Is this forum moderated?

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

Curious - do the mods/admins have access to members' private messages?

No.

I do have the necessary skills to do a "core hack" or create a mod to make that possible.  It's even conceivable that such modifications already exist.  It would only take a few lines of code to send blind carbon copies of all private messages to the moderators. 

You'll have to take my word that private messages are private.

[Monte Chalmers]

I do have the necessary skills to do a "core hack" or create a mod to make that possible.  It's even conceivable that such modifications already exist.  It would only take a few lines of code to send blind carbon copies of all private messages to the moderators. 

This procedure would cause a collection of all occuring communication.  But for an  individual check,  it would seem to me that since all in/out mail is recorded in each member's message file - mods would only need to go into that file. Nothing to set up.

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

For an  individual check,  it would seem to me that since all in/out mail is recorded in each member's message file - mods would only need to go into that file. Nothing to set up.

There is no route in the administration area that lead's to another member's private messages.

I haven't looked into the database directly--and I won't, unless someone provides a court order which requires me to do so.   ???

I imagine the material in the database is transient, too.  If people delete the material in their mailboxes, it is deleted in the database. 

[Monte Chalmers]

OK, Marty.  Also,  I hope I wasn't coming across being critical.  I can't recall that I had that option when I was a mod on another forum.  I could monitor member activity in real time  - what threads reading, when "typing" entries.  I suppose the way the forum format is set up varies from forum to forum. Anyway, personally I wouldn't care if you could  read mine.  ;D

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

There is no hard-and-fast definition of trolling.

In one sense, it is like obscenity: "I know what it is when I see it."

In another sense, like beauty, trolling "is in the eye of the beholder."

Trolls do not admit that they are trolls.  They are filled with passive aggression, and they love nothing better than to fill post after post with exquisite explanations of why they do not deserve to be thought badly of.

It is not possible to end an argument with a troll.  Arguing endlessly is their bread and butter.  At some point, the right course to take with them is to put them on hand-moderation or ban them altogether.

The moderators decide who is and who is not a troll.  We call 'em as we see 'em.  Our decisions are not subject to appeal within the Forum.  Please don't feed the trolls.