Post: #1

The biggest concern for most members is private messages. We have been using PM's as a secure form of communication for years, but those messages are not encrypted and can be revealed if the server is compromised. Even if you delete all your PM's, a copy is saved on the account of the sender/receiver, including those of banned members.

Because I don't want these PM's hanging over our heads, I've made the decision to wipe the slate clean. On Sunday, February 21, every single PM in the database will be deleted, including unread PM's. From that point on, do not include personal email addresses, phone numbers, or names in any PM you send. Only share burner emails or contact options through PM's that won't hurt you if publicly revealed.

Therefore if there are important PM's that you want to save to your computer, do so before February 21.

I also recommend that you avoid extended dialogues through PM and take them to your burner email accounts. The less sensitive information that remains on the server, the better.

Also in other privacy news, user profiles and the member list can no longer be seen by non-members.

Post: #2

I'm going to the download PM screen and selecting the various options. After I click export it brings me to a simple HTML screen and it doesn't appear anything has downloaded to my computer. Anything I'm doing wrong? I'm using a Mac if that matters.

Post: #3

Once you hit that screen, go to File > Save As. Then save the generated webpage to your computer.

Post: #4

Remember Windows 7+ and the latest versions of OSX will let you print to PDF.

Post: #5

We appreciate the effort being made to keep the readership safe and confidential. It's sad to see an era where this is necessary.

Post: #6

User profiles is a good idea. For myself specifically I'm concerned about locations being mentioned in the Reputation Report.

Post: #7

Awesome Roosh, this is definitely a necessary step in this new paradigm we find ourselves in. It's terrifying just how quickly we are drifting into a world where thought crime is considered far more serious than even the worst actual crimes like murder and rape.

Post: #8

Reminder that this is happening in 3 days.

Post: #9

(02-18-2016 11:48 AM)Roosh Wrote:  Reminder that this is happening in 3 days.

What if I receive a PM at 12:00 and it gets deleted at 12:01?

Post: #10

Bump for relevance. Save 'em or lose' em

Post: #11

I'm just waiting for someone to start a new thread on the 22nd saying something like "What happened to all my old private messages ?"

Post: #12

(02-21-2016 05:47 AM)Mercenary Wrote:  I'm just waiting for someone to start a new thread on the 22nd saying something like "What happened to all my old private messages ?"

This is going to happen, but it'll happen about two weeks down the road when an occasional, low post count forum member stops by.

Post: #13

From this point, I would not reply to any PM's. If you have PM's that need to be replied to, save them on your hard drive and then reply after the deletion. It will take place around 6pm EST.

Post: #14

It has been done! 166,630 private messages have been deleted. I feel both relief and sadness.

Post: #15

(02-21-2016 04:39 PM)Roosh Wrote:  It has been done! 166,630 private messages have been deleted.

Quote:I feel both relief and sadness.

Post: #16

I didn't know it was going to be this hard...

Post: #17

(02-16-2016 03:41 PM)Roosh Wrote:  From that point on, do not include personal email addresses, phone numbers, or names in any PM you send. Only share burner emails or contact options through PM's that won't hurt you if publicly revealed.

In addition to temporary email addresses, there are apps out there such as Burner that can provide short term (burner) phone numbers too. I made good use of them in the PMs before - the only kind I'd ever risk posting.

Between this clean sweep, the DDoS protection and other measures, this place is a bit more secure than before but still need to keep on our toes. I seriously think NAMBLA members are able to communicate with less hassle nowadays....

Post: #18

Post: #19

(02-21-2016 05:47 AM)Mercenary Wrote:  I'm just waiting for someone to start a new thread on the 22nd saying something like "What happened to all my old private messages ?"

Guilty as charged

Post: #20

I doubt there is another law-abiding web-community that has to take security precautions like this.

I usually giggle when people refer to enforcement against "thought crimes," but this is starting to become real.

Post: #21

Well shit, I didn't see this until just now.

Thanks for helping me clear out my PMs, though!

Post: #22

Question about emails:

When I signed up last year, I did so with one of my secondary emails that can (through some minor internet sleuthing) be traced to one of my other online personas. Highly unlikely that someone would find out my identity, but the possibility remains.

However, I changed my forum email last year (after the Ashley Madison scare) to a completely new email that isn't connected to anything else out there on the web.

My question is: if someone were to hack the forum database, could they see the email that someone used to sign up for the forums in the first place?

Post: #23

(02-22-2016 05:35 AM)Penta Sahi Wrote:  Question about emails:

When I signed up last year, I did so with one of my secondary emails that can (through some minor internet sleuthing) be traced to one of my other online personas. Highly unlikely that someone would find out my identity, but the possibility remains.

However, I changed my forum email last year (after the Ashley Madison scare) to a completely new email that isn't connected to anything else out there on the web.

My question is: if someone were to hack the forum database, could they see the email that someone used to sign up for the forums in the first place?

Yeah that's a good question. Typically the webhost stores backups of users' databases, so there is that issue as well.

Post: #24

Old backups of database are not stored on the server.

Post: #25

I bet Rooshs' inbox is full of "Where are my PM's, is the server broken?" PM's.