How private are Private Messages?

The PWI staff should have logs of chat for all players (as well as other logs) whether they read it or not.

Picture this...

GM's/Developers have the available tools to sit and watch all of the chat messages on the server as they come across. Unfortunately, this tool doesn't really have any filters, so you're seeing everything that everybody is saying on the server in all the various chats, scrolling along very quickly.
I don't even watch it on my own server unless I'm super bored and need something to put me to sleep.

However....
All of this chat is time-stamped, Has identified sources, and is all stored in log files.
If someone were to call you out for something you said, or report an issue concerning a discussion you were involved in, and bothered to provide decent information in the ticket...
They would easily be able to pull the data up from the log and see everything.

So basically, when you say something in-game, or anywhere on the internet, just assume that someone you don't know can or will read it. (Just like all of the chat clients everyone likes to use. Most of those messages are sent plaintext across the internet and if you've got the right sniffers, you can catch the data.)

Wtf is this privacy thing that you speak of? This is 2013, come on guys, stop living in 2012. b:chuckle

Privacy is non existent on the internet, unless you REALLY know what your doing. Even then, it is possibly to trace, but extremely difficult, and costs a lot of money to find the source.

Just to make things simple. None of us here are THAT good, or we wouldn't be here.

Untamed_pain - Archosaur wrote: »

if its to personal i got one word for you SKYPE LOLb:victory

Yep where everything is logged as well for min 10 years. It's only private if you wirte a letter...and even that...you know?

Crixxix - Raging Tide wrote: »

Wtf is this privacy thing that you speak of? This is 2013, come on guys, stop living in 2012. b:chuckle

Pretty much lol b:surrender

If it was monitored, a lot of people would've been banned a long long time ago.

I don't think the GMs/Staff or Admins have enough time to monitor or look into chats. I have been and still playing PWI for 3 years without a break from game & only once i saw a GM saying in system-chat that "Please keep world-chat CLEAN" on Raging Tide. So that proves they have too much work-load & other stuffs to deal with. b:chuckle

They definitely log everything and they are ABLE to check every single word said in WC, GC,PM or whatever but I highly doubt they will ever do it. But they WOULD be able to do so.

Well, I'm quite sure they look sometimes but that's probably rare and I think it's usually only when someone reports someone else for WC spam or other things like these to confirm if it's true.

SashaGray - Heavens Tear wrote: »

Go read 1984

Read it? Outside of PW, we're living it.

If you type it and the bits leave your machine and end up on another like a server, etc. then it is no longer private. Unless your machine is compromised you have total control over the data that is in it but once you start transmitting data to any other machine outside your network you have no control over the data you sent.

In other words there is no such thing as privacy on the internet. Anyone who thinks so s just fooling themselves. I can't tell you all how many times personal information and 'private' communications from people's supposedly private accounts, especially on social media and telecommunications (cell phones et al) end up in the public domain or in courts as evidence against them or others. There is no privacy on the internet. None.

This game is no exception. Everything you type, every action you make in game is logged and archived for a period of time in a database. That includes every char you type in any chat. Databases are easily searchable, indexed, sorted, etc. by the administrators.

If someone sent me a PM threatening me personally or if someone told me that 'X' sent them threatening PM or indicated that 'X' was going to do something illegal then a ticket can be sent and the PMs searched and analyzed and corrective action can be taken. Maybe a ban or even a complaint filed with a law enforcement agency.

As for those who claim that PWE or anyone else can't prove who did what on the other end. ROTFL! The account user is solely responsible for whatever happens with that account and every char associated with it. The TOS is very clear about that. And is also clear that PWI can take whatever action they deem fit for a violation. So if someone breaks into your house and finds your account info on a sticky next to your PC and logs into your account to wreak havoc and get you banned. That's just as much your fault as the nefarious person who logged into your account. You did not safeguard your account info and someone gained access to it. PWI doesn't have to prove anything when something nefarious comes out of your account. They have evidence of the violations. The user has to prove they didn't commit the act even though it originated from said account.

And if law enforcement ever had to get involved with something unlike PWI they will come knocking on your door and conduct a thorough investigation on yourself and your machine and anyone that has access to it. Think child **** and terrorist threats. And law enforcement are very good at what they do.

And lastly, if you want a civil example of someone or some entity coming after you for your actions online think no further than all those file sharing lawsuits from the recording industry against illegal downloaders. So many have seen their day in court and lost big time. It seems the complainant was able to prove who did what behind the screen in those instances.

So don't subject yourself to some fantasy notion that things you type that end up on some other machine or server somewhere are 'Private.' You are at the mercy of those who administer the remote machines when it comes to the data you sent to it.

And a special note about PWI/PWE. Since this game originates and is developed and maintained by a Chinese entity you have to consider that all forms of communication within China are heavily monitored, controlled, censored by the Chinese government. They have very particular laws about who can say or do what on the internet there so I am quite certain that an in-game system is in place that monitors, extracts, censors all communication within the game. It seems The EU and even America are no different. Some very scary and somber headlines on the Drudge Report as I type this. Wow.

Azura - Lost City wrote: »

Yeah, but usually gm's won't ever bother to read ur private messages unless some kind of investigation starts. That's why is better to talk about sensitive things in pms, so no other player knows. If you are glitching, and no other player knows it, no one is pretty much going to know ever.

When a glitching issue like the goons arise I'm sure an analysis of PMs that will get people busted in a heartbeat. If people are so paranoid about privacy of in-game chat then the best thing to do is take the communication outside the game.b:surrender

X_volcano_y - Harshlands wrote: »

I was really wondering are the pms recorded/monitured?
Are they readable by PWE stuff?

Best answer: not very private.

Things brings up another point. Don't say anything on the internet that you don't want to be stuck with later.

I'll say this, and anyone can try to disprove it all they want..

All chat logs can be read, private or not. while on the server.

the server logs ALL chat, not just public chat

not pwi.. but..

**** glinkd-3: chat : Chat: src=12298 chl=0 msg=AeA8ADIAPgA8AC0AOQA2ADMANAA5ADkANwA+ADwAWwBWAGEAbABsAGUAeQAgAG8AZgAgAEgAbwBwAGUAIAA0ADkAIAA1ADcALAAgADEAOQAgADEAMgBdAD4APAAtADcANAAgADIANAAyACAALQAzADgAMwAgADIAPgA=
**** glinkd-1: chat : Chat: src=28682 chl=0 msg=AOA8ADIAPgA8AC0AOQA2ADMANAA5ADkANwA+ADwAWwBGAHIAZQBlAGQAbwBtACAASABhAHIAYgBvAHIAIAA1ADUAIAAzADMALAAgADAAIAAtADEANgBdAD4APAAtADIANQAwACAAMgAwADgAIAAtADEANgAgADEAPgA=
**** glinkd-1: chat : Chat: src=28682 chl=2 msg=AOA8ADIAPgA8AC0AOQA2ADMANAA5ADkANwA+ADwAWwBGAHIAZQBlAGQAbwBtACAASABhAHIAYgBvAHIAIAA1ADUAIAA0ADMALAAgADAAIAAtADEAOABdAD4APAAtADIANAAwACAAMgAwADgAIAAtADEAOAAgADEAPgA=
**** glinkd-1: chat : Chat: src=20490 chl=2 msg=LgA=

(this is nothing private anyway)

PotatoHeadQR - Dreamweaver wrote: »

I was going to make fun of you cause you imply that absense of proof against what you said is proof that it's true but the random chats that are not from pwi is a much stronger argument b:pretty

this is from Forsaken world. it happened to be what I could get ahold of quickly

note, they are both coded on the same engine

the file, is "world2.chat"