B_big dirigible
Experimental Member
But a TOS violation? That seems pretty ridiculous. Why would the recipient of an unsolicited PM owe the sender anything?
The meaning of the word "private" should be self-evident. The recipient of an unsolicited PM owes the sender very little - no reply, no positive thoughts, no free raffle tickets - but he does owe him privacy. Just plain ol' English there, and the TOS needn't come into it.
There is at least one very loud (not quite the right word, but it seems appropriate) poster here who has insisted, vociferously, on more than one occasion, that PMs are to be made public whenever he/she (a circumlocution I detest, but I'm disguising identies here) so decides. I consider that not only incorrect but contemptible.
My own solution? PMs are stupid and I never read them. In fact I think I have them turned off at the moment. Works great! If there's an emergency - a fire, or something - my e-mail still works. Though I only read my e-mail on special occasions - like, if there's a fire, or something.