# Increase private message storage MASSIVELY **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 3, 2012, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608 "2012-03-03T01:17:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/61 "2012-03-04T21:15:41Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Admin CP panel > -Usergroup > –Usergroup Manager > —Edit Usergroup > ----Private Message Permissions > -----Maximum Stored Messages > > From a messageboard admin point of view, I don’t think that hardly constitutes digging. It seems perfectly linear to me. Easy if you know where it is, I guess. My point still stands: the vast majority of vbulletin board owners do not offer unlimited PM space. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/62 "2012-03-04T21:19:33Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > This is the first real argument I’ve seen in this thread. Would 200 be sufficient? 300? 500? > > Against this is the possibility that flipping a VBulletin switch could have undesired consequences on board stability. This sounds like an argument for a more robust website. ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/63 "2012-03-04T21:20:10Z")
[quote=“choie, post:53, topic:614608”] [ul][li]No ads. None.[/li] … [li]Did I mention no ads? Because that cannot be stressed enough[/li] … [li]No ads. Seriously. It’s worth it just not to get the frikkin’ ads, especially the noisy ones or most especially of all, the virus-laden ones.[/ul][/li][/QUOTE] There are ways that even non-“members” get this privilege as well. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/64 "2012-03-04T21:21:22Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > Easy if you know where it is, I guess. My point still stands: the vast majority of vbulletin board owners do not offer unlimited PM space. My point is that even if you don’t know where it is, it’s in an obvious location. And anyway, someone was able to find it because they were able to change the default for members and charter members to 200 before. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/65 "2012-03-04T21:30:54Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > This sounds like an argument for a more robust website. …only if resources were unlimited, which they are not. Besides, the software is provided by vBulletin, not Creative Loafing. If anything it’s an argument for a [MacArthur Fellowship](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacArthur_Fellows_Program) – but I noted that upthread. And even in that event, improving functionality for Game Room denizens is tangential to the board’s core mission, which is fighting ignorance and making wisecracks. That said, I don’t know the risks of making such adjustments. I do suspect that the IT department has better things to do. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/66 "2012-03-04T21:38:34Z")
If it were the case that more pms would adversely affect the board, I would expect the administration to ask people to clean out their pm inboxes in previous instances of board instability. But they haven’t so they must not feel it will have an appreciable difference in how the board runs. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/67 "2012-03-04T21:43:54Z")
It’s 2012, we shouldn’t have to put up with bullshit technical restrictions that haven’t kept up with the times. If you assume each PM takes 1KB to store, then a whopping 100,000 of them would be 100MB which, given the marginal cost of storage space these days, should cost about a penny. Even at minimum wage, that’s about 5 seconds worth of time. Even if these estimates are off by an order of magnitude, we’re still talking trivial figures. Asking people to spend valuable time manually deleting messages so that the board can save a minuscule fraction of a dollar is disrespectful and short sighted. Having other users berate the OP for having the temerity to ask for sane defaults is Stockholm Syndrome in action. ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/68 "2012-03-04T21:50:11Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > Asking people to spend valuable time manually deleting messages so that the board can save a minuscule fraction of a dollar is disrespectful and short sighted. Having other users berate the OP for having the temerity to ask for sane defaults is Stockholm Syndrome in action. Other than the people playing games, this doesn’t seem to be a problem for anyone but the OP. I think that was the point of the “abuse”. ---
**Author:** ![spankthecrumpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@spankthecrumpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spankthecrumpet)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/69 "2012-03-04T21:56:52Z")
> [@srzss05](#): > > Other than the people playing games, this doesn’t seem to be a problem for anyone but the OP. I think that was the point of the “abuse”. To be honest, if people get the kind of reaction I got when making a helpful suggestion, and with most posters having more expierence on the board than I do, then just because no one has spoken up doesn’t mean it’s not a problem. It can just mean they don’t fancy having an argument, and so either they put up with it in silence or leave in silence.I probably wouldn’t have started the thread had I know what some of the responses would be like. Stockholm syndrome is exactly right. Oh, and a few people here have already said they have saved the messages as text files and deleted them… I mean - wtf? How is that not a problem? ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/70 "2012-03-04T22:00:22Z")
> [@spankthecrumpet](#): > > I’m not asking for gmail space. That would be hundreds of thousands of private messages. I was using it to illustrate that space is basically free now. It doesn’t illustrate that, though. It just illustrates that compared to SDMB google has unlimited resources. Google also doesn’t make you wait 2 mins (or whatever it is now) between searches. That doesn’t mean searches are basically free now and that SDMB can eliminate the wait. It just means google has a lot more invested in their infrastructure so that they can handle the more frequent searches without crashing and burning. ---
**Author:** ![spankthecrumpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@spankthecrumpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spankthecrumpet)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/71 "2012-03-04T22:05:21Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > It doesn’t illustrate that, though. It just illustrates that compared to SDMB google has unlimited resources. > > Google also doesn’t make you wait 2 mins (or whatever it is now) between searches. That doesn’t mean searches are basically free now and that SDMB can eliminate the wait. It just means google has a lot more invested in their infrastructure so that they can handle the more frequent searches without crashing and burning. Firstly, I will refrain from commenting on what I think about the serach restrictions. But secondly - searching is a gazillion times more complicated than just having space, which is presumably all a private message needs. You can’t compare the two things. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/72 "2012-03-04T22:11:57Z")
> [@spankthecrumpet](#): > > To be honest, if people get the kind of reaction I got when making a helpful suggestion, and with most posters having more expierence on the board than I do, then just because no one has spoken up doesn’t mean it’s not a problem. It can just mean they don’t fancy having an argument, and so either they put up with it in silence or leave in silence.I probably wouldn’t have started the thread had I know what some of the responses would be like. Stockholm syndrome is exactly right. Oh, and a few people here have already said they have saved the messages as text files and deleted them… I mean - wtf? How is that not a problem? I think you need to look at your OP, if that’s your version of a helpful suggestion. It was pretty aggressive and at parts, rude. People were reacting, at least in part, to your tone. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/73 "2012-03-04T22:41:14Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > My point is that even if you don’t know where it is, it’s in an obvious location. And anyway, someone was able to find it because they were able to change the default for members and charter members to 200 before. We were talking about “the vast majority of forums”. But whatever. I’ve typed far more words than my interest in the topic warrants. No idea why. But I’m not interested enough to debate it, so I’ll bow out. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/74 "2012-03-04T23:33:33Z")
> [@Trepa\_Mayfield](#): > > I just want to say that, even if most people here don’t use private messages, they are essential in great quantities for anyone playing forum games (e.g. Mafia, Haggle, forum D&D, etc.) and I know from experience the PM limit was a pain in the ass when I was modding mafia games. So there is a reasonable reason to have hundreds of PMs to deal with. This is the first I’ve heard of this. If the game players had come to us and said they needed more, we’d most likely give 'em more. But nothing was said. ---
**Author:** ![spankthecrumpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@spankthecrumpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spankthecrumpet)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/75 "2012-03-04T23:35:06Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > I think you need to look at your OP, if that’s your version of a helpful suggestion. It was pretty aggressive and at parts, rude. People were reacting, at least in part, to your tone. I’m sorry it was taken that way, cause it certainly wasn’t meant to be! ---
**Author:** ![spankthecrumpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@spankthecrumpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spankthecrumpet)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/76 "2012-03-04T23:36:32Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > This is the first I’ve heard of this. > > If the game players had come to us and said they needed more, we’d most likely give 'em more. But nothing was said. Just a guess, but maybe they were worried about being shouted down by other (well-meaning no doubt) dopers. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/77 "2012-03-04T23:52:47Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > This is the first I’ve heard of this. > > If the game players had come to us and said they needed more, we’d most likely give 'em more. But nothing was said. I’m pretty sure that you can’t just give them to the game players unless you let them have their own special User Group. Creating a special user group and then selecting who gets to be in it and then putting them in it individually would be a tedious job that would take a while. I am dubious that this would have happened in practice. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/78 "2012-03-04T23:59:19Z")
To add to that thought… How would you even determine fairly who is considered a game player and therefore gets more messages than everyone else? What if the game player was a Guest? It’s totally impractical. Unless you meant to say that you hadn’t considered game players when you originally set the limit so that’s why it was so low, then you have a fair point. The only reasonable way to solve that problem would be to increase it for everyone or for all paid members. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/79 "2012-03-05T00:00:47Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > This is the first I’ve heard of this. > > If the game players had come to us and said they needed more, we’d most likely give 'em more. But nothing was said. I distinctly remember PMing you about this very issue back when P2P was taken down and my membership ran out. I can’t prove it, because if I did, I’ve definitely deleted the PM by now because I ran out of space. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608/80 "2012-03-05T00:28:12Z")
> [@spankthecrumpet](#): > > These limits are utterly, utterly, ridiculous. I am a member of various forums and most of them either have no limit or have a limit in the order of ten thousand or more as the admin is too lazy or whatever to sort the thing out properly. > > I can see no sane reason for limiting private messages like this. The cost of increased storage is basically nothing. I will give you $10 to remove the limitation for everyone if you like - and I think you will make a profit from it. > [@spankthecrumpet](#): > > I’m sorry it was taken that way, cause it certainly wasn’t meant to be! I’m not posting to pick on you- you seem genuinely surprised it could be taken badly. Look at the title. You all-capped MASSIVELY. That usually means yelling. Rather than asking if there is a reason, or if there is a way to increase it you don’t know about, you tell us “it’s utterly ridiculous” and “no sane reason” etc. You inform/lecture the staff about what the situation is (cost nothing to increase storage) rather asking if that’s the case. It’s not a nice way to offer a helpful suggestion or ask for help. I really don’t think you meant it to be rough, but perhaps you can see how it was. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/increase-private-message-storage-massively/614608.md?page=5)