The last time I tried to use the “Email this thread” function, it worked, but that was probably two years ago at least. Has it been disabled in the interim, or am I just doing something wrong? When I click “Email this thread”, I get a page informing me that I don’t have enough privileges to access that function.
By the way, the FAQ item about editing posts in this thread: FAQ - Technical issues for Posting - About This Message Board - Straight Dope Message Board is now out of date.
Anyone? Bueller?
You might get a better response if you email this thread to other dopers. 
I just tried it. It doesn’t work for me either. But I don’t recall ever having tried it before. So nothing informative from me. Just confirming for you that you’re not the only left on this planet (that has posted to this thread).
No idea. I’ve never used the function. FYI you can sent a link by email with IE or Firefox. It’s in the “File” menu. Also, with IE, you can send the page itself as an attachment.
Bumping my own thread to thank TubaDiva for the recent announcement that this feature is being turned back on. Woot!
There’s a nifty little bookmarklet for FF that will let you send a link, title, & highlighted text of the page you are viewing using GMail, Google Apps GMail, Yahoo, Hotmail and Stand-Alone Mail Clients like Outlook Express, Thunderbird, etc. Email This! Bookmarklet Extension
This one works with IE, Email-Me bookmarklet and there are many more!
CMC fnord!
Question: If I email a thread to a friend, will there be anything to tip my friend of to my username, such as the “welcome, bluethree” in bold at the upper right corner? I don’t want my non-SDMB friends to know my SDMB username.
I’m afraid it shows your screen name.
Using the “email this page” function I sent the page to myself and here’s the message I got:
I believe it automatically puts in your screen name so no, there’s nothing you can do about that. I don’t think it works for guests or non-registered people, only members, it’s another perk of registration.
Sorry.
With all due respect, that is one seriously lame perk. Way to save me a cut’n’paste - though now I have to type out my friend’s email address.
Is there an abuse issue that makes you want to keep guests from using it? I ask because it seems to me that the only use of this “send a link” feature is to build membership and would probably be more effective if anyone at all who comes across an interesting thread could choose to share it.
eta: though now I see it automatically attaches my SDMB registered email to the messsage. Does it check if you have chosen to make your email address public before doing that?
You don’t have to use it.
Phew, I was worried about that.
Anywhistle, I think my actual points still stand. It would probably be beneficial to allow guests to use it and to not include email addresses in the auto-message.
That you’ll have to take up with the guys at vB, that’s not an option to turn on or off in this function, it’s either functional or not in this version, that’s your choices.
That’s too bad. I wonder if there is some potential for abuse we aren’t thinking of.
FYI, I checked a few other vB sites, most seem to have it set to members only but at Literotica, at least, allows guests to email links to threads. Example:
http://forum.literotica.com/sendmessage.php?do=sendtofriend&t=539712
Checking the page source, it looks like they are using version 3.0.10 compared to our 3.0.7
If they didn’t attach some kind of identification to the message, you’d be able to anonymously email anyone you want without them figuring out who the message came from. The potential for abuse is huge (harrassment, threats, etc).
Well, no more than a hotmail account - the IPs would be logged when you went to the “send message” page, which is distinct for each thread to be emailed.
I’m curious whether a guest who was signed in would be able to use this feature.
I tried to use Hotmal to email a harrassing note “CarnalK@tehsdmb.internets” and it didn’t work. 
Heh. Well, you are basically suggesting that the function could be abused as an anonymous remailer. My counterpoints would be that the internet is already rather well stocked in remailers and those others give much better anonymity because, like I said, the SDMB would actually be logging IPs unlike real remailers specifically designed for anonymity.
But why on Earth would the SDMB provide this service? Is being able to email people anonymously a benefit people have been clamoring for?
“This service” being Emailing a link? Or being a second rate remailer? The whole point, ISTM, is to widen readership by letting people easily share an interesting thread. What you are talking about is a worst case scenario usage and extremely unlikely to materialize.
I’m all for letting people share an interesting thread. I’m only addressing the anonymous part of it.