Private messages

[BillG49]

How about setting the default for Private Message e-mail notification to "Yes".

I would think that most people would want to know if they have received a PM, and a lot of new members don't even know that the PM option exists. [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[Gatorboy]

If you receive a PM, there will be a FLASHING envelope next to the Main Index link above. The need to have an email sent is really not necessary, thus the reason the default of "No"

[BillG49]

Which means that the only possible explanation for not receiving a response to the PM I sent, is that the recipient didn't want to reply? [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

Or is it possible they didn't notice or recognize the symbol? [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]
(They have posted in the intervening 4 days)

I think #2 is more likely, but I'm no expert.

[Gatorboy]

Well, from now on, you can select the option to have a receipt sent to you when the person reads your message. That way you'll know when they read it.

[s1120]

Also sometimes a person may have time to rip off a quick post at work, or something. But may not have time to read, thinkabout, and anser a PM.

[BillG49]

I did request a Read Receipt, and so I can only assume that the message has not been read in the 4 days since it was sent. Again, I am assuming (correctly I think) that the recipient does not know that he has a PM pending.

Which gets back to my original (and I think well thought out) suggestion that the default be set to Yes, so that new members will be aware of the PM system if they have a message pending.

Members can always set it to No if they don't want to be notified via e-mail.

[Muhammad]

Well, we could set the default to yes... but the thing is because of the way people are about e-mail, we don't like to automatically subscribe them to things they don't know they are going to receive... we might get a lot more e-mails about "how do I stop getting these e-mails?" if we made the default "Yes" ...

But, I'll think about it. [img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img]

[BillG49]

Maybe it's just me, but this is the third time that I have sent a PM to someone and had this problem.

One time on TBN, it was several months before I received a reply, and the respondent said they didn't have any idea that the PM system existed or that they had a message waiting. Another PM on TBN was never picked up to my knowledge - I finally deleted it from my files. Now this time on CBN - 5 days and counting without a Read Receipt. [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

All three recipients were relatively new and/or light users, which leads me to believe that the notification system may not be as obvious as one might think. I understand your reluctance to generate e-mails without "permission", but I think most members would like to know they have a PM waiting. I know I do. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Thanks for considering the suggestion.

[Gatorboy]

Muhammad,

Perhaps you could create a new type of icon for the PM notification -- something that says "New Private Message - click here" or something along those lines. You could have that icon be the default -- and then have an option in the Profile section to allow users to pick what type of icon notification they would like (text, envelope, etc.)

Just a thought -- although I have no problems with the way it works today, this may aid some newbies in the beginning.