# Monitoring on MOOs and wizards' roles

Rich Connamacher (phantom@baymoo.sfsu.edu)
Tue, 19 Sep 1995 17:53:42 PDT

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    On Tue, 19 Sep 1995, Kenny Root wrote:

    >   I'd like to address the issue of wizards using their power to monitor
    > people through the use of #0:do_command and other such devices.  Is this
    > morally wrong?  I'd like to hear what people think about the use of
    > things like this that are in use at places such as CaxyMOO and HT (last
    > time I checked).
    >   Comments, anyone?

    This depends on the goal of your MOO.  No, it wouldn't be morally wrong
    to monitor people if you let them know in advance.  Like, stick something
    on $login.welcome_message saying that all users are being monitored for
    such-and-such a reason.  If they're told in advance, no player can
    reasonally object to being monitored.

    It would be morally wrong to monitor players on a MOO that boasts
    privacy, such as BayMOO.  Ofcourse, if you're being attacked by a system
    cracker, and need to know what all ways there are to get in, then, by all
    means, use #0:do_command.  Ofcourse, it'd take some pretty enginious way
    to do it, since the cracker would be able to see #0:do_command if s/he
    had wiz permissions.  This was used once on BayMOO to nab a cracker.
    (The hole was patched immediately after the player @toaded and his site
    @blacklisted).

    All I can say is: use your own judgement.

    Phantom