Hmmmm, I'm going to step in here for a moment on this subject, because I wonder if there is a bit more to this than has been discussed so far. It's been stated by the admins & moderators that site mail or email might be looked at in cases such as "harrassment, attacking, threats, etc." Those particular examples sound okay to me...I'd guess that in such situations that one of the parties (probably the receiver of the messages?) welcomes (maybe even requests) the aid & investigation by the admins.

But the TOS asserts the general right for the admins to look at these things, and I don't see any restrictions stated as to the circumstances. How about these??

• What if a member regularly complains in the forums about the site (e.g., site speed, conversion issues, general fairness of how members are treated by the admins, etc). Does this member become a subject of having their private messages or email scrutinized by the admins?

• What if a member posts a controversial image in the galleries, one which fully conforms to the TOS, but which some admin strongly dislikes. Does this member suddenly get their private messages or email scrutinized by the admins?

• What if a member who purchased a product in the store is really unhappy with the item, complains bitterly about it but can never get the matter resolved either with the merchant or the store manager. The member NEVER makes any threats, or harrassment or personal attacks, but has a heated argument with the store manager about the issue. Can this member's private messages or email be scrutinized by the admins?

• What if an admin learns that a member has been discussing that admin ON A TOTALLY DIFFERENT SITE...perhaps making disparaging remarks about that admin...but NONE of that discussion is ever made on Renderosity. Does this member's private messages or email get rifled through, too?

• What if a Renderosity merchant has a dispute with the admins concerning a product. Can the admins go through the merchant's emails & private messages looking for incriminating evidence against the merchant?

• What happens if a member gets banned from the site because some admin has misinterpreted the member's email or private messages...reads something out of context or thinks it says something it, in fact, doesn't.

I frankly was surprised to hear that the TOS asserted the right of the admins to read these messages & emails. Initially, quite shocked, in fact. I'd like to know the answers to the hypothetical scenarios that I suggested above. I suspect the answer is "Yes" on many if not all of these, and that would be real food for thought.

While I would agree that the admins probably don't have alot of spare time to just sit around reading member's private messages, it does seem like a rather slippery slope and a real intrusion in the member's privacy.

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