[__zh]

Hadn't been logged in for while and last time logging in both boxes (IN and OUT) were less than the previous session. Took a look and noticed that the PMs are self deleting after one year?

Is this spelled out anywhere in the user guidelines? Was this a new rule after the implementation of the new forum s/w? Did we miss reading up on the new way things would be?

Very distressing to have lost many PMs not knowing that they'd be gone. We would have copied them to local disc to save had we known they were time limited.

Please update information about forums and PMs if they're self deleting after a year period. Would be very helpful for those with mental disease/disorder who use this place as something of a journal to keep track of their issues.

Kind of hard to do when large chunks of material are gone suddenly.........maybe not sudden to you but definitely a shocker to us to realize a goodly portion of PMs are now gone gone gone.

[(JD)]

Yes it was something that came with a new server, which has now also been replace I think It was of course a SPACE problem.

Sorry you lost PMs that were important to you. They all used to be that way to me too. In fact, I just again went into the oldest ones and copied and sent to _Sky the ones I need to keep (like the siggy's members have sent me) I do this every six months as habit. GO figure.

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[Rhapsody]

Per Doc John - Post in Announcements

Title: Please delete or save your private messages
#48614 - 04/08/04 01:10 pm

Hi folks,

Over the past few years, we've allowed members to have as many private messages as they wanted within their private Inbox. Unfortunately, this has led to some members deciding never to delete messages sent to them! That was never the intention of the private messaging system (which really isn't meant to replace ordinary email).

Effective May 1, 2004, all private messages older than 360 days will be deleted from the system. In addition, if you have more than 300 private messages in your account, messages greater than 301 will be deleted.

If you want to save any of these messages, your only recourse is to copy and paste them into your own email system or a document on your computer.

Sorry we have to do this, but it's a part of an attempt to better maintain our forums and do some technical housecleaning. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Thanks!
DocJohn

* * * * * * * * *

[kimmydawn]

I'm sorry you weren't aware of that, zh.

It was discussed a time or two. Here's one of the posts I found about it.

There is unlimited storage now, but they automatically delete after a year.

http://tinyurl.com/ylv6rq

kd

[Sarah116]

Thanks for letting me know that. Many sites I have been to have done the same thing. Believe it or not just the PMs or mini mail takes up an awful lot of space!

[alexandra]

It is a shame there isn't a message about that in our inboxes...

[Rhapsody]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
alexandra said:
It is a shame there isn't a message about that in our inboxes...

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

That would be a good ideal..... for the POST that DocJohn made on this subject (when it changed) was back in 2004.

LINK: http://forums.psychcentral.com/showf...b=5&o=&fpart=1


LoVe,
Rhapsody -

[DocJohn]

Sorry folks, the forum software here doesn't allow me to send a PM to every member, because if I could, I would.

[Rhapsody]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
DocJohn said:
Sorry folks, the forum software here doesn't allow me to send a PM to every member, because if I could, I would.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

Not so much a PM to everyone...... but rather an INSERT of WORDS that can be read by all when they log on to their inbox page - What about that ideal? - this can be used for future FYI to all new members, concerning PM/e-mails.

LoVe,
Rhapsody -

Ok. Could you put a little message someplace conspicuous in the inbox?

Something like 'PM's will be deleted after one year AND after the inbox hits 300 so BACK UP your important PM's'

[DocJohn]

I bumped the limit up to 2 years. From now on, you will have 2 years to hold on to PMs if you'd like, and then they will start to be automatically deleted (oldest first).

I couldn't find anywhere it was deleting messages after 300 PMs, so can someone confirm it does that (because it doesn't do it for me).

[__zh]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
DocJohn said:
I couldn't find anywhere it was deleting messages after 300 PMs, so can someone confirm it does that (because it doesn't do it for me).

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">unfortunately when messages were deleting from our inbox at a rapid clip we did not notice if it was a limit reason or a date reason. we only noticed that messages over a year old had been disappearing when we first posted this thread.

as for the 300 msg limit? it USED to say that up top of the inbox BEFORE your NEW MESSAGE: Private Messages (PMs) are automatically deleted after 2 years.

but PRIOR to the first post in this thread there wasn't, to our recollection, any message up top of the inbox about time limits or space limits. we could be not remembering well......wouldn't be the first time.

thanks for the changes and the notices up top of inbox...makes things much easier for this mental health consumer.