PMs and Likes

[cssyphus]

Hi Tony,

I notice that after the recent update to the latest SMF version, Private Messages are no longer available to me.

Am I missing something, or has this option been changed? Perhaps the permission is only available once a user reaches a certain level?

I would use PMs and LIKEs as a way of sending personal feedback that is not worthy of taking up space in a message thread. Stuff like, "Me too" or "Thanks!" or "Yes" or "I agree" or etc. - thread chaff that is helpful for both sender and receiver, but that everyone else groans at seeing.

Not questioning your decisions regarding these matters, just wondering if they are accidentally disabled, or if there is a threshold at which time they become enabled (i.e. a certain member level)?

For quick reference (I also manage a few SMF boards) these options are found:

LIKES:
Admin > Features and Options > Likes
Admin > Members > Permissions > Permissions by Membergroup
 - go through each group and allow/deny the ability to like

PMS:
Admin > Members > Permissions > Permissions by Membergroup
 - go through each group and allow/deny the ability to send or receive

[td]

I appreciate the feedback but the features you refer to are intentionally disabled for a reason. They will remain that way for now.

[snowsnowsnow]

The support board for another product that I use turned PMs off a while back, because of some Internet Privacy legislation (I think the legislation was in the EU, not the US, but since the world is global now, they had to do it).

Is it the same situation here?

[td]

That is an indirect part of the problem. The main source of concern is the proliferation of (often AI-generated) bots. The forum gets 100 more bots attempting account creation each week. About 10% make it past the detection software and require human intervention. The vast majority are not successful but occasionally one slips by. They are easy to spot on the forum but detection is not as easy when they use personal messaging.

There are other concerns as well.