Requests for private comments via PM - What's your opinion?

[BradM]

In Reply to Parent Post by Jim Wynne

I think that all questions should be answered even if the answer might be to politely decline giving personal help. Everyone is free to deal with these things as they see fit, but I think that telling someone that they should post the question(s) in the forums is better than no answer at all. There are few questions I've been asked that I consider inappropriate. Occasionally I've been asked for copies of copyrighted material after someone has been told in the forum that we don't share those things here. That's pretty rude, but I still answer them, albeit tersely.

In your typical 17,945 Karma manner , you have succinctly and accurately given an excellent summary of how each should handle this subject. If someone asks in a PM for help, give it if you wish, decline, or suggest to post publicly, but I would give an answer.

[howste]

A couple of times I've received PMs from people where there was a valid reason for the topic to be private. In those cases I've answered in private as I felt appropriate.

In other cases I've received PMs where they seemed to want a private tutoring session outside an exisiting thread with the same topic. Sometimes I've posted or paraphrased their question in the thread and then answered in public. For my own consulting clients, I'm always happy to do one-on-one emails and messages. If I have no relationship, I don't feel obligated to answer in private.

[JaneB]

I think I found a useful option in the profile to block PMs except from friends/contacts. That will avoid the 'as you're a consultant, I'm sure you'd be interested in this wonderful ProductName/Software Name/Whatever it is we sell) PMs.

I don't remember seeing it before... might be just another CI from Marc. Thanks Marc.

[Ajit Basrur]

Similar to other responses, I receive many PMs on general topics, Hi and hellos, asking for technical help, local Indians wanting specific technical info relating to Indian regulations etc.

Those who ask me technical questions or general questions, I usually refer them to mention is the respective forum. Some personal ones I do answer them seperately on a case by case basis

[triad]

In Reply to Parent Post by JaneB

I think I found a useful option in the profile to block PMs except from friends/contacts. That will avoid the 'as you're a consultant, I'm sure you'd be interested in this wonderful ProductName/Software Name/Whatever it is we sell) PMs.

I don't remember seeing it before... might be just another CI from Marc. Thanks Marc.

Why don’t you just ignore the PM?

[JaneB]

In Reply to Parent Post by triad

Why don’t you just ignore the PM?

Because it smacks of discourtesy, to me

[Wes Bucey]

I would like to take the opportunity to point out Moderators and Administrators in the Cove are special cases in that they actively solicit private messages about a number of topics most regular members have no interest in.

We see our role first as helping folks make the most of the PUBLIC forms to get a cross section of answers from folks in the Cove. Many old hands in both Quality and the use of Internet Discussion Forums easily forget how confusing it all can be for a newbie. So we help sincere newbies as best we can and don't turn them away because the questions are repetitive or even "whiney."

Precisely because we field so many emails and messages, we've developed pretty good radar at detecting frauds, fools, and internet trolls. Rarely do we answer questions in private which should be in the public forums. Such questions we redirect back to the public forums so the answers can be available for all future readers.

We turn down private requests for free copies of copyrighted documents for the same reason we turn them down in public forums - it's not legal.

Messages directed to us in our role as moderators and/or administrators are often shared with other moderators and administrators so we can present a consistent response on behalf of the Cove.

Personal messages addressed to us as individuals are kept private. Sometimes, though, our view of what is a moderator message versus personal may be more liberally interpreted than the message sender expected.

One last tip - it doesn't seem to me to be a smart move to try to harass any moderator via emails and private messages using the Cove software because an aggrieved moderator can always make a case for suspending a person's Cove access or even banning such a person outright from future participation in the Cove.

[Jim Wynne]

In Reply to Parent Post by Wes Bucey

I would like to take the opportunity to point out Moderators and Administrators in the Cove are special cases in that they actively solicit private messages about a number of topics most regular members have no interest in.

We see our role first as helping folks make the most of the PUBLIC forms to get a cross section of answers from folks in the Cove. Many old hands in both Quality and the use of Internet Discussion Forums easily forget how confusing it all can be for a newbie. So we help sincere newbies as best we can and don't turn them away because the questions are repetitive or even "whiney."

Precisely because we field so many emails and messages, we've developed pretty good radar at detecting frauds, fools, and internet trolls. Rarely do we answer questions in private which should be in the public forums. Such questions we redirect back to the public forums so the answers can be available for all future readers.

I don't think you should present yourself as representing all (or even a consensus) of the views of moderators on this topic unless you're sure that you are indeed speaking for all of them. I can say personally from my own experience as a moderator that I don't receive fewer PMs now than I did when I was a moderator, nor is the subject matter of the messages I receive any different, nor do I respond any differently.

In Reply to Parent Post by Wes Bucey

Messages directed to us in our role as moderators and/or administrators are often shared with other moderators and administrators so we can present a consistent response on behalf of the Cove.

Personal messages addressed to us as individuals are kept private. Sometimes, though, our view of what is a moderator message versus personal may be more liberally interpreted than the message sender expected.

This is just wrong, imo. Unless there is a really compelling reason to divulge the contents of PMs, no one should be sharing them unless the sharing is disclosed and agreed to.