1 Topic by pwt58

  • pwt58
  • Junior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2005-10-15
  • Posts: 3

Topic: Admin Privileges

I am a user on a site that uses your software, and have found it excellent for our purposes.  But I recently came across a feature (or is a bug) that I do not understand.  It seems that Admins not only have the right to determine who can post and to delete other posters? posts, but they have the ability to edit other poster?s posts with no evidence that the post in question has been edited by someone other than the original poster. This has very serious ramifications in terms of misrepresentation and even potentially fraud. I cannot think of any legitimate use for the feature. If there is one, I would appreciate understanding what it is and would ask that you provide the option to turn this feature off.  If it is not a feature but a bug, I would ask that you address this as soon as possible.

Thanks from a grateful user.

Paul

  • Connorhd
  • Connorhd
  • Former PunBB Developer
  • Offline
  • From: Leeds, UK
  • Registered: 2004-06-13
  • Posts: 4,195

Re: Admin Privileges

its a feature, admins should be able to do what they like basically, and if it wasn't a feature you could do it anyway through the database. Basically if someone is going to misuse that, they shouldn't be an admin

FluxBB.
Connorhd.co.uk.

Connorhd's Website

3 Reply by pwt58 (edited by pwt58 2005-10-15 21:00)

  • pwt58
  • Junior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2005-10-15
  • Posts: 3

Re: Admin Privileges

I'm not asking for bullet proof certainty but why make the modification easy and then hide the fact that someone other than the original poster made the change. That seems like an invitation for fraud to me. How this came up was that on our site the administrator was intending to quote someone but selected "edit" instead of "quote" and completely corrupted the original post.  Give the admin all the power you want, but make it clear when this power is being used.

Thanks

Paul

  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: Admin Privileges

pwt58 wrote:

provide the option to turn this feature off

When an admin edits a post, he or she can set whether the edit should be "silent" or not. That is the option. There would be no point in adding an option in the admin interface because well, the admin is the admin.

One thing we could do is the change the default from on to off. That way, the scenario you mentioned won't happen as easily.

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website

5 Reply by pwt58 (edited by pwt58 2005-10-15 22:44)

  • pwt58
  • Junior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2005-10-15
  • Posts: 3

Re: Admin Privileges

Rickard wrote:

One thing we could do is the change the default from on to off. That way, the scenario you mentioned won't happen as easily.

Thank you.  I would appreciate that and will ask our administrator to turn the silent option off.

Paul

PS

I am still curious though.  What potential use is there for the silent admin editing feature?

  • Registered: 2005-10-14
  • Posts: 54

Re: Admin Privileges

Admins and moderators could write an extended news article or wiki-style piece without the 'Last edited by' notice coming up. It just looks better.

The fact is, you should trust the Administrators with your entire board, and the moderators with whatever bit they're controlling. Be a little more selective in your choices in the future (also, from experience, you don't need many administators to run a punBB board, given that you can allow moderators to ban users etc. Don't go crazy with dishing out the power).

IdleFire's Website

  • Registered: 2005-10-09
  • Posts: 10

Re: Admin Privileges

If there was no option to edit silent, it could still be done through the database.

Visit my homepage?

Mr.Joke's Website

  • From: zCOM
  • Registered: 2005-01-16
  • Posts: 433

Re: Admin Privileges

I am still curious though.  What potential use is there for the silent admin editing feature?

Discretion.
I don't always want people to know when I'm editing a post - for whatever reason. Admins should have complete and total power...Its their board.
And this allows them to do it without any mussing around with databases.

[img]http://www.dreamhost.com/images/rewards/80x15-a.gif[/img]
[img]http://img303.imageshack.us/img303/6118/getfox6mr.gif[/img]

erissiva's Website