Email Addresses in Version 5

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

You could always make a theme available for admins only and the other themes hide emails completely



Given that on PB's own abuse site, ( www.proboards.com/report-abuse) under privacy, they state ~ We do not allow the posting of information that violates your privacy. This includes private numbers, email addresses, physical addresses, credit card numbers, and social security numbers.

We shouldn't have to go through any extra steps. PB's says they respect their members privacy, so "hide" should be the member's choice ~ not an admins or anyone else's. ProBoards has given this assurance to its members. That assurance needs to be honored ~ legally and morally.

[moonbeam]

I believe that would pertain to an admin or other staff member posting that information on the open forum, so your argument is somewhat invalid.

I am also going to add that when I sign up somewhere, I ASSUME that there are people who see all my information. And to that, I say.. SO WHAT. It doesn't bother me. I don't worry that people are using it for nefarious purposes. My members have always known staff can see their emails. No one has ever boo-hoo'd over it. They also know that the general rule on my board is they will not be emailed unless:

1. They give permission
2. They've created a duplicate account and we are contacting them to let them know why that duplicate account has been denied.

My email is always available for them, as well, and if someone chooses to contact me that way, of course I will respond.

[Thomasss]

Indeed it does, if you choose to post your own info, thats your choice. No one is stopping you.. (Your forum's rules might however. xD)

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

Not true, Moonbeam. 

ProBoards should have the information. Absolutely. It is their service. No one is quibbling about that. I don't make a purchase from a store and not give my personal information to them. However, I don't expect that information to go any further than the store itself. Certainly not to its "customers". Which in reality is what we are. Most reputable sites advise that they will NOT sell your email address ~ in order to induce you to feel comfortable in dealing with them. 

It should not be posted for everyone on a forum to see ~ unless the owner of the email gives that permission. 

My members don't expect everyone on our board to see their information ~ and by default, that's how it should be.

Hidden from view ~ unless the owner of the email account permits otherwise.

Many don't even know it's in plain view. It shouldn't be up to us to advise them it is.

It should be up to ProBoards to provide the privacy they themselves want others to provide.

"Hide" should be default. 

My staff is very good, but I don't know them personally and I would rather not take the responsibility. 

[moonbeam]

We'll have to agree to disagree, because it's not truly "in plain view". To me, that implies it's available for *anyone* to see - not just staff - and that's not the case. Then there's the point that if you don't trust your staff enough to let them have visibility, then maybe you need different staff.

[ramack]

Apr 21, 2013 14:37:04 GMT -8 Thomasss said:

Emails are another way to cyber bully, even though my rules are pretty strict, i'm not going to have that happen. The ONLY thing i'll use them for, is verification of accounts, in case someone was banned on my forum, or they wanna create a new account, and transfer post counts.

My site is cyber safe. Lol

I agree.  I'm only wanting to know and utilize email addresses for this reason too, nothing more.  I don't have a problem with members hiding email addresses from other members or even most of the staff, but not from the admin.  My forum isn't posted or advertised, I basically know who I want in the forum and having the email addresses is my way of circling the wagons around the camp no one else except for a couple of stragglers that may wander back after being scattered.  Similar to "Stop, who goes there."  If you're not willing to show me your email address, you are hiding something from me.

My situation is somewhat unique because I want it kept as a private forum and it does not have an open door.  The way I ID my members is via email addresses from our previous private forum which was dissolved.  But this has become a no-issue for me because I have since been able to modify the >Member>List template to list the member email addresses in such a way that only the admin can see them without the members seeing the address.  Once I can compare the email list that I had generated from my forum with the email addresses that I have from the prior private forum, I can run a cross check between the two lists to find out who's in my forum that should be.  If I'm missing any members that are not on the prior forum I now have a means of contacting that member and provide them with a URL to my new forum.

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

Moonbeam, I never said I don't trust my staff. I said they were good. I trust them, but I prefer to take responsibility for myself only. Even BFF's, family and friends can do something you never expected. I know no one personally on my site. 

I would prefer "hide" with my members making the decision. Or "admin" only. No need to include staff ~ which in larger forums can be extensive. 

In that way, everyone can be satisfied. And we can all do as we see fit on our forums. 

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

ramack, I can understand your need since you are a private board.

No two boards are ran the same, so when a feature is offered, there should be every option available for it. In that way, everyone is better served. 

[Thomasss]

Apr 21, 2013 18:50:52 GMT -8 ramack said:

Apr 21, 2013 14:37:04 GMT -8 Thomasss said:

Emails are another way to cyber bully, even though my rules are pretty strict, i'm not going to have that happen. The ONLY thing i'll use them for, is verification of accounts, in case someone was banned on my forum, or they wanna create a new account, and transfer post counts.

My site is cyber safe. Lol

I agree.  I'm only wanting to know and utilize email addresses for this reason too, nothing more.  I don't have a problem with members hiding email addresses from other members or even most of the staff, but not from the admin.  My forum isn't posted or advertised, I basically know who I want in the forum and having the email addresses is my way of circling the wagons around the camp no one else except for a couple of stragglers that may wander back after being scattered.  Similar to "Stop, who goes there."  If you're not willing to show me your email address, you are hiding something from me.

My situation is somewhat unique because I want it kept as a private forum and it does not have an open door.  The way I ID my members is via email addresses from our previous private forum which was dissolved.  But this has become a no-issue for me because I have since been able to modify the >Member>List template to list the member email addresses in such a way that only the admin can see them without the members seeing the address.  Once I can compare the email list that I had generated from my forum with the email addresses that I have from the prior private forum, I can run a cross check between the two lists to find out who's in my forum that should be.  If I'm missing any members that are not on the prior forum I now have a means of contacting that member and provide them with a URL to my new forum.

You can email users, by going to the AP, then select Members >> Email members >> you can email groups, or certain users, regarding contacting them.

And, like i said. You can change a email, just as easily as you can change your IP, or led in a pencil. 

[ramack]

Someone made a very good analogy. PB does have our email address, and I'm sure that most things that we sign up for online have our email addresses as well. Many sites do state that they will not use our email addresses for other purposes and respect our privacy in that respect. But I would bet that if we open up a "chat" session or some other type of support means, that person on the other end does have our email address in full view.

For me it couple down to simply wanting to know who my members are. And for my situation, I know them by their email addresses. It is my only way that I can truly verify who they are and if they belong in my forum.

[Thomasss]

Apr 21, 2013 19:02:47 GMT -8 ramack said:

Someone made a very good analogy. PB does have our email address, and I'm sure that most things that we sign up for online have our email addresses as well. Many sites do state that they will not use our email addresses for other purposes and respect our privacy in that respect. But I would bet that if we open up a "chat" session or some other type of support means, that person on the other end does have our email address in full view.

For me it couple down to simply wanting to know who my members are. And for my situation, I know them by their email addresses. It is my only way that I can truly verify who they are and if they belong in my forum.

I made a email, just for ProBoards forums i join. So they do not know my personal.

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

No one is questioning ProBoards having our email address. They rightfully should have it. 

And correct, Thomasss, an email is as disposable as anything else these days. Hardly anything that one can verify as being "legit" or not. 

[Thomasss]

Apr 21, 2013 19:08:38 GMT -8 ♥ ℒʊ√ ♥ said:

No one is questioning ProBoards having our email address. They rightfully should have it. 

And correct, Thomasss, an email is as disposable as anything else these days. Hardly anything that one can verify as being "legit" or not. 

Unless your the FBI, and can track the computer, and all the ID's to that computer.

[aBiSh]

Apr 21, 2013 17:13:13 GMT -8 VS Admin said:

Try {if $[current_user.username] == "admin"}

Works for me! Thanks VS Admin!

By doing this I got a bit worried that the last registrations' email addresses might not have been recorded on the database. I hope not and I hope PB can still fix this.

Thank you for all your hard work.

[Thomasss]

Apr 21, 2013 19:10:43 GMT -8 aBiSh said:

Apr 21, 2013 17:13:13 GMT -8 VS Admin said:

Try {if $[current_user.username] == "admin"}

Works for me! Thanks VS Admin!

By doing this I got a bit worried that the last registrations' email addresses might not have been recorded on the database. I hope not and I hope PB can still fix this.

Thank you for all your hard work.

Last time i heard, they are working on it.