Become a Patron!

ECF Hits An All Time New Low!

UncleRJ

Will write reviews for Beer!
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
Reviewer
Moderator
Even though I spend 99.9% of my forum time here on The Underground, like most of us, I also belong to a few other forums.

Recently, I was contacted by an ECF member via the ECF Personal Message System like the one we have available to us here.

So we started to chat back and forth on a particular subject not really related to vaping but still of mutual interest.

I quickly learned to my horrified surprize when I was talking about my stupid and lazy bitch that I am stuck with as my rural postal carrier, I saw that my Private Message had been censored. The word "Bitch!" had been replaced with" :.....!"

And when I replied about the censorship, I used the term "WTF". Guess what, that got censored as well.

I know for certain sure that the Private Message System here is actually "Private". None of the Admins or Moderators can take a peek what we are talking about behind the scenes. Nore are we interested. Sure it could be done but it would take a massive effort and most likely screw the whole forum up.

But ECF?

I am almost willing to bet that if one of the ECF members used the names of Classwide, Rolygate or Old Soldier and the rest of that motley crew, that they would get an alert and be able to take a look at the PM that used their names.

Censorship really? In this day and age?

WTF!
 

robot zombie

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Yeah, censorship is kinda silly when you consider that forums based around e-cigs are implicitly for adults. We kicked the smokes, can we at least keep the damn's?

I think it's an automatic script that censors stuff on their forums. I remember that being the case back when it misfired and auto-censored something completely innocuous in a post of mine a while back.

I hope and somehow doubt that they're actually reading PM's. It would be extremely impractical to do this. In some forum software, it's easier to do than with others, but with a forum of that size, it would still be tedious. Like you said.

I do feel you on their obsession with being squeaky-clean. There is such a thing as doing too much to bolster one's own image. It can end up alienating people in a bad way.
 

Whiskey

Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
tumblr_mpwzp2EsTu1qbvdd4o9_250_zpsgrn0bykk.gif
 

VapnJake

Bronze Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I used to frequent a particular vehicle enthusiasts forum and they too had the censorship... However instead of using symbols or periods it would substitute completely ridiculous words so when you get pissed about something the forum made you seem like you were just goofing off... lol
 

mink

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF are real turds and their interception of communications is quite possibly, and very probably, illegal
 
Last edited:

Teresa P

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Personally, this is the only vaping forum I've ever taken part in and I did consider several before making a final choice. I knew I didn't have the time to dedicate to more than one. Whenever I read posts like this, I pat myself on the back for choosing the right one. ;)
 

Mattp169

Platinum Contributor
Vape Media
Member For 5 Years
ECF are real turds and their interception of communications is quite possibly, and very probably, illegal
Actually its not

Whoever owns the forum sets the rules. if joe wanted to censor the word elephant on here, he could. And its his right to do so since its his forum.

So ecf has a script running that censors private messages. Thats what the ownership of ECF wants, either deal with it or dont use it. Its their forum.
 

Whiskey

Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Actually its not

Whoever owns the forum sets the rules. if joe wanted to censor the word elephant on here, he could. And its his right to do so since its his forum.

So ecf has a script running that censors private messages. Thats what the ownership of ECF wants, either deal with it or dont use it. Its their forum.
SJ does NOT make the rules in there, he lets his admin take care of that, he demoted himself from all that about 2 years ago, you have 2 or 3 that call the shots over there and the rest of the staff follows their reign, and I am sure you know who thinks they are top dogs

tumblr_lzmuexfpKm1qiyg3so1_500_zpsgya6exr3.gif
 
Last edited:

BoomStick

Gold Contributor
Member For 5 Years
ECF is based in the UK and VU is based in the US. The difference between here and there doesn't surprise me and they censor more than words over there. Simply expressing an opinion can get you banned. Fuck ecf. Fucking arrogant nazi assholes. You would think Europeans would have learned by now.
 

BoomStick

Gold Contributor
Member For 5 Years
I'm making generalizations about cultural differences. I'm not talking about your friends.
 

Browncoat

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
Vape Media
Would you care to share with the rest of the class?
As someone who has moderated and owned forums, the software makes it neigh impossible for even the highest level admins to read private messages. Could it be done? Absolutely. But it would require altering the software and manipulating the database. As shady as ECF is, I don't see them going that far. It's certainly not something the average moderator could just make a few clicks and do.

More than likely, they have a list of censored words and phrases that extends to PM's as well.
 

Haadkoe

Bronze Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
As someone who has moderated and owned forums, the software makes it neigh impossible for even the highest level admins to read private messages. Could it be done? Absolutely. But it would require altering the software and manipulating the database. As shady as ECF is, I don't see them going that far. It's certainly not something the average moderator could just make a few clicks and do.

More than likely, they have a list of censored words and phrases that extends to PM's as well.
Actually, with vbulletin and phbb it was insanely easy for those with admin level access to view private messages. Unsure about this forum software, but if it isn't included natively, I can guarantee it's a simple plug in install away.
 

BigNasty

Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
Brittard sensibilities with that hate speech and thought crime.
 

TangoWhisky

Member For 4 Years
ECF is based in the UK and VU is based in the US. The difference between here and there doesn't surprise me and they censor more than words over there. Simply expressing an opinion can get you banned. Fuck ecf. Fucking arrogant nazi assholes. You would think Europeans would have learned by now.

I have to say, although I know nothing of this ECF forum, here in the UK we have (I believe) the most CCTV surveillance of anywhere in the world - except where I really needed it when I was knocked off my bike by a hit and run driver, just down the road from a police station lol...as we say over here: "twat"!

Anyway, I always assume now that whatever I say on the phone, write on the internet etc. may be subject to external viewing. This could be considered a sad state of affairs but, ultimately, I figure that if people want to waste their time monitoring my petty life and commentaries then more fool them. I'm sure that there are bigger fish to fry and they can find them through all the noise.

:)
 

AstroTurf

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Member For 5 Years
Where is the dedicated ProVari Forum around here?!?

A soon to be former ecf member, Jim
 

AstroTurf

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Member For 5 Years
We don't have one here but your more than welcome to start a dedicated thread. I know there's a lot provari users out there
Thanks!!!

Thumbs Up!!!

Jim
 

itsyourmove

Hockey Fan
VU Donator
Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Anyone know when the idiot retired1 on ecf is going to retire.
 

trlrtrash13

Bronze Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
Filters work the same way emoticons do. The software is coded to turn the consecutive use of : and ) into a smile face . In the same manner, it can be coded to turn the consecutive use of f, u, c, and k into **** or whatever they want. In order to do it on an individual basis, they would have to go into the database and alter the message. There's zero chance they are doing that. If an emoticon works both in the general forum and in private messages, chances are that their word filters work the same way.
TT
 

itsyourmove

Hockey Fan
VU Donator
Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
If they let me back in , Id send him into "early" retirement, I knows how......LOL, tell him Whiskey sends a big juicy kiss
The only thing I wish to send him is a left hook to the jaw.
 

skoony

Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Member For 5 Years
one might read the forum rules.
nah,why do that?
i will admit however their filters are a little wacked.
i tried to use the phrase "posh lavish digs" to
describe my abode and the word "posh" was censored.
i have yet to find a offensive connotation to that word.
does anyone here have an idea?
regards
mike
 

UncleRJ

Will write reviews for Beer!
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
Reviewer
Moderator
Update,

Still talking to my buddy over on ECF.

Strangely enough about a subject, non vaping related (Vintage Double Edged Safety Razors) and I just noticed that in the PM's we exchange there is a freaking REPORT POST option!

Seems to me if that works, they are 100% able to read PMs!
 

JYnXX

Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Thought that was just P3 thread. :oops:. Ok I will go back over there. Thanks.
 

Browncoat

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
Vape Media
Strangely enough about a subject, non vaping related (Vintage Double Edged Safety Razors) and I just noticed that in the PM's we exchange there is a freaking REPORT POST option!

Seems to me if that works, they are 100% able to read PMs!

The Conversation system here on VU also has a REPORT option. By the same logic, then the mods here can read everyone's PM's as well.
 

VU Sponsors

Top