CyberGuy
01-01-2004, 07:12 AM
There are unscrupulous web forum operators out there that can, and do skim private messages to mine personal information such as email and home addresses, credit information, and information about business competitors. The scary part is that it is not illegal for these forum operators to do this. There is nothing in the sign-up agreement in any form I have participated in that states that these private messages are inviolate. They are not, and they can be read by persons other than the intended recipient. It is dishonorable, despicable and immoral, but not illegal.
While in most forums these private messages are treated as highly confidential information and honorable forum operators will treat it as such, there are a few bad ones out there that will use this information to their own ends. I have evidence at least of one Toronto-based computer parts retailer that does just this kind of data mining in its forums (please don’t ask me for names). They got caught skimming information by one of that forum’s (now former) members. I personally find this a serious abuse of trust, and will not deal with that retailer or participate in their forums.
The bottom line is this: Although the term ‘Personal Messages’ implies a certain amount of confidentiality, do not trust them with information that could be dangerous to you or your recipient such as credit card information.
Rod, Mods,
If you find this post questionable, please let me know. I mean this only as an alert to your members on the usage of private messaages in web forms in general. In no way imply that these practices are done in these forums. In fact I am sure that 3DGameMan forums are one of the few that I can implicitly trust (but you're still not getting my Credit Card number :D)
While in most forums these private messages are treated as highly confidential information and honorable forum operators will treat it as such, there are a few bad ones out there that will use this information to their own ends. I have evidence at least of one Toronto-based computer parts retailer that does just this kind of data mining in its forums (please don’t ask me for names). They got caught skimming information by one of that forum’s (now former) members. I personally find this a serious abuse of trust, and will not deal with that retailer or participate in their forums.
The bottom line is this: Although the term ‘Personal Messages’ implies a certain amount of confidentiality, do not trust them with information that could be dangerous to you or your recipient such as credit card information.
Rod, Mods,
If you find this post questionable, please let me know. I mean this only as an alert to your members on the usage of private messaages in web forms in general. In no way imply that these practices are done in these forums. In fact I am sure that 3DGameMan forums are one of the few that I can implicitly trust (but you're still not getting my Credit Card number :D)