howto Personal Messages

[bradl]

Sometimes you may want to send a direct personal message to a poster. There are a couple of ways to access the messaging system.

Accessing Messages

One way is to access the messaging system directly, using the icon in the "userbar" section of the page header. 

When composing the message, you will begin typing the display name of the person you want to message and when it appears in the autocomplete list, select it. 

Another method is from the profile page of the person you want to message. If you click on their name or avatar you will be taken to their profile page. On the profile there is a Message tab. This will open the message compose box with the person already selected. 

You can also access the message system and save one step by using the Message link on the profile hovercard — a mini-profile that pops up if you hover your mouse over a username or avatar.

A note about notifications

After you send your message, by default the member will get a notification that they have received a message. However you as a member have control over how or if you are notified about PMs. You can even turn off the messenger so that no one can send you a PM.

To control how you are notified about PMs, go to Account Settings → Notification Settings. You can choose to be notified by email or by a little bubble on the messages icon in the userbar, with a popup when you visit the site, or all or none.

 

Some members may turn off messaging altogether. That setting is located at the bottom of your Messages inbox:

If a member has turned off messaging, attempts to message them will generate a notice to you that the member cannot receive messages.

PMs — Not (usually) for Technical Support

Please don't use PMs for site technical support unless the issue is genuinely private and personal (which is somewhat rare — perhaps an issue with PayPal or Stripe, or similar).

If you are having errors, are curious about functionality, would like to do something but can't, or encounter similar situations related to using the site, please open a new topic in Site Support.

Almost certainly someone else whether now or in the future will have the same or a similar question. Having both the question and answers viewable by all may help a future member be successful with the site. You may also get a faster answer if someone who already knows the answer is online before I can get to it