Sensitive sites and technical support Topic is solved

[Mæstro]

I mentioned in passing in another thread that my own university’s website breaks in certain ways in Pale Moon. It occurred to me that there are several unrelated reasons that a user may seek technical support for a given site in Pale Moon, but the site’s own nature discourages making a thread in the ordinary way. The following are obvious, moot examples, not at all exhaustive.

• The website concerns a local institution, such that revealing the site’s identity would reveal his home town, workplace etc.
• The website breaks when submitting financial or other personal information, eg on a bank site after logging in.
• The website is political, religious or otherwise identifies the user as part of a controversial or persecuted group.
• The website is somehow embarrassing, eg a web page discussing a specific medical problem the user suffers.
• The website is pornographic.

I am not particularly concerned about my own case, which belongs to the first item in the list, but what should somebody do if there are good reasons for not publicly disclosing the concerned site’s identity, but he needs technical help?

[Moonchild]

what should somebody do if there are good reasons for not publicly disclosing the concerned site’s identity, but he needs technical help?

Make a post explaining the site is sensitive and ask for guidance how to provide the information we need to provide support. It may not always be possible, especially if the user is not very tech savvy, but I'm sure we as a community can guide someone "blind" through some troubleshooting steps and devtools instructions.

[Stargate38]

Or they could directly PM Moonchild with the website link, so it doesn't go public. I see no reason why this couldn't be done.

[Moonchild]

Please don't send private messages "cold". I am just one person already wearing many, many hats. Always go the community route first and if necessary I can personally look into something that might be too sensitive (if you can trust me with things requiring confidentiality. FTR: I do not have issue with any sort of graphical content or what not) but that should never be the first choice. Or the second.

[BenFenner]

Another option is to lie.

"I have a remote co-worker/client/family-member/shaman trying to access such and such, and they are having trouble so I'm trying myself and it's not working for me either. Particularly Pale Moon gives this response: ..."

"I'm doing research for a book/movie/fan-fic I'm writing and can't seem to access such and such properly. ... "

Or similar. Get creative.

[Moonchild]

Don't lie.
Just... don't.

[Mæstro]

Perhaps this thread should be locked. After you already gave the legitimate answer to my original question, we have got two people proposing far worse alternatives.