Must private messages be kept private?

[George]

Why not send George a "PM" then he can post your PM it in the
forum for all to read. Add that to the selected deleted posts
(they won't be in his log)

I stopped posting a while ago because of this guy.

Is it rude George, OR, is it Fact ? A pm is as it say's, a "Private Message"

It's an interesting question. It may be a year or two ago, but I think I must have upset Graeme by copying a PM he'd sent me, to the main forum. I forget the details but I guess the message was a bit negative or something, and I thought I'd let others know about the type of messages that a moderator can receive. I'd never publish a PM which included anything confidential but Graham's message wouldn't have come into that category. Graeme dragged up this footnote of history yesterday, rather than moving on. He even says it's the reason he stopped posting to the forum. How can that be credible? I ask you.

Anyway, I suggest people should not write anything which they'd be ashamed of, if it's showed to others. What do you think? CH has sent me a few messages with elements which are arguably abusive. Should I copy those to this thread or suffer in silence?

I opened this thread rather than de-rail the off-topic thread. It's my response to the accusations in the quotes above. I seldom start criticising people out of nowhere, but I think I'm entitled to respond to accusations and attacks made on me.

[Peripatetic Phil]

No, I don't think private messages need be kept private, so long as there is agreement by both parties that a part or all of the content can be made public.  But clearly it is very wrong to disclose any part of the content of a PM without the agreement of the other party -- it is a "privileged communication", and must be treated as such.

** Phil.

[George]

it is a "privileged communication", and must be treated as such.

Thank you for your input but who says that messages on this forum come under the same rules as described within the legal web page?

[Peripatetic Phil]

Thank you for your input but who says that messages on this forum come under the same rules as described within the legal web page?

"Rules are for the guidance of the wise, and for the blind obedience of the foolish".  Having had the pleasure of meeting you and dining with you, George, I know you to be a sensible chap; so why not save yourself a great deal of anguish and allow yourself to be guided by these rules rather than beating your brains out seeking to establish whether, sensu stricto,  PMs come within their aegis ?

** Phil.

[Onions]

it is a "privileged communication", and must be treated as such.

Thank you for your input but who says that messages on this forum come under the same rules as described within the legal web page?

Who says that posts from five years ago must be edited?

[martinvic]

They are PRIVATE messages, the clue is in the name.
So no shouldn't be posted on here without prior consent of the other person, and I would suggest, your co-moderator.

But you just carry on doing whatever you like George, as always.

Oh and by the way Graeme didn't say he stopped posting to this forum because of that, he said it was because of you personally.

[George]

I'm now wondering where the term 'private message' came from on here. The main button says 'messages'. The term 'personal messages' is also used in terms of the web page name but you could easily miss it. On the one hand, I think Graeme's message is probably the only one I've published, so in general I respect the rights of the person who sends the message. But especially in the case of abusive or insulting messages, I never agreed to keep them private, and nor did anyone else, as far as I'm aware.

[Peripatetic Phil]

I'm now wondering where the term 'private message' came from on here. The main button says 'messages'.

I do not know to which button you refer, George, but when I click on your name one of the options I am offered is :

Actions

    Send Personal Message

If I were click on that message, then I believe that I would every reason to believe that the message so sent would indeed by private, regardless of content.  Of course, if I were to indicate within such a message that I were planning to overthrow HMG by force, or carry out some other act of sedition or treason, then I could not be /100/% certain that you might not feel obliged to disclose its contents to the powers-that-be.  But apart from such unlikely circumstances, I would indeed expect it to be treated as private, even if the exact appellation used on this forum is "personal".

** Phil.

[Les]

See here George,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_message

[Peripatetic Phil]

See here George :  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_message

Hmm, not exactly coherent, is it Les ? 

Personal message, often abbreviated as PM, is a private form of communication between different members on a platform. It is only seen and accessible by the userbut I think message andy'ss participating in the message.

A little editing might make it more useful, IMHO ...
** Phil.