Super Admin

meetdilip

I have seen some boards offer " Super Admin " status to board owner. It happens that, at time, you will have give ACP access others. Like for support or adding co-admin. In that case, Super Admin keeps the owners admin account secure. In simple words, " Super Admin " is a protected admin account.

Just wondering if we can see something similar in Flarum.

Davis

meetdilip I feel like that kind of thing is ridiculous. If you can't trust a user to not mess with your admin permissions, they shouldn't be an admin in the first place. They could do much worse than remove your permissions. They could delete every post and thread on the forums. You can protect yourself from this with backups. Your "super user" is access to the database.

jordanjay29

Davis Just playing devil's advocate here (as I'm inclined to agree with you), how do you handle hosted situations like Flarum.com, where database access does not reside with the "owner"?

meetdilip

I have seen many cases where the relation between co admin and admin went rouge from initial friendship. When you work as a team, it is quite possible that you have to contradict one another. Someone is going to take it personal. I understand when you say that " he can do more harm ". But normally hosting resides with the owner. So you cannot damage a super user from the ACP.

Also, you would be asking for a demo admin account if you are into support one time or another. With backup to safeguard, you have a lighter heart sharing admin account ( ACP access ).

Personally, I know a case when a hacker compromised an admin account due to bad password. He then disabled all other admin accounts. An owner is thus given as a prey due to unintentional mistake by co -admin.

MyBB still do this thing. Another board that gives the same is SMF. These two had lion's share in free boards since a long time. There must be something that prompted these boards to keep it all these time.

jordanjay29

meetdilip I have seen many cases where the relation between co admin and admin went rouge from initial friendship.

In the same vein, it's equally possible for the "super" admin to go rogue. In which case, they have unlimited control from being the super admin, even if they're not the host owner or have database access. This sometimes happens when ownership changes hands or someone sets up a board for the owner.

It'd probably be more useful to educate Flarum users on the subject of backups and why they're incredibly useful in situations like these, rather than trying to choose which user to grant holy righteousness or whether it should be grantable at all.

meetdilip

jordanjay29 n the same vein, it's equally possible for the "super" admin to go rogue. In which case, they have unlimited control from being the super admin, even if they're not the host owner or have database access. This sometimes happens when ownership changes hands or someone sets up a board for the owner.

I guess a super admin badge ( irrevocable ) can fix that. An owner ( who is not aware of this feature ) would certainly check about another person having a Super Admin badge.

Davis

I'd say database backups are the only safeguard from rouge admins.

jordanjay29

meetdilip How does that fix the problem?

If I set up your board for you, I'm the super admin, right? I'd be the only account at setup time, that'd be the logical way to assign it. So even though I've given your account admin status, and it's your hosting account with db access, I still have powers that can't be removed (without tinkering in the database, which the average user isn't comfortable with). I could log in at any time and muck with things, right?

meetdilip

Giving the password of that first account would be an easier way. Don't you think ?

jordanjay29

meetdilip Easier than allowing that account to be demoted? No, I wouldn't agree.

meetdilip

I am sorry, I didn't follow you.

jordanjay29

meetdilip Okay, so continuing the scenario I painted (I set up your board for you). Your suggestion is I give up the password for that account (or scramble it or something to make it inaccessible to me). My suggestion is that the account simply be demoted (and Flarum having the capability to do so).

Between these two suggestions, I believe mine is easier. Easier in terms of 1. You're not required to trust my account anymore. and 2. I can continue to be a member of your site, sans permissions (or with the permission set you want to give me).

I would even ask for a non dismissable notice on ACP saying that super admin is privileged and owner should keep it with himself and nobody else.

Sure, but I've just set up a scenario where the Super Admin and the Owner are not the same person. The notice is already invalid.

Basically, I'm advocating Occam's Razor here. Choose the simplest solution, which is to make admins demotable. Don't like an admin? Demote them? Someone demoted you (and you're the site owner)? Well, first of all, you made a bad choice in your admin. Second, restore your db backup, demote them and carry on with your life.

meetdilip

I would even ask for a non dismissable notice on ACP saying that super admin account is privileged and owner should keep it with himself and nobody else.

meetdilip

My only concern about requesting a " Super Admin " account is the scenario's I mentioned in the first post. If there are some singularities, then we need to find ways to iron it out.