Member Snoop?

Is there a process to log on as one of my members?
updated by @eminyard: 11/02/16 05:02:03AM

You don't have access to their password. You'd have to first change their password to a new one, and use your new password to log in as them. These are safeguards for everyone's privacy so private messages cannot be read by others, for one thing. Also so a person (even a site owner) cannot do bad things under someone else's name.

Because you won't be able to see their current password you can't: change it, log in, and then change it back to what they had to cover your tracks. Thus, once you change their pw, they won't be able to log in anymore unless either you give them their new password or they attempt to change their password via some 'forgot my password' process. They might then suspect what you did if they're savvy.

I've had a couple cases where a member died and I had to decide whether to let their family know they could actually read the person's private messages if I changed the pw and gave it to them. So far, I have not contacted families about that, 'cause I wasn't sure if it would actually be a good thing or not. I wouldn't want to cause them more pain or create a problem based on what they might discover.


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015
updated by @strumelia: 08/02/16 04:02:48PM

Thanks for the reply. I've been running our current site for over 10 years - was an admin even longer there. We found it quite helpful to be able to back door in to the site, as Admin, to help with basic problems. Not really "snooping", per se, but backdoor access.

In the case of what we need to do, resetting the password shouldn't be an issue -

Do you actually need to login as your user? As a Master (or profile) admin when viewing a profile page you effectively take on that profile's identity and can see all his items, posts etc.


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Paul Asher - JR Developer and System Import Specialist

Paul - that was the question (or the answer). For example, yesterday, one of my current admins was invited to experiment with the JR site. She told me that she had uploaded songs, but none were showing up. My goal was to log in as her, to attempt the upload. I could not find a way to do that.

I did wind up resetting her PW, then was successful in uploading a song. Still unsure of what her problem was - I suspect that she failed to hit save.

Regardless, it's this type of issue wherein the "snoop" functionality is helpful.

Its unlikely that we'll automatically save actual (non-encrypted) user passwords as that compromises all of Jamroom and user security. Here at Jamroom, if we need to login as a user in order to support our code, we just ask the user for the password.


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Paul Asher - JR Developer and System Import Specialist

eminyard,
After hearing the scenario you describe in which such a function would be used, I have a suggestion:
You can create two testing profiles- one with regular member status, and another with admin or moderator status. Then you can share the password for these two profiles as needed with your admins or moderators and use it to test issues. For example, if you created an admin test profile "George", then you could have your invited admin that was having a problem log in as George to do her upload testing, and you could also test via George profile too. Then when she was done you could always change George's PW again so she could no longer go back in and cause problems later on.
I keep both an admin and a regular member test profile for these purposes. Also when you have someone help you on the site you can give them access to the test admin profile, and then change the PW again when they are done with their work...just to be on the safe side.
Perhaps you have done this all along and know all that- if so, just ignore the above. It seemed like the logical approach to me for these purposes though.


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015

Thanks to both of you for the responses. I certainly do understand the restriction - I am a security professional on my "day job". Our members are typically pretty easy-going, so either changing their PW or asking for it should be a workable solution.

As for the test accounts - yes, I do follow that practice. It gives me a way to obserrve the workings of the site, from a user perspective.

I realize that I have much to learn about Jamroom. It's coming easier for me, though. Now that I'm getting my legs under me, I'll be looking for the right resources to help with our conversion - that's where the fun will begin!