# Why was Opal's MPSIMS thread removed? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [December 15, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267 "2011-12-15T02:06:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/81 "2011-12-15T04:27:25Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Except it apparently wasn’t actually passworded/private. Comparing this to hacking is like if I type in “[http://boards.straightdope.com/](http://boards.straightdope.com/)” instead of “[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/index.php](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/index.php)” and find the moderator board listed there, and the admins go “OMGZ haX0r!” I’ve stumbled across a couple of directory pages in my time on the internet and you know what? If there’s a folder labeled private, I might open it, but if I found prurient stuff in it, I’d realize that the webpage creator clearly didn’t mean for it to be public, hence the location in a file labeled private. And I certainly wouldn’t start uploading the contents to bayimg or imgur. Now, I’m not exactly a paragon of virtue here but this seems pretty basic kindergarten level stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/82 "2011-12-15T04:27:27Z")
> [@Garfield226](#): > > You misunderstand my question. I was asking what, specifically, you meant by “it gets the job done”. What was your goal? Ending conversation in that thread. ---
**Author:** ![akennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@akennett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akennett)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/83 "2011-12-15T04:27:42Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Peeta and others seem to be supposing this idea that people passing the photos around is some natural phenomenon like the tides or snowfall and her privacy can never be regained. It’s not. The people who found the photos and the people who are passing them around could quite easily decide to respect her privacy and not share or release the photos, especially since she’s made it clear she does not want them out there. If no one were to go looking for them, they’d be functionally private again. Wait, are you talking about the pictures that she, herself, put out into public view? ---
**Author:** ![splatterpunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@splatterpunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/splatterpunk)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/84 "2011-12-15T04:29:04Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Peeta and others seem to be supposing this idea that people passing the photos around is some natural phenomenon like the tides or snowfall and her privacy can never be regained. It’s not. The people who found the photos and the people who are passing them around could quite easily decide to respect her privacy and not share or release the photos, especially since she’s made it clear she does not want them out there. If no one were to go looking for them, they’d be functionally private again. Yeah, and if I wish really hard, I’ll get a pony for Christmas. This is the internet you’re talking about. It _is_ a natural phenomenon. ---
**Author:** ![akennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@akennett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akennett)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/85 "2011-12-15T04:29:22Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I’ve stumbled across a couple of directory pages in my time on the internet and you know what? If there’s a folder labeled private, I might open it, but if I found prurient stuff in it, I’d realize that the webpage creator clearly didn’t mean for it to be public, hence the location in a file labeled private. And I certainly wouldn’t start uploading the contents to bayimg or imgur. Now, I’m not exactly a paragon of virtue here but this seems pretty basic kindergarten level stuff. Really? And what of the content that wasn’t in a folder labeled “private”? As was the case of much of the content under discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/86 "2011-12-15T04:29:50Z")
I’m talking about the pictures that she has deleted from her server. Whatever conclusion you may have drawn about their intended audience based on earlier methods of storage should be adjusted in light of her stated desire. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/87 "2011-12-15T04:31:08Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > In my opinion, Opal is the victim of an extremely rude and offensive act. She did not voluntarily publish adult pictures. Someone with a grudge against her went out of his way to locate those pictures and published them without her knowledge or consent. Opal is not my favorite poster here, but no one deserves to be treated this way. Excuse me, she did exactly that. SHE and SHE alone posted those pics onto her website and in her picture gallery SANS any kind of security whatsoever. Having it out there and LOSING CONTROL OF IT is a very natural consequence of HER choice. HER CHOICE. And not only did she post them once, SHE commented on the snark–nobody else brought that here. SHE did. HER actions, HER choice. And the irony is that she did NOT complain about her privacy being violated: she doesn’t care for the feedback. The internet can be a very cruel place; she’s learned a hard lesson–or maybe not. I still see no reason for the thread to be vanished. Other Dopers have not received that type of treatment despite embarrassing issues coming to light. If she left her house unlocked and it was burgled would you say the same? It’s the same principle: yes, it’s wrong to burgle; but it’s also STUPID to not take security precautions. Her site was not hacked or similar–those pics were avaliable in the gallery(directory? don’t know the lingo) for anyone to come across. Frankly, I’m amazed it took this long for anyone here or in the snackpit to find them. I’m ridiculously ignorant of web design and proper security so I live by a very simple rule: NEVER post anything online that I don’t want my mother to see. It’s very simple to NOT post private stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Peeta\_Mellark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Peeta\_Mellark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peeta_Mellark)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/88 "2011-12-15T04:31:23Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Peeta and others seem to be supposing this idea that people passing the photos around is some natural phenomenon like the tides or snowfall and her privacy can never be regained. It’s not. The people who found the photos and the people who are passing them around could quite easily decide to respect her privacy and not share or release the photos, especially since she’s made it clear she does not want them out there. If no one were to go looking for them, they’d be functionally private again. Don’t mistake resignation to human nature as an endorsement of that kind of behavior. I don’t think it’s right, but it’s what people are going to do. The kind of people who would save the pictures are also the kind who are going to laugh and poke at her all the harder the more upset she gets. The only way you can protect yourself from that is by not putting pictures like that out there to start with or, if you absolutely must share nekkid photos, keep your face out of them. Your lover knows who you are. Nobody else needs to. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/89 "2011-12-15T04:31:44Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I’ve stumbled across a couple of directory pages in my time on the internet and you know what? If there’s a folder labeled private, I might open it, but if I found prurient stuff in it, I’d realize that the webpage creator clearly didn’t mean for it to be public, hence the location in a file labeled private. And I certainly wouldn’t start uploading the contents to bayimg or imgur. Now, I’m not exactly a paragon of virtue here but this seems pretty basic kindergarten level stuff. With that level of “security”, I suspect even Google Image Search found her pictures. Yes, some people were apparently Big Meanies for looking in something labeled “private” but come on - that is not a wise way to store anything on your home computer, much less on the freaking World Wide Web. I’d bet money they’ve been on random skanky Free Pr0n websites for months now. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/90 "2011-12-15T04:32:12Z")
> [@splatterpunk](#): > > Yeah, and if I wish really hard, I’ll get a pony for Christmas. This is the internet you’re talking about. It _is_ a natural phenomenon. Other people’s inability to maintain a reasonable ethical standard doesn’t mean I shouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/91 "2011-12-15T04:33:50Z")
> [@Sierra\_Indigo](#): > > I think you’ll find the number of posters who are actually banned who post at any of the satellite boards is a lot lower than “a significant portion”. I’ve been to the other boards. I’ve found different. Which is not to say that the \*majority \*of them are (or were) troublemakers over here, but they’re a distinct presence. > [@](#): > > Deleting it because of fear of a board war is absolutely ridiculous. The people who don’t want to be here aren’t going to come back simply because of this. I’ve got pages and pages and pages of banned IPs and screen names from sock puppets that suggest otherwise. > [@splatterpunk](#): > > And Idol Thoughts actually thought this would happen in this case? Seriously? Yes, and based on past experience, it’s a reasonable concern. > [@eleanorrigby](#): > > Other Dopers have not received that type of treatment despite embarrassing issues coming to light. Again, the thread was not moved because **Opal** was embarrassed. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/92 "2011-12-15T04:37:07Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > I understand your point, but the fact is, it wasn’t just the personal information that was the case here. It was a thread about the personal information and (directly) about the reaction of another board. It was the latter that spurned me to disappear the thread, not the first. So you panicked and thought–goodness gracious! We cannot have such doings here! Sweep this under the rug and pretend it never happened! > [@](#): > > Posters who post personal information and then later regret it are not protected by the mods, nor are they privileged to any special treatment and this wasn’t the case here (at least barring my decision). It was the personal information _combined_ with the inter-board drama (which is what the topic was soley about). Which the OP did–and she was the ONLY one who did. ALL roads lead to Opal. > [@](#): > > Mentioning personal information is fine. > Mentioning other boards is fine. > But when one topic is about one causing the other, those threads don’t tend to last long. > I fully admit that that thread could have either been locked or vanished. Either way, it puts an end to the discussion. > > I stand by my decision to vanish it. Yeah, that discussion is at a dead end, that is. Nothing to see here. You stand alone by nothing. WTH? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/93 "2011-12-15T04:37:30Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > With that level of “security”, I suspect even Google Image Search found her pictures. Yes, some people were apparently Big Meanies for looking in something labeled “private” but come on - that is not a wise way to store anything on your home computer, much less on the freaking World Wide Web. I’d bet money they’ve been on random skanky Free Pr0n websites for months now. I never said it was wise and it appears that Opal has learned a lesson or two in web security. That doesn’t change the fact that several people here apparently see nothing wrong in taking and sharing other people’s stuff simply because there’s no physical barrier to doing so. I assume, then, that if you lost your wallet, and I found it, you wouldn’t object to me pocketing a 20 or 2 as your security was appalling. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/94 "2011-12-15T04:39:16Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > The internet can be a very cruel place; she’s learned a hard lesson–or maybe not. I vote “not.” She’s suffered no real harm from the kerfluffle. She’s gained the attention she craves. She’s marshaled her defenders. She’s been allowed to engage in behavior that others on this board are not allowed. She’s manipulated the moderators, and skirted the rules. She’s accomplished what she wished. ---
**Author:** ![Oldeb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ea666f/32.png) [@Oldeb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oldeb)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/95 "2011-12-15T04:39:43Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Again, the thread was not moved because **Opal** was embarrassed. Well, it wasn’t _moved_ at all… ---
**Author:** ![brownie55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/96 "2011-12-15T04:39:49Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I never said it was wise and it appears that Opal has learned a lesson or two in web security. That doesn’t change the fact that several people here apparently see nothing wrong in taking and sharing other people’s stuff simply because there’s no physical barrier to doing so. I assume, then, that if you lost your wallet, and I found it, you wouldn’t object to me pocketing a 20 or 2 as your security was appalling. She still has everything she started with. Nothing was stolen. Your analogy fails. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/97 "2011-12-15T04:39:57Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I’ve been to the other boards. I’ve found different. Which is not to say that the \*majority \*of them are (or were) troublemakers over here, but they’re a distinct presence. > > I’ve got pages and pages and pages of banned IPs and screen names from sock puppets that suggest otherwise. You seem to mistake those who were banned (i.e. _removed forcibly by you_) for those who _don’t want_ to be here. Those who were banned from here make up a very small number of users of the other boards. Do some of them try to come back with socks? Probably. And there’s probably equal numbers of banned ex-posters who DON’T post at any of the spinoff boards and yet do the same thing. The disgruntled ex-members who simply don’t want to be here, simply don’t post here. They make up a larger proportion than the bannees, and yeah - they may read here, but they don’t post, they don’t register sock puppets and they don’t go out of their way to come back here and argue with y’all for the most part. Once again, most of the cross-pollination comes from posters who AREN’T banned and HAVEN’T stormed off in a huff, but who feel (rightly) that they still have input because they are still members here, and still want to post here. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/98 "2011-12-15T04:41:00Z")
> [@Oldeb](#): > > Well, it wasn’t _moved_ at all… Yes, it was. It was moved to the Moderation forum. Which, obviously, only moderators and administrators can see. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/99 "2011-12-15T04:41:57Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I never said it was wise and it appears that Opal has learned a lesson or two in web security. That doesn’t change the fact that several people here apparently see nothing wrong in taking and sharing other people’s stuff simply because there’s no physical barrier to doing so. I assume, then, that if you lost your wallet, and I found it, you wouldn’t object to me pocketing a 20 or 2 as your security was appalling. Good idea! Let’s all put “private” on our wallets so that thieves know to respect that the contents are private if they find them, and so they don’t steal the contents! ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267/100 "2011-12-15T04:42:01Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > So you panicked and thought–goodness gracious! We cannot have such doings here! Sweep this under the rug and pretend it never happened! I really don’t know how you can honestly think this is the case, obviously people are going to know the topic did exist and (more often than not) wonder what happened to it. And so, this will usually lead to a thread that someone will start asking “What happened to blah blah blah?”. My removing it was to remove inter-board drama stemmed from personal information, not to pretend something didn’t happen. > [@](#): > > Which the OP did– Exactly. Which is why I vanished it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-opals-mpsims-thread-removed/606267.md?page=6)