What is up with FPN?

[jar]

I didn't imply "secret", but since you are semanticizing, please be so good as to give your definition of "private" in this instance.

Simple colloquial convention; as a way to differentiate between a public message (a post in a thread) and one directed to one or more members of a smaller subset of the total membership.

It certainly does not mean the message is not subject to being read by others or as in this case, parsed by a filter.

The thing to remember is that there is no complete privacy in today's communications network whether phone, internet, email or SMS.

Actually, to me, "private" does mean that the message will not be read by anyone other than the addressee. An automatic "bad words" filter is fine. And I don't worry about the administrator being able to read private messages under extraordinary circumstances. However, I would find it extremely distasteful, overreaching and potentially dangerous, if anyone who was named a moderator could do so on an ongoing basis.

There is a distinction between computerized scanning by internet companies like Google, which like the "bad words" filter is automated and impersonal, and the possibility that actual human beings would be able to snoop on you by reading your private messages.

And the "no privacy in communication" thing is a red herring. We are not talking about governmental action here. It's a fountain pen forum, for goodness sakes. What they can do, technically, should be constrained by decency and necessity. And I hope it is. No matter what, they should clearly disclose just who can read members' private messages. To me, that's unclear right now.

I would be amazed if anyone bothered to read PMs for any reason other than they were addressed to that person.

[whych]

There is a distinction between computerized scanning by internet companies like Google, which like the "bad words" filter is automated and impersonal, and the possibility that actual human beings would be able to snoop on you by reading your private messages.

I should imagine that the filtering on the messages submitted to FPN, whether personal or as forum replies, is also done automatically by the board software. I doubt whether anyone has time to read all the messages posted and censor them immediately.

[KrazyIvan]

I like the way twitter handles the naming convention. Direct Message, DM for short.

[Farmboy]

This post has been read by FPN.

[Titivillus]

This post has been read by FPN.

I often wonder why fpn would even bother reading posts outside of their own site. It doesn't seem to benefit them unless they are trying to crack down on any possible disparaging comments about them, which to me seems like a rather large ovestepping of thier pervue. Then again I was admonished because of some tweets. Making it appear more of a police state. It seems that they can do anything they want wirhin thier own sandbox but when they search out comments outside their site and use them against people it borders on the sort of thing thay dictators do. including the disappearance of people who do not agree with the badly applied rules and forbidding discussion of any of the actions of the people in control.

[kaisnowbird]

I've known some people who admitted to googling their own names every few days, hoping to become more famous/notorious.

[KrazyIvan]

I've known some people who admitted to googling their own names every few days, hoping to become more famous/notorious.

How old fashioned. They have services that do it for you automagically nowadays.

[Annie]

This post has been read by FPN.

I often wonder why fpn would even bother reading posts outside of their own site. It doesn't seem to benefit them unless they are trying to crack down on any possible disparaging comments about them, which to me seems like a rather large ovestepping of thier pervue. Then again I was admonished because of some tweets. Making it appear more of a police state. It seems that they can do anything they want wirhin thier own sandbox but when they search out comments outside their site and use them against people it borders on the sort of thing thay dictators do. including the disappearance of people who do not agree with the badly applied rules and forbidding discussion of any of the actions of the people in control.

It's a big wide internet - FPN can and do read as they wish, just as you can.
I don't know anything about tweets since I don't do twitter but I would imagine, you can say anthing you like provided you don't libel anyone. As for being a police state or dictatorship, I have no idea except that if you were to really live in either of those, you would have far more to worry about that a pen website.

Having what you say either in a pen forum or in a private message on a pen forum, monitored, read, or anything else is (excuse the pun) taken as read. It's owned and run by a private individual and that individual can do as he pleases. I suppose you can either accept that you will be subject to a golden handcuffs deal which is subject to change without your approval, or you can not go there.

[Ray-VIgo]

Our 20th century sensibilities regarding privacy are colliding with 21st century technology, which makes it so we essentially have no privacy. I am an admin at another board, and yes what you write can be read by anyone with access to the core functions of the forum, namely the "root". These are your core admins, the very top of the top usually, but the board owners can distribute things as they see fit. Assume anything you write in there can be read by anyone with root access, possibly more. Then again, you should now assume that someone in government somewhere can read your emails too. Written words betray, sooner or later. On the internet the only things potentially unreadable by prying eyes are things never written.

The more concerning thread is the one touting only one admin being available. That is to say, there are no others now. An admin that does not communicate or function is not an admin at all, so there is functionally only one now. It's a big board with a lot of work, as anyone would admit, but there is only one admin. It's not about efficiency or good governance. It's about control.

[Farmboy]

I openly use forum posts to relay data back and forth. Usually no one notices.

@toplevel: See you in the funny pages.

[writingrav]

Stick to snail mail.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

[piscov]

And face to face talk!

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[Sailor Kenshin]

Our 20th century sensibilities regarding privacy are colliding with 21st century technology, which makes it so we essentially have no privacy. I am an admin at another board, and yes what you write can be read by anyone with access to the core functions of the forum, namely the "root". These are your core admins, the very top of the top usually, but the board owners can distribute things as they see fit. Assume anything you write in there can be read by anyone with root access, possibly more. Then again, you should now assume that someone in government somewhere can read your emails too. Written words betray, sooner or later. On the internet the only things potentially unreadable by prying eyes are things never written.

The more concerning thread is the one touting only one admin being available. That is to say, there are no others now. An admin that does not communicate or function is not an admin at all, so there is functionally only one now. It's a big board with a lot of work, as anyone would admit, but there is only one admin. It's not about efficiency or good governance. It's about control.

That thread was puzzling to me, too.

[Frank]

Do what I have been doing the past year or so, do more posting elsewhere!

Ignore the problem, and it will go away.......

[I like mango pudding]

This post has been read by FPN.

I often wonder why fpn would even bother reading posts outside of their own site. It doesn't seem to benefit them unless they are trying to crack down on any possible disparaging comments about them, which to me seems like a rather large ovestepping of thier pervue. Then again I was admonished because of some tweets. Making it appear more of a police state. It seems that they can do anything they want wirhin thier own sandbox but when they search out comments outside their site and use them against people it borders on the sort of thing thay dictators do. including the disappearance of people who do not agree with the badly applied rules and forbidding discussion of any of the actions of the people in control.

This happens all the time. I am on several wrist watch forums and there is a lot of cross pollination of watchers on each forum. Saying disparaging comments about another forum can and does get you banned on that forum being dissed. I've seen it happen many times.

It also serves a useful purpose, that cross pollination. It helps police the communities of fraudsters, scammers and the like. Mods and admins actually to communicate to each other and help the community in that regard.

[Penne Stilografiche]

it's down again.

[piscov]

Only one Admin....

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[Freddie]

We should request and activate the use of the Cone of Silence...

Twentieth century technology for the twenty first century...

Well {pause}...that just about covers everything...

Ok..go ahead...

Would you believe it?

Fred

[whych]

Only one Admin....

And he's out tonight.

[piscov]

Some nice movies are premiering today. Give the Admin some slack guys... life is not just pens, boards.... some fun is needed

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