Track a Member

[alistairgd]

In the case of a troublesome member, it would be neat to get a notification each time they post, making it possible to track their behavior without going to the formal stage of post moderation and the approval system.

In operation this would be appear as a "Track this member" option appearing in their profile but only visible to Moderators.

I've often wished something like this was available.

[bfarber]

I like this idea to be honest. I'm sure there are plenty of instances where this would come in handy.

[Painted Horse]

In the case of a troublesome member, it would be neat to get a notification each time they post, making it possible to track their behavior without going to the formal stage of post moderation and the approval system.

In operation this would be appear as a "Track this member" option appearing in their profile but only visible to Moderators.

I've often wished something like this was available.

Great idea! It's one of those things that you don't think about (and don't use) until you need it and then it's incredibly valuable when it is used.

[Wolfie]

Couldn't this be done via "Find My Content" though? Or is there something more behind it that I'm missing? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for having tools to use just in case it's needed, but I'm trying to grasp the concept.

[AtariAge]

I've actually wanted this for a long time. There have been many times with troublesome users where it would have been extremely useful to monitor what they're posting. If I could upvote this 100 times I would. :)

..Al

[DaveNYC]

In the case of a troublesome member, it would be neat to get a notification each time they post, making it possible to track their behavior without going to the formal stage of post moderation and the approval system.

In operation this would be appear as a "Track this member" option appearing in their profile but only visible to Moderators.

I've often wished something like this was available.

I'd be in favor of this if it could be incorporated into the Report Center. Would be a great place for moderators to comment on it if necessary.

[Abomination]

Can't you become their "friend" and be notified when they post?

I've thought about this too. We have a special group for those people and have a copy of their posts made into a special forum, but that is using a modification on vb.

[Tanax]

So you mean like a subscription to a member's content?

[Wolfie]

I get a feeling it's more than just that. I'm still waiting for it to be better explained.

[Michael]

I could have sworn I wrote something like this for someone once, can't find it now. :unsure:

[alistairgd]

Scenario 1.

A forum member becomes disgruntled for whatever reason, flame war, moderator warning, general disagreement, whatever. Nothing has happened to warrant any restriction on his account, which could further escalate the matter, but for want of a better phrase, the ole spidey sense is tingling.

In this case it would advisable for the members future postings to be checked for unsuitable content, argumentative behavour for example.

This is where a member tracking option would be handy that would provide moderators with a link to each of the members new posts. It's like a member subscription. Using friends would kind of give the game away as this is more like covert surveillance. Also, not all installs have friends feature active.

I would imagine most busy forums have there ugly periods where members can become unruly, I know mine does. A simple feature like this would help prevent situations from escalating.

[alistairgd]

So you mean like a subscription to a member's content?

Exactly. I posted an example of where this would be handy for unruly members, equally though, it could be used to follow a member who you find consistantly worthy of Reading their posts.

[Wolf]

It would be nice.

[bfarber]

Yes, I imagine it would be similar to "Find my content" for the member, but on an automated basis. Alerting you to new content, rather than you having to manually go look for it.

[Abomination]

Also, not all installs have friends feature active.

Good to know. I am still new.

Yes, I imagine it would be similar to "Find my content" for the member, but on an automated basis. Alerting you to new content, rather than you having to manually go look for it.

On this IPS forum a few people have become my 'friends', and notifications can be set up so I am alerted when they have activity, and I believe that activity is recorded. So would not that work as the basic architecture? The missing piece would be the becoming of friends with members at the admin/moderator level without telling the member being 'watched'.

I would think that this particular feature does not nee to be 100% reliable. If someone had a bit of activity and the staff were not notified, that should not be a huge issue. Other systems (report post) are already in place.

[Wolfie]

The missing piece would be the becoming of friends with members at the admin/moderator level without telling the [s]member[/s] victim being [s]'watched'[/s] 'stalked'.

Not trying to be a downer on the idea, just trying to toss in some food for thought. This could also be a feature that gets abused into a way to Stalk a Member.

I love being able to make sure that someone isn't out to cause problems, but we should try to make sure we don't cross the line from managing a board to micromanaging a member.

[alistairgd]

I love being able to make sure that someone isn't out to cause problems, but we should try to make sure we don't cross the line from managing a board to micromanaging a member.

Micromanaging troublesome members is exactly what this proposed feature is for. There are many forum features already made available by default specifically for moderators to micromanage the membership.

Hopefully IPB see some merit in it, as I, and previous posters above, have demonstrated a need for it.

That's all I have to add in this topic, got some feedback on anti-spam measures to compose now... :rolleyes:

[Wolfie]

Micromanaging troublesome members is exactly what this proposed feature is for. There are many forum features already made available by default specifically for moderators to micromanage the membership.

By micromanaging, I mean following after them, watching their every move, regardless of the reason (be it that they cause problems, or it's some admin that finally has a girl on his board and thinks he's gonna 'score'). That can be bad because they will either neglect the board or scare people off when that member complains about how that admin is 'hovering over their shoulder'.

Try to imagine it like this. A security guard keeping an eye on someones movements through a building via their electronic passkey is one thing, because they know where that person is and if they know that person tends to cause issues in a particular 'department' of the building, they can watch more closely when they go there. That's one thing. But to follow that person, literally reading things seconds after they are posted, and always being on that persons heels, instead of giving them room to either make their mistakes or show that they are minding their manners, that can cause more issues than it resolves.

[bfarber]

Perhaps Wolfie, but it's not your place to tell others how to manage their board, on the same token. :) Just like the PM log viewer - some believe it's an important tool for ensuring the safety of their members, while many others believe it's a gross invasion of privacy that should never be allowed. Ultimately, it is each individual admin that needs to determine how to run their site.

[Wolfie]

Perhaps Wolfie, but it's not your place to tell others how to manage their board, on the same token. :)

Oh I'm not, just tossing out something to consider. The tools provided already have potential for abuse, just as there are many tools on various sites that could be abused by the average user to go from 'following' someone to stalking them. If this would be a tool that would make it significantly easier to track potential trouble users to be able to curb the damage they could do, then I'm for it. My points are only to voice the concern for potential abuse, so that we as a community aren't asking for a tool, all thinking, "This is the best idea ever and there's nothing that could go wrong with it!" I refer you to the removal reason of the ACP bulk mail option to ignore users preferences (to not receive admin emails) as an example.

In the end, if it's included and an admin abuses the feature to stalk someone, then that person would risk losing their entire member base over it as well as potential legal issues. It wouldn't be my problem, it would be between that admin, the stalked victim and a court system to work out. :)

[alistairgd]

In the end, if it's included and an admin abuses the feature to stalk someone, then that person would risk losing their entire member base over it as well as potential legal issues. It wouldn't be my problem, it would be between that admin, the stalked victim and a court system to work out. :)

Currently, to read all of any members posts all one has to do is click their name, go to their profile and click find all posts. All that has been suggested is to introduce a shortcut to the same result, please explain how this introduces a legal issue. I have no legal training but I find that notion quite bizarre. How could anyone have a legal case against some reading their posts, that they specifically put up there on the forum for reading? :huh:

[Wolfie]

Currently, to read all of any members posts all one has to do is click their name, go to their profile and click find all posts. All that has been suggested is to introduce a shortcut to the same result, please explain how this introduces a legal issue. I have no legal training but I find that notion quite bizarre. How could anyone have a legal case against some reading their posts, that they specifically put up there on the forum for reading? :huh:

It's not illegal to get in your car, drive to a destination and then sit in your car for a period of time then leave, never having gotten out of your car. Also, it's not illegal to do the same thing, but where you don't stop at the destination but merely drive by it. However, both of those acts could be used to stalk someone.

With the tools available even now, it's possible for an admin (or even a regular user, but perhaps with more limitations) to stalk a member. Heck, it's possible to do it using FB and MySpace even. My whole point is to give consideration to how much easier it's being made to accomplish such a goal/action. Again, in the end, if someone does that, it's not my problem when that admin is on the bad end of a stalking charge, regardless of using this or any other feature to commit that crime.

[Tanax]

It's not illegal to get in your car, drive to a destination and then sit in your car for a period of time then leave, never having gotten out of your car. Also, it's not illegal to do the same thing, but where you don't stop at the destination but merely drive by it. However, both of those acts could be used to stalk someone.

With the tools available even now, it's possible for an admin (or even a regular user, but perhaps with more limitations) to stalk a member. Heck, it's possible to do it using FB and MySpace even. My whole point is to give consideration to how much easier it's being made to accomplish such a goal/action. Again, in the end, if someone does that, it's not my problem when that admin is on the bad end of a stalking charge, regardless of using this or any other feature to commit that crime.

Who are you to say an admin are not allowed to track their members' posts? The members are posting on an online forum, ANYONE can track them. And guess what, it's not illegal so it's not a "crime" as you say it is. Everything that is posted on the net I can do whatever I want with as long as it's only for my eyes. If someone posts an awesome picture on FB, I can save it on my computer without breaking any law. I can create an entire folder with pictures of a girl that I think is cute on FB and it wouldn't be breaking the law as long as it's for my private use. If I redistribute the pictures or any other content that was made available on the net without the author's approval, then I'd be breaking the law.

To keep a long story short; Tracking a member's content is not a crime. Actually, this would more likely serve as a way to PREVENT crime. What if you have a troublesome member that you feel is going to derail soon, you can subscribe to his content("stalk" that member) and then when he actually derails you'll be able to react faster and ban him without having many other members see the derailing part(which actually could be a real lawbreaker - like posting childporn).

[Wolfie]

Who are you to say an admin are not allowed to track their members' posts?

Where did I say that admins are not allowed to do so?

The members are posting on an online forum, ANYONE can track them. And guess what, it's not illegal so it's not a "crime" as you say it is. Everything that is posted on the net I can do whatever I want with as long as it's only for my eyes.

So if you stumble upon a site that posts up child porn and you save it to your computer for your eyes only, then you're not breaking the law? Nice. I doubt you do that, but you can see how that logic is flawed already.

If someone posts an awesome picture on FB, I can save it on my computer without breaking any law. I can create an entire folder with pictures of a girl that I think is cute on FB and it wouldn't be breaking the law as long as it's for my private use.

True, but someone who is a stalker could make that same claim.

To keep a long story short; Tracking a member's content is not a crime. Actually, this would more likely serve as a way to PREVENT crime. What if you have a troublesome member that you feel is going to derail soon, you can subscribe to his content("stalk" that member) and then when he actually derails you'll be able to react faster and ban him without having many other members see the derailing part(which actually could be a real lawbreaker - like posting childporn).

I never said that tracking a members content is a crime in and of itself. I said that it has the potential to be abused and used for stalking. Having potential for something doesn't mean that it's a fact.

New member signs up, has a suspicious looking name (say Nike Fanboy, which is a name I just made up in my head so any resemblance to a real member with that name is purely coincidental). Admin decides to track them. They make several posts and within those posts, it becomes clear that they're just a huge fan of Nike shoes and nothing more. Admin stops tracking, all is well. No crime has been committed.

Now, say a long time member has finally posted a few pictures of herself and the admin thinks, "OMG she's hot, I gotta have her!" and starts tracking her so that he (or she) can follow her around like a loyal puppy. Every time she makes a post, s/he is right there on it, reading it ASAP. Okay so far, that sounds innocent enough, but let's say that she's also got a blog and has made several entries private but happens to notice that the admin seems to do exactly what she does, and that the admin lingers in the blogs after she's made a new private entry. Suddenly, that's crossed over from just tracking someone to make sure they don't do something bad into the territory of stalking.

It's not the feature, it's how it's used. If you don't believe it's possible for innocent features to be misused for committing crimes, they you are living in a dream world.

Again, I say, my sole purpose of mentioning it to begin with is to raise awareness to the potential abuse. Should that be a reason to NOT develop the feature? No, of course not. If an admin is determine to 'stalk' someone, they're going to do it. This would only make it easier. Something to keep in mind if you're running a board, one of your admin comments how one of the members is cute and then suddenly they seem to know that members every move. They might be using that feature for just that reason.

[Wolf]

I can create an entire folder with pictures of a girl that I think is cute on FB and it wouldn't be breaking the law as long as it's for my private use. If I redistribute the pictures or any other content that was made available on the net without the author's approval, then I'd be breaking the law.

Actually, in this case you would be. Facebook's terms of service require that you have permission to post anything to FB. Likewise, FaceBook engineers and others can see and distribute the photos that "you own". By posting them to the internet, even privately, you have redistributed them.