PM restriction
 

Hi,

Can we have the restriction lifted or eased, that prevents users from sending a PM if they have not posted often?

I just had difficulties contacting a user. I sent her a PM (her email is hidden) and she couldn't REPLY to it.

Does this apply equally to sending emails through HUBB?

The reason for the restriction is the hundreds of spammers we get attempting to spam the HUBB and the users.

When a user gets spammed in a PM I get the blame for it - and no one likes spam anyway, especially in a PM. So in order to prevent that, I've restricted the use of PM's until the user has made a number of posts.

Initially I set it to 15, but it's currently 8.

Any time someone really needs to send a PM they can always contact me and I can temporarily bump their post count up.

It's a balancing act - cut spam, and still make it easy for all!

Any other comments from anyone on this?

Best way to get around the PM restrictions!
 

The best way is to simply make a few more posts! :thumbup1:

Second best is to ENABLE email :eek2: from other users in your User Options.

This is secure (spammers cannot collect your email address), as the email is sent by the HUBB software - NOT via their email client, so no one gets to see your email address by simply sending you mail!

Having said that, the SENDERS email address WILL become available to the user who receives the mail, so there is a certain amount of risk there - more than with the PM system. But we assume you actually want to have a conversation with someone off line, and it's unlikely you'd want to discuss anything with a spammer.

hope that helps,

Thanks for the clarification.

I only use PM because several users I wanted to contact recently had email disabled. So, from what you write I gather that sending email is not linked to a min. number of posts?

Correct - there is no restriction on sending emails. That's a user option only.

ignore me
 

trying to avoid a potentially damaging misunderstanding.

pm not allowed til i make 8th post. well here it is.

Sorry, You should have 8 posts before you can send a new PM now you have 7 posts

According to Grants post - you could send an email (even with 1 post?) .. that will reveal your email address to them .. but you want to 'talk' to them anyway. Only really a problem if you are a spammer or being abusive...

The PM system does not reveal your true email address an either side.

You can send an email even with Zero posts - but that only reveals the senders email - if it's spam, just delete it and let me know and I will ban the scum.

Your email is not revealed until you reply.

As a normal standard I think you should allow email in your profile.

Also of course to contact someone simply replying in the thread that caught your eye is a good start!

The only reason to use a PM or email is if the q and a is of no interest to anyone else, in other words is not helpful to anyone.

Remember the whole point of the HUBB is to SHARE information!