Guidelines

[interactive]

Ask other members to contact you, nor may you request their contact information (if a member has not enabled a form of contact, assume that member does not want to be contacted).


Just was looking over the guidelines and saw that. So does that mean requesting contact info in a thread (EX: "What is your AIM address") is against the rules? Reason I ask is I do that all the time.

[kunal]

Originally posted by interactive:

Just was looking over the guidelines and saw that. So does that mean requesting contact info in a thread (EX: "What is your AIM address") is against the rules? Reason I ask is I do that all the time.

I think it depends on the context it was asked in. If it was asked on a request thread, then yes, you are breaking the rules. If you are just generally trying to get in touch with the person, then its OK. Use your common sense? :D

kunal

[Chicken]

Well, one of the to-do's (one of the very many on the list now), is to take a look at the guidelines, add what was never added and reword a few things to be clearer. Since this will happen who knows when, I can only offer an explanation at this time.
Ask other members to contact you, nor may you request their contact information (if a member has not enabled a form of contact, assume that member does not want to be contacted).
The general gist of this rule is to prevent users from posting, "What's your email address?" or "This is my AIM or email addy, contact me!" on the main forums, in a commercial manner. Obviously it is hard to judge (as a moderator) what is commercial and what is not commercial.

If you want to contact someone, the forum has a PM and email-form system which should be used. Asking people to contact you not only defeats the purpose of a discussion forum, but it is also slower than just contacting them in the first place.

[Phoenix]

LOL! Yes, I could never quite understand that greatest of remarks:

I sent you a PM!

hmmmm, guess what? if you did they probably got it and read it.:fork:

[Chicken]

People want to make sure you see their PM, which I understand, however it trips the new post notificaton. Everyone who subscribed to the thread just got an email letting them know you sent someone a PM.

[browsehosts]

that makes sense : )

[allan]

Originally posted by Chicken:

People want to make sure you see their PM, which I understand, however it trips the new post notificaton. Everyone who subscribed to the thread just got an email letting them know you sent someone a PM.


What I usually do to get around this problem is email the person and let them know they have a private message, then I hop on the Instant Messaging platform of their choice and let them know I sent them an email, finally I give them a call and let them know they should check their Instant Message :D.

[Chicken]

If that doesn't work, put it in your signature:


__________________
The Practice of Network Security: Deployment Strategies for Production Environments
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0130462233/

Dave, you have a PM from me! Check it!


:D

[allan]

Originally posted by Chicken:

If that doesn't work, put it in your signature:


__________________
The Practice of Network Security: Deployment Strategies for Production Environments
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0130462233/

Dave, you have a PM from me! Check it!


:D

Good thinking :). I might add that to my sig anyway ;).

[jvn]

Originally posted by allan:

What I usually do to get around this problem is email the person and let them know they have a private message, then I hop on the Instant Messaging platform of their choice and let them know I sent them an email, finally I give them a call and let them know they should check their Instant Message :D.

Absolutely the right solution! I've wondered about that myself. I use my yahoo IM account as a weed out the trash account. Maybe I should take it off my contact list, or set up an account that would be a true IM (PM) contact.

(allan, please call to confirm this will work. Thanks ;)