I'm kinda surprised by this whole thing. From day one, it made sense to me (granted, yes not everyone thinks/understands the same way) that everything, yes
everything, is moderated. The greeting message that everyone receives (which has gone through some changes over the years) specifically states:
that ALL communications made here are filtered by the website for content.
The word used is
"communications". It is not "posts", "replies", "chat", or anything else. And it's also clearly stated that said communications are
"filtered." For the less technically-apt, and I've discovered that there are definitely a fair share of guys who are not so technically apt (this was new to me), perhaps that might not be clear. But, to think that someone is regularly reading every line on here... that's kinda crazy.
Could the wording there be changed to something better, more clear? Probably. It's rare that something can't be improved.
But for the quantity of technology and user agreements that we blindly agree to in this day and age, MS is most definitely not a deceitful or sly actor here.
When I first joined, I was taken aback when I received a friendly (yes, it was friendly) mod warning about having shared and email address or suggested going off-site. Part of why I was taken aback was needing to come to terms with my own naïvety. But I wasn't surprised that it got caught. And I was rather thankful for the work that the mods do to make sure that this is a safe place. And after the whole infiltration debacle about 2 years ago... boy oh boy... the mods have certainly got an important job. But they're human, and also need to remember tact. I know they always have been with me.
I very much disagree that the mail icon is misleading. The drop down menu clearly states "Start a new conversation". There's nothing misleading there. If you're having a convo in a pub, bar, restaurant, café, bus, train, plane (much worse on a plane!), anyone can hear you. Your private email account isn't so private either. And changing the icon is just not a feasible thing.
Maybe I'm wrong here. But I also disagree about the necessity of putting a warning on a hair dryer. Put it there if you want, but the requirement to have it is crazy.
The mods and admins can't force anyone to read guidelines, or even a warning on the page that starts the PM, or whatever we'd like to call it. And even if there was something there, doesn't mean that it would be read. And to have to check a box before sending every message... that's crazy.
Of course, it would also mean that the mod who's gotta intervene in a PM-situation needs to be careful and sensitive to how the intervention is introduced. There's a huge responsibility there.
I gotta say too that whole staff does a great job. My personal concerns have been taken seriously, situations looked into. They're very dedicated, and serious about this place, and even more serious about guys here. That's a promise. And after having actual conference call with some admins, I can only confirm and reaffirm and reaffirm their efforts and dedication and devotion.