[emily1890]

I wanted to PM someone earlier with regards to something they said in one of my other threads, but in their profile they don't have the option to send them a message

assuming that's because they've disabled it and you can't interact with them?

or can I still send them a message by going to private messages, composing a message and typing their username in that way

[Discombobulated]

I think it’s likely the person has their settings to disable private messages, some people choose to do that. There isn’t a way around it, once they’re disabled the person would have no way of getting a private message unless they chose to enable them.

[Mountaindewed]

If you are asking about me, then yes I do have my private messages disabled for my own safety and privacy. It is nothing personal I am just uncomfortable with PMs.

[unaluna]

You can always @-their-name in the original thread. Private messaging isnt carte blanche to go hog wild on someone, to mix a metaphor! Trying to be nice is my biggest challenge, tbh. Sarcasm comes soooo easily to me. My older brother taught me too well.

[Mountaindewed]

When people were able to PM me I got some pretty creepy ones.

[unaluna]

I know i wrote you some bossy ones. "Eat this, dont eat that, cant you read the signs?" Sorry.

[Discombobulated]

I’ll just add, I had mine disabled for a long while. I actually got abusive messages from someone who is no longer here. For a while private messages didn’t feel safe to me. So there’s lots of good reasons someone might disable them and like MD says it’s not usually personal. I like the @ suggestion for posting specifically to a member.

[emily1890]

Originally Posted by Discombobulated

I think it’s likely the person has their settings to disable private messages, some people choose to do that. There isn’t a way around it, once they’re disabled the person would have no way of getting a private message unless they chose to enable them.

that's interesting.

does that work in reverse as well?. (I'm assuming it does)

if I blocked them, for example, I wouldn't only not be able to get any, but send any either?

[Discombobulated]

Originally Posted by emily1890

that's interesting.

does that work in reverse as well?. (I'm assuming it does)

if I blocked them, for example, I wouldn't only not be able to get any, but send any either?

That’s right, if you disable private messages you can neither receive or send them. There’s no message system at all.

[Mountaindewed]

I can get messages from moderators but thats it. I get a pop up box saying I having a message from a moderator when I open the site so I know who the message is from. But then I have to go disable my settings again in order to read it.

[Discombobulated]

Originally Posted by Mountaindewed

I can get messages from moderators but thats it. I get a pop up box saying I having a message from a moderator when I open the site so I know who the message is from. But then I have to go disable my settings again in order to read it.

Thanks I didn’t realise that!

[nonightowl]

It could also be that the member has someone on ignore, so that member trying to send a message won’t get the pm option. To test this, one can try posting in a thread started by the intended recipient. If no option to do it you’ll see a message why.

You could post directly to them in the thread they posted in. Or use the visitor message if not too private, as other members can see visitor messages. This is separate from the pm system. I think you can also set it to just receive pm’s from your contacts or friends list.

Personally I just use the pm system if I don’t want to post something publicly. I too have gotten a few creepy messages but nothing bad enough to block, not yet anyway.

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Posted directly on site using iPhone

[DocJohn]

Also just a gentle reminder that members should respect other members’ intention to not interact via private message in our community. While it’s fine to @ a member to draw attention to a reply or what not, one shouldn’t go out of their way to try to interact with members in ways they’ve made clear they don’t want to, out of respect to them.