Registered Visitor (aka 'Member') Visitor Messages - This is a new feature in vBulletin 3.7 (installed 10MAY08).

Note that each person who registers has a 'Profile' page. If you click on a poster's name in any of that Registered Visitor's posts, you will see a 'Drop Down' menu. In the 'Profile' link you will find a "Visitor Messages" tab.

http://elsmar.com/gif/Name_Click_Drop_Down.gif

When Registered Visitors get notifications of New Visitor Messages (etc.) they show up in the upper right corner of the page where Registered Visitors (members) see their Welcome message after they have logged in.

http://elsmar.com/gif/Visitor_Messages_location.gif

Note that the 'Private Messages' notification changes to 'Notifications'.

http://elsmar.com/gif/Visitor_Messages_location_1.gif

These 'Messages' are Public. Any Registered Visitor can see them. **Search engines, 'bots' and unregistered visitors cannot see them. So, while they are 'like' PMs (Personal Messages), they are not totally 'Personal'. Please be aware of this when you post a Visitor Message. All other Registered Visitors can see them.

Thanks for the clarification the messages were NOT private!

They might be a good venue for posting a sincere public "ATTABOY" over and above the "Thanks" button when someone has given an especially helpful response. Clicking on the "Karma" button allows us to give a private viewing of such a message, but once viewed, a karma message is gone once the count of karma gifts goes past 20, and they can only be seen by the individual who receives them.

Just a reminder - receiving "karma" is what increases the count of the little green buttons that appear in the upper right corner of each post.