Admin read PMs

How do admins, or at least the site owner, read people's private messages?

New legislation states that all written communication online must be logged for a period of time (not sure how many days).

I used phpBB2 before moving to Joomla and they had an add-on where the admins could read private messages incase of a complaint of sexual harassment/indecent exposure.

I run an adult community, but it's a CLEAN adult community - we report all cases of sexual harassment to the offender's ISP and local authorities.

But UddeIM seems to be making my job of protecting my users more difficult as they can't prove their complaints are true anymore by me checking the logs.

Isn't there a plugin for UddeIM that can allow admins to see PM in the Joomla back-panel?

If not, does anyone know any other CB-compatible PM system that does have this feature?

Before posting questions please refer to the FAQ first:


11.1.2 Reading of stored messages in the backend

Is it possible to read messages in the backend?

No, I do not support this and this is not discussible!

I have been asked several times if I can implement a way to display messages written by users in the backend (some other PMS allow this).

Since uddeIM respects a users' privacy - this is why uddeIM also implements features like message obfuscating, so an admin cannot read messages by accident - I will never support features which allows third persons to read messages without the knowledge of the user.


The Message Control Center (Premium Plugin) allows to check reported messages only.

slabbi wrote:

I will never support features which allows third persons to read messages without the knowledge of the user

Well, it's quite simple to solve. When composing a message, in the form, it should have the info "Your message can be read by a main administrators if he wants to. If you don't agree don't use this private message system". IMHO, UddeIM should have this feature for the site administrator for any reasons.

Members can be using your site and communicate between other users to arrange some king of site attack, screw contests, robbery chat, asking for money where the stuff isn't allowed to request money, and too many other bad subjects that the administrator would be warned and block the user and take other attitudes if this is the case.

Maybe it would be selectable in the back-end. If site owners opt to users privacy, just mark a checkbox to opt to 'Not read users messages' and the warning message won't show in the form, if not checked it will be show and admin will get to check messages.

Admins should have also a find tool to try to search for some keyword to see if somebody is talking about this word/subject.

Well, it's a pity UddeIM lacks on it. PLEASE slabbi CHANGE YOUR MIND ON IT! I don't want to remove UddeIM from my site, but it seems I'll have to do so, once this is a very needed feature for me for several reasons.

What are the best competitors that have such feature to give a look?

I will not change my mind.

There is already a feature available to report certain messages to the administrator (those messages can be read by the admin). A general feature to allow admins to read all messages will not be implemented.

slabbi wrote:

I will not change my mind.

May I know your point? I mean, why are you so irreducible in this decision?

There is already a feature available to report certain messages to the administrator (those messages can be read by the admin). A general feature to allow admins to read all messages will not be implemented.

It doesn't refresh anything related to a chat between 2 people that are trying to cheat the system or other bad behavior/intention. If both want to be mean, one won't report the other! So, the admin will never get a report and will never know these 2 guys plot! So, this you have mentioned, doesn't refresh anything for two guys with a bad intention. You will never get a report as admin!

Do you have any competitors module names to share/indicate that allows to read PM from users?

Thanks in advance.

Post edited by: lucato, at: 2010/09/08 10:24

lucato wrote:

It doesn't refresh anything related to a chat between 2 people that are trying to cheat the system or other bad behavior/intention. If both want to be mean, one won't report the other! So, the admin will never get a report and will never know these 2 person plot! So, this you have mentioned, doesn't refresh anything for to persons with a bad intention. You will never get a report as admin!

uddeIM is a "Personal Messaging System". Admins who do not respect their users privacy should use a different PMS.