To the Powers that be. The absence of a PM (Personal Message)facility.

[NickinFrance]

There are over 500 million Facebook

And 10 billion flys eat ****, doesn't mean that everyone should.

Skype is a VOIP site, Facebook is not! You can't email via Skype as it is nothing like FB.

You can send Instant Messages via both & unknown people can request that you add them to your contact list

I have three kids with Facebook accounts and I can't access anything about them even if I wanted to,

You could if you wanted to & they accepted your request.

FB is nothing like Friends Reunited either, it doesn't link schools or work places,

Yes it can & does.

"You never know who's watching you" is also grossly misleading and spreading mis-information. How does anyone know who you are on FB or Twitter? Set the controls correcty the same as PC sets controls re posting here and you can't go wrong.

Yeah, right, see http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1790704/facebook-applications-pass-user?WT.rss_f=Home&WT.rss_a=Facebook+applications+pass+on+user+data

 

[Reg]

Oh Dear......... I didn't realise that these sites were so valued,
Whenever I have seen reference to them it's generally about personalities discussing their every move i.e. Steven Fry!!
I must confess that I don't really care what he gets uo too and I certainly wouldn't get wound up about it.
If anyone gets a lot of pleasure from it then good for you but be honest fella's the tales that get in the press about it don't make very good reading do they?
If as you say the whole thing can be private and only among your friends then why not just use email? A lot more secure I should think.
Don't bother to tell me the diferences as I don't really care anyway.

Keep Smiling

 

[OmOnWeelz]

There are over 500 million Facebook

And 10 billion flys eat ****, doesn't mean that everyone should.

Skype is a VOIP site, Facebook is not! You can't email via Skype as it is nothing like FB.

You can send Instant Messages via both & unknown people can request that you add them to your contact list

I have three kids with Facebook accounts and I can't access anything about them even if I wanted to,

You could if you wanted to & they accepted your request.

FB is nothing like Friends Reunited either, it doesn't link schools or work places,

Yes it can & does.

"You never know who's watching you" is also grossly misleading and spreading mis-information. How does anyone know who you are on FB or Twitter? Set the controls correcty the same as PC sets controls re posting here and you can't go wrong.

Yeah, right, see http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1790704/facebook-applications-pass-user?WT.rss_f=Home&WT.rss_a=Facebook+applications+pass+on+user+data

Nick, because you don't like something or the way it is used there is no call to liken it to Sxxx or Eating.
Skype is not an email client and the whole world does not have access to you via FB or Skype, the fact that you can IM using both does not make them similar!
Nick I could post for you on this forum if you gave me your loging name and password. So as my kids wouldn't make me party to their deatails if PC forum members decided to use FB to communicate why would they allow access to the whole world any more than my kids would?
The whold point of FR is to connect old friends and school chums (clue in the name) so you enter your old schools and work place or there is no point in joining it. (I'm not a member of FR)
With Facebook you can add schools and work places as you can add IM, Skype, and various emails. They are additional choices that you add if you want, They are not the basis of how it works or what you do when you join.
As for the Enquirer link. Your ISP will and can log deatils about you, and if you use Google Search or Google Chrome as your browser it also logs info about you and where you surf to on the net. So your post is also pretty misleading and pointless.
Nigel. No one is forcing you to use any of the mediums discussed. But many people use them as good secure business and communication tools. You can be conned in your own home or on your doorstep and over the phone or be ripped off on the street or when dealing with many businesses. Newspapers print crap about Jordan and Rooney and more, that doesn't mean we all have to abandon newspapers any more than slag off Twitter as Fry and Demi showcase themselves.

 

[Soozeeg]

Oh for goodness sake, does it really matter who uses what social networking site, and do any of us care? (Well, apart from one or two people who seem to care very much!

).

I can't honestly see a sudden mass rush of PCv forumers (is that a word?) signing up to Facebook just so we can all send each other really urgent PM's or IM's (or whatever other initials you want to use), can you?

PM's on here would be better, of course. But there's not really a lot of point in all this discussion about them (and veering away from them!!!) in this General section anyway......as the techies have said they only read/monitor the 'Our Website' section. (You'll have to imagine a sniggering, rolling eyes, shoulder shrugging, winking, tongue in cheek icon here).

 

[Soozeeg]

Ooooh, just seen - Parksy's put a link to this topic for JD's attention in the 'Our Website' section. They're dead good, those mods - think of everything, don't they? tee hee

 

[DerektheSecond]

Ooooh, just seen - Parksy's put a link to this topic for JD's attention in the 'Our Website' section. They're dead good, those mods - think of everything, don't they? tee hee

I would imagine JD is keeping his head down until this topic calms down

 

[Parksy]

Ooooh, just seen - Parksy's put a link to this topic for JD's attention in the 'Our Website' section. They're dead good, those mods - think of everything, don't they? tee hee

Thanks Sue. I think that at least one of your comments offering praise is unlikely to be unanimously accepted

 

[Dustydog]

For people who use the internet some of you appear to be quite dim

If you are daft and can't work out how to use what the internet has to offer safely you shouldn't be making rude comments about the sites and their users.

Mirror mirror on the wall who's the daftest of them all?

Help! I can't find the daft button

 

[NickinFrance]

Skype is not an email client and the whole world does not have access to you via FB or Skype, the fact that you can IM using both does not make them similar!

Skype, Facebook & FreindsReunited all allow a user to search for a name & location on their systems & offer to 'connect' to someone.
I agree that they were set-up for completely different purposes but there is a fair amount of overlap now.

Nick I could post for you on this forum if you gave me your logging name and password. So as my kids wouldn't make me party to their details if PC forum members decided to use FB to communicate why would they allow access to the whole world any more than my kids would?

I don't understand.

The would point of FR is to connect old friends and school chums (clue in the name) so you enter your old schools and work place or there is no point in joining it. (I'm not a member of FR)

Well, yes but RF is quite an old system & hasn't caught up with the 'Social Networking' thing. I am a member who has found some old school & work friends which has proved quite interesting.

With Facebook you can add schools and work places as you can add IM, Skype, and various emails. They are additional choices that you add if you want, They are not the basis of how it works or what you do when you join.

But without adding those details, it is pointless for most people who use it.

As for the Enquirer link. Your ISP will and can log details about you

That doesn't make it right & anyway BT got quite a bollocking over their Phorm traffic sniffing system, so doubt if many other ISP's will implement such a system in the near future.

if you use Google Search or Google Chrome as your browser it also logs info about you and where you surf to on the net. So your post is also pretty misleading and pointless.

Google frightens me & again because they do what they do, doesn't make it right.

I'm not saying that people shouldn't use these systems but am concerned about their lack of privacy & privacy protection, which most of their users, particularly their most vulnerable users, just don't understand.
As for Tweeter & blogs, if people want to do that, let them, me, I have a life.

 

[LMH]

I use Facebook and I'm not sad!!

It would be nice if we could have pm facility, if we don't get it, that's fine.

Lisa

 

[ValA.]

Just a thought: it might take the heat out of some of the arguments which take place on these forums if people could 'PM' each other - they could argue in private about whatever they wanted - and the arguments could go on for months without the topic being blocked!

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Just a thought: it might take the heat out of some of the arguments which take place on these forums if people could 'PM' each other - they could argue in private about whatever they wanted - and the arguments could go on for months without the topic being blocked!

I realise your post was kind of tongue in cheek Val but with a proper PM you would have the ability to block anyone. In all of my time online and using quite a few sites in the past with a PM facility I've never known a problem. That is why I find it unbelievable that, for whatever reason, Haymarket have said no. I think it's a facility that wouldn't be used much but it's a handy tool to have. It would be quicker for mods to use if they need to warn someone about their behaviour for example rather than emailing them. A PM is simple, just click, type, send.

 

[ValA.]

Definitely tongue in cheek Lord B! On other forums I use, the PM message facility is very useful. Usually you can also reply through the PM facility - so the other person never need know your email address either! However, you can exchange email addresses if you wish to, which saves the moderators a job too!

 

[ShadySadie]

Agreeing here with Lord B and Lisa. Can't see a problem with IM. Use it on other forum and it's fine. If there's a misunderstanding it can be resolved off site using IM.
A can of worms section though. I could hack in to the US of A defence system or upload or download porn video's as we all could using our comp's.(if I knew how

), but I'm not interested in doing either but it doesn't stop me using my pc or the net because it gets used for some strange things.
We use some of the offerings mentioned and have not had any problems and Hubby uses Face book for work contact and details, and he and his pals wouldn't use it if it was only for open general viewing. I'd also love to know how you email with Skype, I've not had anyone email on that one and I've only ever had contact from people I know on Skype and I've not heard of phone or video calls being made on Face book or Twitter, am I missing something?

 

[ValA.]

You can use Skype for on-line typed conversations - which perhaps some people may refer to as email! You just select the 'Contact' you want to 'email, select the 'Conversations' tab in Skype and type away - then send - and if they are on-line they can reply instantly, if not then they will get an indication that they have a new message when they next open their PC.

 

[Parksy]

John Duncan who helped to set up the new website said in another topic:

This website is built on an open-source content management system called Drupal, which has a forum built in. Though it's not as good as IPB or vBulletin or whatever, it serves its purpose, is free, and can be extended quite easily to make the forum more functional. The advantages are that it integrates very well with the rest of the site, making it easy to seamlessly display forum content elsewhere (like in the block on the home page), whereas that would be harder using separate software.

Nick in France mentioned a simple method of installing a PM system which also uses Drupal :

I can't find that thread but it can't be lack of time http://drupal.org/project/pm_lite would take minutes to install.

Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Yahoo instant messaging have all been suggested but in my opinion a private message service should be exlusive to the forum and the members that it's supposed to serve.
If I had to resort to any of those mentioned I might as well simply email the member that I want to contact and forum members might not be familiar with all the other mediums that have been suggested either.
A forum PM facility would be an asset for members and moderators alike, members could have private conversations away from the forum so that they could freely exchange information such as email addresses without involving moderators, if a forum debate between members became a bit heated and moderators called a halt those involved would be able to exchange their viewpoints privately if they wanted to, again, no moderator input would be necessary.
I don't know if the Haymarket technicians would be prepared to look into this,or if there are technical or financial reasons why it can't be done. I will try to bring this topic to their attention tomorrow to see if they can add anything or give us any information.

 

[ShadySadie]

That is Instant Messaging (IM) Val, not email.
We use it all the time and the same as MSN or Yahoo messenger's. Face book has it's own email systm as well as Face book IM. You get via regular email and alerts updated to phone and pc email. I have skype on my phone but it differs a lot to Face book. The issues I read related to concerns over privacy and we have no concerns with any of the programs mentioned.

 

[NickinFrance]

Nick in France mentioned a simple method of installing a PM system which also uses Drupal :

I can't find that thread but it can't be lack of time http://drupal.org/project/pm_lite would take minutes to install.

That wasn't a guess

, I knew the site was built using Drupal

Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Yahoo instant messaging have all been suggested but in my opinion a private message service should be exclusive to the forum and the members that it's supposed to serve.

I totally agree plus to enable communication via those methods you would need to make your Facebook, Twitter or Skype ID public (not something I would be prepared to do), even if people here had accounts for those systems.

If I had to resort to any of those mentioned I might as well simply email the member that I want to contact and forum members might not be familiar with all the other mediums that have been suggested either.

You have the advantage of being able to see members e-mail addresses, us mere mortals can't.

 

[NickinFrance]

The issues I read related to concerns over privacy and we have no concerns with any of the programs mentioned.

We are looking at different aspects of privacy, I'm concerned with the way that Facebook collect & store user data (not always securely), then sell it on.

 

[ShadySadie]

In the past half hour I've received three messages via Face book and one from MSN and a Skype message and call from my sister inlaw in Adelaide. None of my other contacts can read the messages and they are not Public. I don't understand why you think these programs have to be Public.
If I open accounts using 'Shady Sadie.pc' on Face book or MSN messenger why would they have to be public?
What details about 'Shady Sadie.pc' could be sold?
How would they know who 'Shady Sadie.pc' is, where I live or what my main email address is?
For forums and ebay and most net sales sites I use a Google email account, what can they do with that?
If Face book or anyone else wanted to sell details on Shady Sadie, good luck to them

 

[Parksy]

If I had to resort to any of those mentioned I might as well simply email the member that I want to contact and forum members might not be familiar with all the other mediums that have been suggested either.

You have the advantage of being able to see members e-mail addresses, us mere mortals can't.

Thats true Nick, I can contact members via the email addresses that they have provided. I have forwarded the email addresses to designated members on request but I have to obtain confrmation of the request. A PM service would simplify the procedure and then moderators wouldn't need to be involved in the forwarding of emails or messages.

 

[ShadySadie]

Practical Caravan have proven for years that they like things 'simple' with their forum.
A 'simple PM system should be easy for PCV Parksy

A problem sorted. Parksy, just keep telling them it would simplify running this forum

Sadie

xxxxx

 

[NickinFrance]

None of my other contacts can read the messages and they are not Public. I don't understand why you think these programs have to be Public.

I didn't say the messages are public, there was a suggestion that instead of an PM facility on this forum, users could use FB, Skype etc., for that to work your FB, Skype etc. ID would have to be publicly available (to both users & spammers)

If I open accounts using 'Shady Sadie.pc' on Face book or MSN messenger why would they have to be public?

You would also need to log in & out of the various counts to see if there are any PM, a faff most will not bother with

What details about 'Shady Sadie.pc' could be sold?

At the simplest level, the fact that you have an interest in Caravaning.

How would they know who 'Shady Sadie.pc' is,

By storing & analysing what you search for & type (ever noticed how the adverts change in gmail as you type ?)

where I live

From your IP address that is sent to every site you visit.

or what my main email address is?

Spammers don't need to know your main e-mail address, any will do.

For forums and ebay and most net sales sites I use a Google email account, what can they do with that?

Build up a profile of you & your spending pattern to sell on to spammers.

If Face book or anyone else wanted to sell details on Shady Sadie, good luck to them

As someone who gets over 1,000 spam e-mails a day on my primary e-mail account, I don't want any more thanks.
The big money on the internet is selling very targeted advertising, whether by targeted web site advertising (something this site doesn't do) or by e-mail, the more information Google, Facebook et al know about you, the more valuable your profile information is.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I'm aware of the profiling that sites like Google do, Amazon is another. The fact is I like Google and also it's toolbar and maps. The point is there's no such thing as a free lunch so I suppose they want something in return. The fact that they might be passing on my surfing habits isn't of much concern to me because I use their GoogleMail which in itself is good at blocking spam. I actually get more spam through my main BT account but very little gets through it being blocked by BT.
Somehow we are missing the point talking about Skype, Yahoo Messenger, FaceBook etc. The PM facility needs to be integrated into PCv. It's no good someone wanting to contact another member if they have Yahoo messenger and the other has Windows Messenger. Surely if they both had the same messaging service they would still need to go through the forum to exchange contact details? It's a few years since I've had anything to do with messaging/chat programs. If we need to talk to friends in Oz or America we use the BT internet phone which only costs 1p per minute.

 

[Soozeeg]

Exactly right, LB. We could only get in touch with each other on whatever other social networking/messenger/chat service if we knew each other's details, which we could only obtain at present by asking the mods to pass our email addys on. Ridiculous and long-winded.

I vaguely recall JD (I think it was) saying ages ago (in his usual brief and uninformative way!

) that they weren't going to allow us to have a PM facility on here because of some legal implication - it wasn't explained what exactly. If the Search facility on here was better, I'd have found the post, but it isn't, so I can't, lol. We're all going round in circles repeating ourselves but a big fat NOTHING from the techies!!