This was a dumb oversight on my part. The private messaging should not have been enabled on the Support Groups board - I just changed that.
I know folks can choose to edit their preferences to not accept private messages, but they have to know how to do this (and they have to know that they CAN do it in the first place). Too many people don't ever even go to my home, or feel comfortable editing their preferences. I don't want them suddenly getting private messages, not liking it, and not knowing what to do about it.
I'm still open to changing this setting in the future, I just really don't want to have to take it away if it doesn't work out and there is abuse of the system. I know that sounds paranoid but there are some really wacky folks on other IBS boards and so far we've managed to keep them away from here. I don't want PMs to be a back door entry way for them.
- H
-------------------- Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!