how to check a Private-Conversation as Admin ?

[erich37]

how to check the "Private Conversations" of a specific member ?

I mean: as Admin, I would like to have a quick check on Private Conversations going on, but I do not want that the members see that I am checking.

 

[Peggy]

Database is the only way to check them, that I know of.

 

[erich37]

Hi Peggy,

you mean I need to go into the MySQL database ?

Is there a way to check this via ACP ?

 

[Paul B]

Checking directly in the database is the only way.

 

[erich37]

thanks.
how do I go about that ?

I was thinking this feature is called "Private Conversations" instead of "Private Mail" because the Admin is able to check on the conversations ?
At least this was the initial discussion several months ago as far as I understood ?

 

[Paul B]

Private Conversations are the equivalent of Private Messages and the clue is in the title - they're private.

If you have access to phpMyAdmin you can check the xf_conversation_master and xf_conversation_message tables.

 

[Digital Doctor]

I think site members should be notified that you can read their member to member conversations.

 

[Paul B]

I think site members should be notified that you can read their member to member conversations.

Any site owner of any forum software with access to the SQL database can read the contents of private messages.

This is not something unique to XenForo.

 

[Digital Doctor]

reading the SQL tables is one thing.
This is beyond the reach of many admins.
In other forum software, There are mods that make reading other private messages as easy as reading your own.
If a mod like that was released, I think it should be declared that admins and mods can read your PMs.

 

[Paul B]

If a mod like that was released, I think it should be declared that admins and mods can read your PMs.

That would be up to the site owner/administrator.

 

[Digital Doctor]

Would you ban a member that announced in the forums that PMs can be read by admins / mods ?

 

[Peggy]

No I wouldn't. But that begs the question....... how would they know?

 

[Paul B]

Would you ban a member that announced in the forums that PMs can be read by admins / mods ?

Like you just have?

 

[Peggy]

The OP was asking a question. I really don't think that his thread should be turned into the pro's/ cons/ethics of admins being able to read private messages.

Just sayin'...

 

[Paul B]

I agree, I was just making a point in response to DD's post.

As I stated above, it would be up the site owner/administrator to inform their members, if they decided to.

 

[ragtek]

Because erich is AFAIK from germany, he's not allowed to read them! (Postgeheimnis )
=> http://www.law-podcasting.de/darf-ein-foren-admin-die-privaten-nachrichten-der-user-lesen

 

[erich37]

no, I am not from Germany.

Anyway, for safety and security-reasons I would like to (or will have to) check certain messages.

 

[Digital Doctor]

how to check the "Private Conversations" of a specific member ?

I notice they are called Conversations.
That's a more appropriate title that vBulletin's Private Messages ... as they aren't really private.

 

[anotheralias]

Nothing that can be copy/pasted is private.

 

[fionix]

Private Conversations are the equivalent of Private Messages and the clue is in the title - they're private.

If you have access to phpMyAdmin you can check the xf_conversation_master and xf_conversation_message tables.

Sorry to reopen this thread but I can't find anything up to dat 2016 /2017 but when I look in the MySql I can only see a fraction of the message in this table xf_conversation_message tables - how or where can I see the rest?