we have addressed the issue of unsolicited private messages once or twice before. as the board grows, we'll occassionally attract the attention of unsavory characters. it sounds to me as though you have all kept your wits about you and are making good choices. :thumbup:
if somebody sends you a pm asking for something, and you haven't already established a friendship with that person, please do report it immediately to Admin or to me. you are welcome to report it to both of us. the first one to see it will look into it and take the appropriate action.
if somebody sends you a pm "out of the blue" that appears to be just a friendly attempt to make a friend, follow your gut instinct. i've sent pms to members myself because i noticed they lived nearby, or that we seem to have a common interest in something. (i promise - i don't need any selvages. :lol: )
we have had one or two reports of odd sounding "social" pms, though. if you get a pm that makes you suspicious or uncomfortable in any way, please feel free to let us know.
we may not notice a report in a topic. there are thousands of new posts every day.
also, if the point and reason for such a topic is not made carefully and clearly, it will create a great deal of unneccessary and counterproductive drama, confusion, fear, arguments, and very hurt feelings.
much more efficient to send us a pm. ;-)