Important Notice: If you receive a private message or public message notification in your email, do not reply to the email.  Click the 'Reply' button to reply via your message center.

Learn:

1. Send Private Messages
2. Access And Manage Your Message Center
3. Change Your Messaging Notification Preferences

Send Private Messages

Occasionally you may want to converse with another user privately.  There are several places from which you may send a private message.

From A User's Profile:

1. Navigate to a user's profile page.
2. Underneath that user's avatar, you will see two buttons - one to Subscribe to the user's activity and another to "Send Private Message."
3. Click the "Send Private Message" button.  The message window will pop open.
4. Add a subject line, the full text of your message, and click send.
5. To reply to a message, DO NOT REPLY TO THE EMAIL NOTIFICATION.  The user will not receive your message.  You MUST reply from your message center.  Click the "Reply" button at the bottom of the message.

From The Postbit User Menu:

1. From a forum thread, you will see a menu available when you mouse over a user's name in the postbit.
2. In the menu, select "Send Private Message".
3. The message window will pop open from the thread.

From The Message Center:

1. Navigate to your Message Center by clicking the private message count in the header.
2. Click "Compose New" to activate the Private Message dialog.
3. Enter the usernames of your recipients, subject line, and message text.
4. Click "Submit" when you are ready.

Access And Manage Your Message Center

Access your message center

1. In the header of every page, you will see your message count with the envelope icon. Click on the icon and your message count to be directed to your message center.
2. You can also access your message center from your logged in home page.  On the right hand side, you will see your 5 most recent messages, their subject lines, who sent them, and when they were sent.  Below these quick links to your messages, you will find a "More Messages" button to access the rest of your message center.

Delete private messages

1. Navigate to your message center.
2. You have two options to delete a message.  When viewing your full list of messages, you will see a checkbox next to each message name.  Check the box next to the message you would like to delete and click the "Delete" button at the top of the list.
3. You can also delete the message by clicking the "Delete" button at the top or bottom of the expanded thread.
4. Please note you cannot delete your private messages from the Trash folder at this time. 

Create private message folders

1. Navigate to your message center.
2. To the left of your message list, you will see a link to "Manage folders".  Click here.
3. From this page, you will be able to view all your existing custom folders and create new folders.
4. Type the name of your new folder in the "Create a new folder" field and click the "Create folder" button.
5. At any time, you may rename your existing folders by clicking on the name within your custom folder list from this "Manage folders" page.
6. You may also delete any existing folders by clicking the X next to the name from this "Manage folder" page.  Please be aware that deleting a custom folder with private messages in them will move all the messages to the trash folder.

Move private messages

1. Navigate to your message center.
2. View the message list where you would like to move messages.
3. Check the box to the left of the name of the message you would like to move.
4. From the "Move To" menu at the top, select the folder where you would like to move your message to.  Please note from this menu, you may create a new folder during this step.
5. Your message will be moved.
6. Please note at this time you cannot move messages from your Sent folder to any other folder.

Change Your Messaging Notification Preferences

If you have verified your email address, you can choose whether or not you would like to receive email notifications when another user sends you a private message or writes a public message on your profile.

1. Navigate to your Profile.
2. Click the "Edit Account Details" button.
3. Below your "Basic Information," you will see your "Email Preferences."
4. To receive email messages with your Private Messages (PMs) and Public Message board posts, make sure the box next to "Notify me by email when another user messages me."  To stop receiving your messages via email, uncheck the box.