Private Messenger [ Edited ]

[Bill_S]

• What is the Private Messenger?

The Private Messenger allows you to send private notes to other members of the Forum. Private Messenger has two big advantages over e-mail:

1. You don't have to know the other member's e-mail address to send the note. (Also, you don't have to reveal yours.)
2. Private Messenger is more interactive than e-mail. It's easier to hold a quick conversation through it.

To use the Private Messenger, you have to have an account and you have to be logged in. If you're logged in, a Messages link will appear on the top right of the page. If you have any new messages, the link will show the number of new messages you have.

If you click on the link, the Private Messenger window appears.

• How do I send a private message?

1. Log into the Forum.
2. Click the Messages Link
3. In the private messenger window, click Compose New Message.  If you have created a Friends List, and you want to send a message to a listed friend, click the Friends tab and click the Send Message icon beside the friend's name.
4. If you want to send a message to someone not in your Friend List, type the person's user name in the Send To field.
5. Type the subject of your message in the Message Subject field.
6. Type the body of your message in the text editor area.
7. Click Send Message at the bottom of the page.
   The message will be sent to the other user. The message will also appear in your Outbox.

• How do I read a private message?

1. Log into the Forum.  If you have any new messages, a yellow envelop icon will appear next to the Messages link and the number of new messages will be indicated.
2. Click the Messages Link.  The Private Messenger window will be displayed.
3. Click the Inbox link.  Your Inbox will be displayed.
4. Click the Subject of the message you want to read.  The full message will be displayed.
5. After you have read the message, you can click on links to Reply to the message or Delete the message buttons at the bottom of the page. 

You can also click on the Add User to Friends List link to add the sender to your Friends List.

Or, if you don't want this user to send you any more messages, you can click on the Add User to Ignore List link to add the person to your Ignore List.

• How do I reply to a private message?

1. Log into the Forum.
2. Click the Messages Link.
3. Click the Inbox link.  Your Inbox will be displayed.
4. Click the Subject of the message you want to read.  The full message will be displayed.
5. Click the Reply link at the bottom of the window.  The Send Message window will be displayed with the Send to and Subject fields pre-populated.
6. Enter your message in the Note field.
7. Click Send Message.

• How do I delete a private message?

While reading a message, you can click the Delete link at the bottom of the window to delete the current message.

While viewing your Inbox, you can delete several messages at once by checking the check boxes next to the messages you want to delete, then clicking Delete Checked.

• How do I see private messages I've sent to others?

In the Private Messenger, click the Outbox link to see all the messages you sent to others.

• What is my Friends List and how do I add people?

Your Friends List is a way for you to create your own little community within a community.  Depending on your Privacy settings, the people on your Friends List can see your biography and other personal information or whether you're online.

If you send Private Messages, you can choose your friends from a list instead of typing their user names.

Note: Your Friends List is only available if your community allows Private Messages.

To add people to your Friends List:

1. Click the login name of a friend to see the friend's About ... page.
2. In the Contact area, click Add ... to Friends.

That's all there is to it!

• What is my Ignore List and how do I add users to it?

Most users in an online community get along very well. Sometimes, however, you might encounter someone you consider a nuisance. If you are receiving messages that you'd prefer not to receive, you can add the sender to your Ignore List. The system blocks all messages from users on your Ignore List.

To add someone to your Ignore List:

1. Log into the community.
2. Click the Messages Link.  The Private Messenger page appears.
3. Click a message from the user you want to ignore and click Ignore (login name).

You can also search for a community member and add the user to your Ignore List.

To search for a user:

1. On any page, enter the user's login name in the Search box.
2. Choose User Search and click Search.
3. In the Search Results, click the user's screen name to visit the user's profile page.
4. Click the Ignore (login name) link in the Contact area.

To see who's on your Ignore List, click the Ignore tab in your Private Messenger. You can remove them from your Ignore List if you've changed your mind.