I should probably start by saying I run a huge fansite. Recently, we switched hosts due to a bandwith issue. Our new site is more or less a fansite collective host, so we're an addon domain on that site now. Anyway, I was without computer access for about a week while the changes were being made, and my "second-in-command" was in the hospital, so I had to resort to a member of my website team to communicate with the new host. I made it clear that that was all she was doing, but you see, this girl's 13 and, frankly, a power freak, lol. I'm talking she tries to be moderator of every board she frequents, has like 20 fanlistings, even though she doesn't know html, php, cgi, etc. at all, and now, she's apparently trying to take over my site. She confused our host into thinking she was the administrator, and now she has administrative controls, whereas I (who own the domain and have been running the site since it opened) do not. I've told the host of the problem, and I don't think that it should be that big of a deal to get the admin controls switched back into my name. My question is... how do I communicate this to her without sounding mean? I don't want her to just be surprised when she suddenly can't log into admin controls, but I'm sick of her having access to files she shouldn't. Anyone have any ideas?

Just email/talk to her and tell her it's your site, you're the admin of it and you're going to get control of it back.

Who is actually paying for the hosting?

Whoever pays, has the control. There really isn't any way of getting around that I dont think...

She's not paying, and actually, neither am I. Our host pays to keep the site running. We have to link their forum, and they pay our hosting for bringing in more users.

Before the server switch, I had her in charge of some of the sections on the site, but she didn't even have full access to the mainwebsite_html/public_html files. And now she has access to everything, and she's already changed some of the team's passwords and such, so they don't have access to the site.

It seems like her actions in this case are just cause for you to remove her without explanation. Of course, you can if you want. But, I wouldn't feel obligated. Much less to approach it with kid gloves or anything. Just tell her she isn't right for your vision and be done with her.

Wow, sounds like you have a big mess, I think I would regain control, change every password there, and not allow her any access. Maybe that is harsh, but it seems that she has some MAJOR power/control issues that need to be dealt with of she may harm your site further in the future, but make SURE as soon as you get control you change EVERY password.

If I am reading this right it would seem that this girl has full control right now. The thread starter would have to regain control and then remove her. Since you aren't paying for the hosting that may be your toughest struggle, but it will have to be your first order of business....

Eh. It's so complicated, lol. She's a friend of my junior admin, which further complicates it. The way I'm looking at it, is that if she's changed the passwords, for all I know she could be tampering with the email, reading other people's messages, all that. It's a privacy issue now, too, and I know she didn't mean to cause any harm, but she's a kid. Not to mention her father's like, one of the wealthiest men in the state, and he'll be on my a** for a while, depending on how I handle this. It's not like "firing" her, since it's a non-profit thing, but...

Just make sure you have control before you talk to her.

Heh. That's what I think I'm going to do. I'll wait until the site configuration data is switched and then slowly faze her out.

Originally posted by SoftWareRevue
It seems like her actions in this case are just cause for you to remove her without explanation. Of course, you can if you want. But, I wouldn't feel obligated. Much less to approach it with kid gloves or anything. Just tell her she isn't right for your vision and be done with her.

Absolutely. Make sure you have full reins first. Get some help with security on that site, your email, and anything else at risk. Once you have it all locked up, give her big smile and hand her her hat.

Spank her ass and send her to her corner.
A 13 year old telling adults what to do?
Not in my house.

If it were my site, the egomaniac's IP would be banned, and if your Junior Admin has problems with it, just lay out the facts. You can block anyone from entering your server you want and her rich-snooty father who brought her up this way can't do anything about it.