Should PMs be posted or private?

[Jennifer]

The issue was raised.  But instead of derail the topic, I thought I’d jsut start a new thread.

So should Private Messages from Moderators be postable on public threads?

I’m personally torn on the issue.  On the one hand you don’t want something to be sent in confidence to a friend and find it posted publically later.  On the other hand, do messages sent in an official capacity hold the same risk?

[Yanny]

There is a reason why PMs are sent to only specific people.

Otherwise they would be open.

There is no real issue here.

[DarthMaximus]

I made the decision and feel it sets a bad precedent no matter what the comment or content of the PM.

If both people agree that is one thing.  But the whole point of PM’s is that people feel they are private.

Even if the intention is ment for good, someone could very easily take it the wrong way.

If someone intended on making something public then they’d just create a new thread (or announcement) for it.

Edit:
Darn it!  Yanny keeps sneaking in posts.  :-P

[Jennifer]

Yanny is sneaky like that, DM. :)

I’m not saying the policy is bad.  I hope neither of you thought I was arguing that point.  I just wanted to have an open discussion as to whether or not the members of the forum feel that it’s necessary or not to keep messages from Moderators secret.  That’s all.  I thought it would be interesting to see where the members stood on the subject.

I mean, it’s not like we havn’t thoroughly debated every other rule that’s come into being on the boards, right?

[DarthMaximus]

Nah, I didn’t think you were arguing that point, but just wanted to clarify why I think PM’s shouldn’t be posted in public.

That goes for any PM, not just ones sent by Mods.  I’m actually more concerned about the general user population that may trade PM’s with each other, and trying to maintain that if you do infact send a PM to any user, it is private, and us Mods are committed to making sure the recepeint can’t just turn around and post it in some thread b/c they got in an argument with you.

[jsp4563]

I guess I’m sort of split on this issue as well.  Clearly messages sent between private individuals  should be kept private.  But PM’s sent by someone in their “Official Capacity” probably don’t warrant that high of a “presumption of privacy”.  I assume that the recent message was in the nature of a reprimand, if so, and the receipient of the reprimand wishes to make it public, I’d say that was OK.

[Guest]

ZOMG!!  The “P” in PM stands for private.  Why the hell would they want to make them public?!!  lol  Freakin tards!  :roll:

[Imperious Leader]

private. anything originally posted information as private must remain so unless both parties want it known.

[Jermofoot]

I don’t care, either way.  If I wanted to get dirty, I’d just give them my email or house address anyway.  :wink:

[cystic crypt]

This is absurd.  It reminds me of a b-s email conversation i had with someone who made the point of replying to my emails by copying the whole class (which i was unaware of).  If i wanted the whole class to know what we were discussing, i would have copied them myself. 
I think that a PM is between the sender and receiver unless there is permission by both (or at least the sender).

[Janus1]

If someone in an official capacity as an authority sends a message to someone else, exercising said authority, then the privacy of that message is clearly for the benefit of the recipient. If the recipient chooses to waive the right of privacy, then I see no reason why they shouldn’t be able to make public that message.

Its like in school, when a teacher gives out grades, or comments, privately, the student can share what they were given, because the privacy was for the benefit and consideration of the student, not the teacher. Presumably, anyone acting in an official capacity as an authority figure, exercising said authority, cannot be sharing any personal or private information that is intended to be kept secret for their sake, since if its done in official capacity, it should be public record.

Im not a mod, make any regulations you want, doesnt matter to me, this just seems to be the way it ought to be.

[Guest]

I would simply say that, in almost all cases, it is just “bad form” to post PM’s or e-mails.

Unless of course you are on Witch Wars… then anythign you send by e-mail or PM is CERTAIN to be posted in public :-D