Direct messages
A private conversation between two members of the same community: one conversation, a history inside it, read and unread, following along live. That is all it is — and for now that is all it is meant to be.
Switching it on
The owner switches it on under Dashboard → Community settings → Direct messages. Before that it doesn't exist: existing communities stay as they are, nothing is opened up quietly.
If the switch is off, the Messages menu entry is still there, but the page says plainly: "This community has not switched on direct messages."
Writing
The way in today is the inbox under Dashboard → Messages, then New
message. You address people by their short name (without the @) — not
by an email address and not from a list of all members. Anyone who doesn't know
a short name cannot write to anybody; that is deliberate, not a shortcoming.
Who may write to whom
| Action | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Opening a conversation | Trust level 1 — or an appointed role (editor, moderator, admin, owner) |
| Replying when someone has written to you | no level needed |
| Receiving | every member |
So a plain viewer without trust level 1 cannot start — that is exactly where the spam protection bites. Replying is always allowed.
Limits that always apply
So that a messaging route doesn't become an advertising channel, there are three brakes — per community and person:
| Brake | Value |
|---|---|
| New conversations per day | 10 from level 1 · 30 from level 2 |
| Messages per minute | 20 |
| Open, unanswered conversations | at most 5 |
The last one is the most effective: someone who has written to five people and received no answer writes to no sixth.
Blocking and reporting
- Blocking works in both directions and without announcement — the blocked person is not told. If you want, the block also applies in your other communities. Blocking works even if the owner switches the product off again.
- Reporting is possible for every individual message. The report goes into a list of its own at Moderation.
If someone is turned away — because they are blocked, lack the level, or the name doesn't exist — they always read the same sentence: "This person is not currently accepting messages from you." The reason is deliberately left open; otherwise the error message would be an information service about who has blocked whom.
Notifications
A new message appears in the bell; several messages in the same conversation are summarised. If you have switched on emails, you get a mail with the sender's name and a link — without the text of the message.
Tidying up
Remove for me hides a conversation on your side. It is only deleted for good once both sides have removed it. If the other person writes again afterwards, the history is back.
Your messages are part of the data export and are deleted along with your account.
What doesn't exist today
- No group messages — one-to-one only.
- No search in the inbox.
- No attachments and no images.
- No read receipt that the sender can see.
- No replying by email — the mail only links.
- No personal "receive no messages": anyone who wants to be left alone blocks specific people; only the owner can switch it off, and then for everyone.