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How to use the public forum's private messaging facility

Proud2Serve.net's public forum incorporates a private messaging facility which enables the exchange of short e-mail like messages between registered members of the forum. These messages are not posted to topics in the forum. Critically, private messaging enables members of the forum to contact each other directly to exchange a limited number of messages without having to reveal their full identity or email address. The brief explanation below sets out how private messaging works and how to manage your messages.

Notification of new private message - on forum header and by email

If someone sends you a private message via the public forum you will be notified in two ways. If you are logged in, it will be highlighted in the header of the forum page. You will also immediately receive an email to your registered email address.

Notification of new message on the forum homepage (when logged in)

If you are logged in to proud2serve.net public forum, it will alert you when a private message has been received from another member. The forum displays the new messages alert next to the user control panel link at the top of the page, as per the illustration below:

Notification of new message by email

When you receive a new private message you are sent an email telling you :

- you have a new message
- who it is from (by username only)
- what the title is
- how to retrieve the message (by clicking a link or logging into the forum.

An example email is included here:

How to read private messages

You can check you new or old messages at any time by logging in, clicking on "user control panel" and then on the Private Messages tab across the top. You should then see a screen similar to the one below:

From here you can click on new and old messages, save and delete them, and of course reply to received messages or send your own.

How to reply to, and send, private messages

You can send private messages by:

- replying to an existing message
- creating a new message in the control panel
- clicking "send private message" under the 'contact' heading in a user's profile

Composing a message is just like preparing a post for display in the main forum, except that when you press "submit" it is sent to your private messaging outbox and not posted to the forum.

When you submit the message, the intended recipient will be notified as explained at the top of this page, i.e. via the forum homepage and by email. Your message to them will remain in your outbox (as per the picture below) until it has been read by the recipient. Then it will move to your sent items. This way you can tell once your message has been delivered and at least opened.

Rules and behaviour

Mailbox limits. The message box limit has been set at 50 messages which is the total across all folders (sent, saved and inbox). If you want to keep messages permanently and are running out of space then you can take advantage of the export tools in the user control panel.

Reporting abuse. If you are the subject of unwanted messages, any form of inappropriate or objectionable content, and most crucially any form of harassing behaviour via private message, it is essential that you let Admin know so that suitable measures can be taken. You can contact Admin via Private Message, the Contact form, or email. Best of all, forward the original message. (particularly for serious breaches). Please do not delete the original message until Admin have been able to investigate properly and have let you know that the original message in your mailbox is no longer required.

Suspensions and bans. Any breaches of good conduct in the use of the private messaging system will lead to an individual being subject to a ban. Depending on the nature of the breach it may lead to a suspension or ban from private messaging, or a complete ban from proud2serve.net. The degree and duration of the suspension or ban will be entirely at the discretion of Admin whose decision will be final.

Disclaimer

The private messaging function has been made available to registered forum members as is. No guarantee or warranty is provided as to the confidentiality or privacy of the private messaging function provided as part of the phpbb3 software which powers the proud2serve.net public fourm.

Further help on messaging

For more detailed instructions on private messaging, visit the phpbb userguide.

updated: 7 Jun 09