Private messaging in the forum

Post by **Chairman** » 24 Nov 2003, 10:40

Private messaging or "PM" is an "internal" messaging service offered by the forum to registered users. You can send a private message to any registered user by clicking on their "PM" icon or button. If you receive a PM, a note appears at the top of the screen after you log in saying "You have N new messages". If you enable it in your profile, you also receive an e-mail telling you that you have a PM, and giving you a link to follow if you want to read it. PM works in a different way from e-mail that you need to know about.

When you "send" a PM, the message goes to your Outbox, and remains in your Outbox until the recipient reads your message.
When the recipient visits their Inbox, your message title is visible to them. They can ignore it, or they can open it by clicking on the title.
When your message is read, it is moved into your Sentbox.
While the message remains in your Outbox you may edit or delete it as you like, because it has not yet been read. Even though your message has been "sent", it has not yet "gone".
Sometimes you may be informed of a new PM for you, but when you go to your Inbox, there is no new message. It means that the sender must have deleted the PM from his/her Outbox before you tried to read it.
Messages in your Sentbox are no longer editable. These messages have been read and so have"gone".
Note that, when you see that your message has been removed from your Outbox and put in your Sentbox, this means that the recipient has at least opened your message, and, it can be assumed, has therefore read it.

Post by **Chairman** » 05 Dec 2003, 21:28

To see if you have a private message, look at the top of the screen after you have logged in. You'll see (shown in the red box for illustration) "You have X new messages", or "You have no new messages". This is a rather subtle notification arrangement, and it is very easy to miss the fact that you have a new PM waiting for you. I've done it many times!

<CENTER><IMG src=http://www.iomclass.org/forumfiles/PM1.gif width=600></CENTER>

If you want to see your private messages, or want to compose a private message, click on the text to go to the private message centre. You are taken to your "Inbox". In this screen shot, my Inbox is empty.

<CENTER><IMG src=http://www.iomclass.org/forumfiles/PM2.gif width=600></CENTER>

If there is a message in your Inbox, click on the title to see the whole message. You will be able to "Post reply" if you want to.