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While we are talking about the new changes, is it just me or can you not send pictures in a pm anymore?
Another nice upgrade.
No, it's not an upgrade. It's a security issue.
I was considering bringing it back. Until it was found that a member (and possibly more) were using it to send finical information. Since there's no way to block someone from sending a scanned image of finical info, it's not coming back.
There's two things at play Ron. Yes private messages are not out there for the world to see. However, they're owned on our database. I do not want ANY financial information being stored here. It's simply a liability we will not assume.
The pic issue opened up this risk to us, but has been expanded into other things that might become an issue.
The short of it is this. Sure I could bring it back into the site. HOWEVER, the system is very "dumb" when it comes to attachments. Attachments are not private in anyway. Even those ones sent in a PM. The system takes the attachment and stores it into the database and gives it an attachment ID. There's no way around that. Now couple this fact to it. With some work, I could find all the attachments someone uploaded here. However I can't say "Oh attachment 'a8fnsbvg' is a picture of a check". Not without physically pulling down every attachment a user posted and viewing them one by one until I find the image in question.
Again, we do not want any financial information stored here on the site. If a user needs to convey sensitive information of that nature, I suggest using a phone or other outside means.
(There are a few other factors that play into this as well that I'm not going to discuss as well)
What about The CLASSIFIEDS, This NO PICTURES IN PMs CHANGE, DIRECTLY EFFECTS MY JOB as the Classifieds MOD because PICTURES in PMs ARE USED in the PROCESS of doing MY JOBMy point about the images is this...
We (the site) want no responsibility of having/keeping any financial information from anyone here. (That's why the upgrade system is powered by Paypal or a payment sent directly to Steel Soldiers LLC) If it's text, I can easily search it out in the database and tend to the data (report/remove) as needed. Images just opens up a different can of worms that is and is not related.
First ----- The Classifieds RULES state that ad posters ARE REQUIRED to respond to PM and post question, PMs and POST are usually answered by PMs, this includes request for PICTURES either by PM or POST.
Second - As the Classifieds Mod, I routinely get "I paid but did not receive", "I shipped but not paid", "I received wrong part"," suppossed to be NOS, (not)", "Paid but not picked up", ect. I ask for a PICTURE of the payment info, shipping info, PICTURE of item in question to help in handling the situation, A PICTURE is worth a 1000 words, I can SEE what is being decussed.
Third --- As the Classifieds Mod, I routinely ask for PICTURES of vehicles and items when there is a OWNERSHIP QUESTION.
Forth --- As the Classifieds Mod, I routinley ask for PICTURES of vehicles and items when there is a reported SOLD QUESTION.
Fifth --- As the Classifieds Mod, I routinley ask for PICTURES when the description does not make sense ( a a3 but a a2 is described) so on, so on.
I can go on and give a bunch more reasons how PICTURES HELP in doing my JOB as the Classifieds MOD, and before I get the "EMAIL" spiel, PICTURES via PM KEEPS ALL the info in one place (on SITE) so I can go back and forth between the classifieds and the PM text/PICTURE, IF email is used, this MAKES TWO DIFFERENT sites and make it almost impossible to move between the two dealing with whatever with any kind of a REASONABLE time frame, in another words, dealing with TWO DIFFERENT SITES would be a MAJOR WASTE OF TIME.
Also the above CHANGE reasons sound like double talk because ANYTHING on the web can be found no matter where it is if some one wants to find it bad enough, and I GUARANTEE you that this SITE IS monitored 24/7, either electronically or hands on. so with that being said, if the watchers want to know some info, they will have it already.