How *private* are your private forums?

[Minarette]

I think most forums have a private area where staff can discuss forum issues freely, without anyone know what goes on *behind the scenes*. That is how it should be, but is it?

I wonder how many forums have discovered that there is a *leak* of privately discussed issues? :smash:

How do you deal with it? How do you deal with the rogue staff member/s who *leaked* information (if you know who he/she is ?

Private areas should be just that, private! Your staff is presumably trusted, but to realise that one or more isn't trustworthy can cause problems for all your staff and your forum once word got out. Communication within the private area may become stilted or non existant because the staff start to fear that what they say will be made public. :nervous:

So how do you deal with it on your forum, and what measures do you take to find (and deal with) the "culprit" if you don't already know who he/she is?

[beller]

I don't know to be honest. Never had that problem & hope I never do

[SoftWareRevue]

but is it?It's one of those things that would drive you mad if you think about it too much. But, of course, we all hope it is. :)

I wonder how many forums have discovered that there is a *leak* of privately discussed issues?
I'm sure it's come up on more than one.

How do you deal with it?Deal with keeping private conversations private? I'd say that you hope you have the right members in place.

How do you deal with the rogue staff member/s who *leaked* information (if you know who he/she is ?I've had a couple instances. Generally, a simple reminder about the sanctity of private discussions is all that's needed. There's rarely anything malicious intended. But some people need a reminder that private is private.

So how do you deal with it on your forum, and what measures do you take to find (and deal with) the "culprit" if you don't already know who he/she is?

As mentioned, you hope you have the right members in place so that it never comes up.

When we install new moderators, one of the first things we stress is how private the staff forums are.

If someone inadvertently discloses sensitive information, a reminder is often enough to secure it doesn't happen again.

If it happens again, they're obviously not right for the position.

I don't know to be honest. Never had that problem & hope I never do
Yeah. I think that's what we all strive for.

[KimmiKat]

On a board I help out at (A political mboard), it's a private board not viewable to guests at all. You have to sign in to read posts. New members to the board are by invite only. A few that didn't make the cut ended up starting their own board.

Somehow one is friends with a mod on the private board and some of the info posted in the admin area is getting leaked back to the other mboard. The bad thing no one will fess up. This started about 2 months ago and we still hadn't found the bloody moe.

I think most forums have a private area where staff can discuss forum issues freely, without anyone know what goes on *behind the scenes*. That is how it should be, but is it?

I wonder how many forums have discovered that there is a *leak* of privately discussed issues? :smash:

How do you deal with it? How do you deal with the rogue staff member/s who *leaked* information (if you know who he/she is ?

Private areas should be just that, private! Your staff is presumably trusted, but to realise that one or more isn't trustworthy can cause problems for all your staff and your forum once word got out. Communication within the private area may become stilted or non existant because the staff start to fear that what they say will be made public. :nervous:

So how do you deal with it on your forum, and what measures do you take to find (and deal with) the "culprit" if you don't already know who he/she is?

[Frets]

Time to put the walls up as far as conversation goes.

1) admin needs to step up to the plate and remind mods of thier obligations.

2) Less off the cuff responses. Even when your in private your still in public.

3) Always take the high road.

[D'Godown]

I found one leak in IPB private forums, The threads titles in private forums are visible in new posts listing. So may make everybody aware that wgat discussion is going on inside :(

[Scott]

I found one leak in IPB private forums, The threads titles in private forums are visible in new posts listing. So may make everybody aware that wgat discussion is going on inside :(
Really? Which IPB version? And, for that matter, which new post listing?