Would you ever read member PM's?

No. The only time I would read a members PM is if there are several reports that the user is breaking any form of rule via PMs then it will require me to check to verify this but no information will ever be shared!

I had the ability on my IPB software, I had to use it a few times as I suspected rule breaking via PMs and I was right.

Posted by: Demon_skeith

I had the ability on my IPB software, I had to use it a few times as I suspected rule breaking via PMs and I was right.

Did you make it clear to your members that you had that power? What made you pick that specific user and think their PM's would prove you right? I can understand your intentions and I'm glad that it was proved right and not something that could be turned against you as if I knew my PM's were read and that contained my personal information I would be quite annoyed lol. 

I am not sure because as a moderator of couple of writing and forum sites I myself do not have access to members' mailbox. No, I am sure most sites admins do not read members' PMs unless of course  a member decided to send/redirect a copy of illegal/unacceptable PM to the admins.

I do agree most admins have a set policy within themselves to not read PMs unless their has been reports of abuse or illegal activity going on as the PMs would be evidence to what the member has done wrong.

On my websites i hold a do not read members private messages unless we get reports in to say they are abusive or sharing illegal content.

but in most cases like the above post mentions, sometimes members share their inboxes with staff/admins if any abuse happends

I have used the PM log feature a few times. (And yes, the software I use does display a warning that all PMs are logged.) 

The times I've used it tended to play out pretty similarly...

A new person would join the site and all they would go into our chatbox and ask questions about how to make a site, how to develop themes and that sort of thing. Despite the fact that my site was a collaborative writing site (and thusly really not about that sort of thing). But even if it was about site making or help, the chatbox isn't the place for that kind of thing.

At first I didn't mind offering some quick help, but after like the first 2-3 questions it just seemed like they wanted one of us to ask for the link. And so I had to basically end the conversation about that and push it onto other things.

Due to their constant talk of site ownership and development that'd gave me a bit of a feeling something was up.  So I decided just to open the PM log page to see if they'd even sent any messages and what if they had the titles were. Sure enough they'd been dumb enough to message a few members with things like: "come join my site" as their title.  They got banned from the site and chat for that.

I agree with you on this, consider a site with millions of users, how and where will the site owner start to read?. I believe it is only when there is great need to do so that admins read members messages.

No I'd never want to read member's private messages. Honestly IMO it's a invasion of privacy, and I don't have any right to intrude on a person's own conversations between another member.

Posted by: marteebe

Posted by: Demon_skeith

I had the ability on my IPB software, I had to use it a few times as I suspected rule breaking via PMs and I was right.

Did you make it clear to your members that you had that power? What made you pick that specific user and think their PM's would prove you right? I can understand your intentions and I'm glad that it was proved right and not something that could be turned against you as if I knew my PM's were read and that contained my personal information I would be quite annoyed lol. 

Of course they were aware and my guess was good because if I remember right they had a rather dead give away PM title.

Also no one should share any personal information on any simple site other than federal or official company websites.

I don't want the ability to be able to read member PMs. I remember being an Admin at a HUGE board and one of the top guys wanted to read someone's PMs and I was horrified that he would even think about doing such a thing. It's a betrayal of trust and especially since back then they were considered PRIVATE messages. Now I think they're trying to change that and make them personal messages...or as Xenforo says Conversations to try to remove the private factor giving Admins more of a loophole to read them?

Only time I would read PM's are if I thought a members safety was in danger or if I was legally required to share the information. It is covered in TOS though.

I don't have access to my members PM's since GamingBoards runs on ProBoards, I don't feel the need nor desire to view my members PM's, either. If there was an issue, I have the ability to delete every PM, post, thread, etc. created by that member.

I would read it ONLY in the case of abusive behavior or harassment. 

I also believe that an admin will never open a members message unless a fellow member has made a complaint or the admin himself had doubts on certain members' activities. No admin has time to keep peeping into his members' inboxes.