[answered] Are PMs really private?

Never assume anything on the internet is private.

Think about the number of places along the way that there are opportunities for someone to access anything sent/received.

You may also want to take into consideration that the Bush administration has authorized itself to capture any and all internet and telephone conversations it deems necessary in the interest of national security.

Then there is that computer you are sitting in front of. How vulnerable is that? Do you give others access to it, are you sure others don't use it without you knowing?

By the way, that also goes for the paper world. Never assume others value your privacy as much as you do. Identify thieves love trusting, negligent people.

Thank you, but I was more or less wondering about the admin. on this site. If it says "pm" is it not realistic to expect it to be? BTW, I doubt if the US government really cares what's in mine. That does not bother me at all.

In general... nothing you do over the internet is private... unless you are using encryption on a secure computer.

This means that email is not private, nor are private messages on any website. The administrators of the A2K can certainly read them once they get to A2K (assuming they care to), but since you send them to the site unencrypted, many people have access to the messages even before they get to A2K.

The only way to get any privacy on the internet is to use encryption. The easiest way to do this is to use a "secure" website-- i.e. most banks do this. You can tell by the "lock" icon in your browser (the location depends on your browser).

There are programs that you can use to encrypt your email-- for example OpenPGP, but these are a bit difficult to use. Actually any reasonably intelligent person can use this, but you need to spend some time learning about it (and the person you are sending the message to needs to have the same knowledge). There are some mistakes you can make to compromise your security if you aren't careful.

In the first paragraph I used the phrase "secure computer" and this is important. If you have spyware on your computer, even encryption won't help you since the spyware will give someone else the message before you encrypt it, or even the password (key) that is needed to decrypt it.

The main point I am trying to make is that you should assume that nothing is private on the Internet unless you know what you are doing and have taken the steps needed to make it private.

This may have been a question about the ethics of the site administrators. But, since this is a private site I don't even see a reason to expect privacy other than the lack of interest in what you are saying.

But this is irrelevant. The internet is a very public place, and you should expect no more privacy with a message you send unencrypted over the internet than you would from a postcard you tape on the window of a restaurant that you know the recipient frequents.

Arrgghh cross posts!

Yes, I can agree with most of what you say. If on this site the pm can be read by anyone, even the admin. team, then why does it say "private".
I tend to think it should be more like my mail in my mailbox outside my house. There should be a certain expectancy of privacy to it. Why not just re-name it "message"?

I believe it stands for Personal Message, not private. In any case, that's how it is.

You said since this is a PRIVATE site

I thought nothing was private?

Not if you click on it, it even says private message.

I believe that was a reference to the site having an owner.

I know I won't get any brownie points for this one I want to make sure things are clear. This site says ask an expert. Who are these experts?
I am not trying to put the site down, well maybe just a little. Also the admin. staff can read pm's which according to this site stands for "private message".

Is that the reason for the avatars? Privacy? I thought there wasn't any. How much confusion can one take? I might as well put my picture back.

I am sure on any given day, there are at least hundreds of private messages written back and forth by various members of a2k. I am also
assuming that the admin of this site has no interest in reading them.
Why would they?

If you're trying to relate something to another member you don't
want anyone else to know then send your email via private message
to this person and start corresponding privately via email.
This will ensure that your privacy needs are met.

No big deal.

I don't know maybe you should ask them?

That is in reference to "Why would they?"

I've never written a private message that couldn't be made public too,
therefore I see no need to it, TTH

Then why even have them?

I think they are more often used just to ask someone a question or send them a link or something without cluttering up a thread with an off topic conversation, not to, you know, tell secrets about people or anything...

That's strange. Just about every single one I've ever sent has been a secret about other people on this site.