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View Full Version : All about Private Messaging (PMs)


Voldemort'sWand
03-08-2003, 03:16 PM
Registered members may send each other Private Messages. Private Messages are also referred to on the board as PMs. Sometimes the moderators may need to contact you about something and they will usually use the Private Message system.


Sending Private Messages

Private messages work similar to email, but are limited to registered members of this board. You may use vB Code and default board smilies in private messages that you send. IMG code is turned off. The maximum number of characters for each PM is 4000. Floodcheck (minimum time between messages) is set at two minutes.


You may send a private message to a member of this board by clicking the http://www.council-of-elrond.com/forums/images/pm_sendnew.gif button in the private messaging section of your Profile (http://www.council-of-elrond.com/forums/usercp.php?s=), or by clicking the http://www.council-of-elrond.com/forums/images/sendpm.gif button in a member's posts.

When you send a message, you have the option to save a copy of the message in your Sent Items folder.



Private Message Folders

By default, you will have two folders in your private message area. These are the Inbox and the Sent Items folders.

The Inbox (http://www.council-of-elrond.com/forums/private.php?s=) folder contains any new messages you receive, and allows you to view all the messages you have received, along with the name of the person who sent the message to you, and the date and time the message was sent.

The Sent Items (http://www.council-of-elrond.com/forums/private.php?s=&folderid=-1&daysprune=1000) folder contains a copy of any messages that you have sent, where you have specified that you wish to keep a copy of the message for future reference.

You may create additional folders for your messages by clicking the button.

Each folder has a set of message controls which allow you to select messages, then either move them to one of your custom folders, or delete them completely. You also have a button which allows you to forward multiple messages from a folder to another member of the board.



You will need to periodically delete old messages, as the administrator has set a limit of 100 as the total number of private messages you can have in your folders. If you exceed the total number of messages allowed, you will not be able to send or receive new messages until you delete some old messages. Saved messages are included in the total number of messges. For example, if you have 10 messages in your inbox and you have saved 16 messages that you have sent to other members, you total number of messages will be 26.



Whenever you read a message, you will have the option to reply to the message, or forward that message to another member of the board. You also have the ability to forward that message to multiple members of your buddy list.



Message Tracking

When you send a new private message, you have the option to request a read-receipt for that message. This will allow you to check whether or not a message has been read by its recipient by viewing the Private Message Tracking (http://www.council-of-elrond.com/forums/private2.php?s=&daysprune=) page.

This page is divided into two sections: unread messages and read messages.

The unread messages section shows all messages that you have sent with a read-receipt request, that have not yet been read by their recipient. The time of the last activity of the message recipient is also shown. Messages in this section can be cancelled if you decide that their contents are no longer relevant, or for any other reason. Cancelled messages can also be restored to active status.

The read messages section shows all messages you have sent with a receipt request that have been read and acknowledged by their recipient. The time that the message was read is also shown.

You may choose to end the tracking on any message you choose by selecting the message and clicking the [end tracking] button.


Read-receipt request

When you receive a message with a read-receipt request, you have the option to read the message while denying the read-receipt request. To do this, simply click the 'deny receipt' link rather than the title of the message, if it appears.


How will I know if I have any Private Messages?

At the bottom of the main forum page (http://www.council-of-elrond.com/forums/) is a section called Private Messages. There you will find how many new messages you have received since your last visit. It also lists how many unread messages you have and the total number of messages you have in your folder. You can also be notified when you have received a Private Message.


Email Notification

On the Edit Options (http://www.council-of-elrond.com/forums/member.php?s=&action=editoptions) page of your Profile (http://www.council-of-elrond.com/forums/usercp.php?s=) you have the option to recieve an email notification when you receive a Private Message. If you choose this option, you will receive an email informing you that you have received a new Private Message and who sent it


Pop up box

If you choose this option on the Edit Options (http://www.council-of-elrond.com/forums/member.php?s=&action=editoptions) page of your Profile (http://www.council-of-elrond.com/forums/usercp.php?s=), you will recieve a pop up warning when you receive a new Private Message asking whether you want to view the message.

lithorose
03-14-2003, 04:43 AM
I have a small pro-um, question:

I have my message signalling (or whatever it's called) turned on, but it's not always telling me when I have messages. At times it will bring it up wherever I am like it's supposed to, but at others it only does it when I am moving between pages and others not at all. Is it just my screwey computer?

Voldemort'sWand
03-14-2003, 03:47 PM
hmmmmmm....The popup is supposed to signal you that you have a new message whenever you have an unread message. This is triggered by certain events. One is logon. When you logon and have new messages, it should pop up.

Another is when you move from page to page. If you are reading things in a forum and someone sends you a PM, the box will pop up when you navigate away from the page you were reading. vBulletin doesn't know you are active until you do something, so the box won't pop up until you go to a new page.

Let me know if that isn't what is happening and I will get more information from you.

lithorose
03-14-2003, 09:12 PM
It does that, but not all the time. Occasionally I'll check my user CP and there'll be messages there that it didn't alert me to. I wonder if it has anything to do with letting a page load all the way before clicking on the links?

Voldemort'sWand
03-16-2003, 03:25 PM
Yes, I believe the trigger for PM's is something that is executed after the page is fully loaded.

lithorose
03-16-2003, 03:48 PM
I think you're just saying that.:p




But really, thanks!:cool:

Elfëa
03-17-2003, 07:04 AM
Gah. vB's popup's are random. That's all I say. :p Sometimes they pop up, sometimes they don't. And this goes on on various boards...

That's why I like e-mail alerts (cause I always have email program open).

Yaksha
03-26-2003, 04:48 PM
Yes, I use Yahoo e-mail and I have Yahoo Messenger open most of the time. So whenever I get a new e-mail, Yahoo tells me. Same goes with other programs like MSN Messenger.

Elfëa
03-26-2003, 04:52 PM
Or just plain Netscape Folder/Outlook.... :p (much much faster than YM anyway ;))