking last night gave me a sore bum this morning

I hope that was from just drinking!!

[Elite Pete]

Did something happen last night, i'd forgotten all about it.

That's because I got you drunk first

Whatever I was drinking last night gave me a sore bum this morning

Did you find the five incher I slipped in your back door?

I wouldn't have even felt that

[Richie London]

Did something happen last night, i'd forgotten all about it.

That's because I got you drunk first

Whatever I was drinking last night gave me a sore bum this morning

I hope that was from just drinking!!

no. looknee stayed over  

[Xplicit 2.0]

i agree to everything that has been said here by everyone. Yes i do find it wrong to monitor and view things which are PRIVATE but at the same time, can understand why it has been used as a way to restore order. I have been apart of other forums and communities before and still am, and some of which i am fairly high up on so i can understand why it is the admins have take such measures.
(slap me if none of this makes sense :-/ )

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Did something happen last night, i'd forgotten all about it.

That's because I got you drunk first

Whatever I was drinking last night gave me a sore bum this morning

I hope that was from just drinking!!

no. looknee stayed over  

lol