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A Couple of Notes on Privacy and Confidentiality

getalife Jun 15 2005 07:05 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 15 2005 10:42 PM

Just a couple of observations that I've made while learning the inner workings of this place ... I want everyone to remember that this board is nothing but one large computer file stored on a server somewhere in Calfornia. It's sent back and forth via download a couple of times a day for backup purposes. Contents of saved PM's and the email addresses you used to register are visable to me and therefore could be visable to others if this file is hijacked. Passwords are heavily encrypted and are gibberish to me but may not be to someone more tuned in that stuff. A few suggestions: 1) Don't use a password on this board that you use for other things. 2) If you have concerns about your place of employment or your name floating around in cyberspace, don't use your work email in your profile or your real name in your email address. 3) If you use the PM's, please don't leave anything in your inbox that you wouldn't want a third party to be able to read. Thanks, KC

getalife Jun 15 2005 09:23 AM

Also, please note ... users who have checked yes in their profile setting for the "Hide your online status" are visable in the who's online bar to the admins that are signed on (the users in orange).

Elster88 Jun 15 2005 10:12 AM

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to change around a couple of things.

Edgy DC Jun 15 2005 10:19 AM

I meant to write something along this line today. I hereby swear to not avail myself of the opportunity, unless under very dire circumstance, to read your private messages. If such a cirumstance (and, really, what could it be?) should move me to so invade your privacy, I will endeavor to contact you first. Just so you know, your other admins are getalife/KC, Yancy, Giant Squidlike Creature, and LF/Frayed Knot, though I don't think I've enabled LF to look under the hood yet anyway. KC has really taken the lead setting this place up and enlisted Yancy as a SQL writer. Squid's role as librarian is largely on hold until we have archives again. My role is still developing. LF/FK is primarily about administering the rankings. I only bring this up because another Mets community was blown to bits over a scandal of an administrator reading private messages, and there may be some refugees from that little rhubarb.

cooby Jun 15 2005 10:22 AM

Well, really, think about it. I think we all know we can trust KC. My problem with that other incident at that other place was, the admin claimed he was checking for spam. Yet he was reading PM's sent from well known posters to each other. He thought that was SPAM? Sure....

Yancy Street Gang Jun 15 2005 10:29 AM

Since we're doing full disclosure: The only admin stuff I do is run SQL when needed by the other admins. That and move Schaefer threads from the active forum to the 2005 POTG forum.

getalife Jun 15 2005 11:22 AM

I'm just discovering and disclosing. I'm not a very nosey person, but if I need to go in there to look for something all the messages are right there on one screen to weed through. I would like to reiterate that this place isn't all that secure.

metirish Jun 15 2005 11:24 AM

Damn I sent Cooby a bunch of messages regarding people here..like who's so and so and what's his beef...can you see them?

cooby Jun 15 2005 11:27 AM

lol, don't worry, metirish, I delete all my stuff almost right away...

getalife Jun 15 2005 11:33 AM

Of course, if I logged into them now I'm sure there are a few "KC sucks ^&*% and wears womens underwear" to test me.

cooby Jun 15 2005 11:34 AM

So that's who has my frilly underpants. GIVE THEM BACK!

ScarletKnight41 Jun 15 2005 11:34 AM

Not to mention all of those sexy messages that cooby and I routinely send to each other.....

cooby Jun 15 2005 11:35 AM

Hush, hush sweet Scarlett.