Keep in mind that we can’t see any PMs unless you report them, so if you don’t report it, we won’t know about it and there’s no way we can act on it.
If you report it, we get a copy of the reported PM from the system as part of the PM report.
The main reason it can be useful is so that they know not to waste their time trying to PM you, and that you likely won’t see any replies from them in threads. Of course, on the flip side, that also let’s them know they can say shit about you and you probably won’t see it.
As for using the feature, it’s really good for people you know will piss you off, too. You can use it as a buffer, so you have to decide whether you actually want to read what they have to say. Plus it’s useful for seeing if said person who pisses you off actually even contributes anything to the board.
If they contribute, then the conversation will not make sense without reading what they have to say. And they will likely be quoted as someone else responds.
Huh. I always thought the rule about not publicly discussing the membership of one’s ignore list was more about not sharing the information with third parties.* So, speaking of which, would I be within the bounds of acceptable behavior if I shared with Poster A that Poster B is on my ignore list, and that I found the decision to put him there to be personally salubrious, from a mental health standpoint, and therefore heartily advocated?
I totally get that metaphorically tapping someone on the shoulder with a PM* to tell them that you’re ignoring them would be jerkishly pointless, and the target of such an encounter would be within his rights to report the violation.
**emails to an address obtained from their profile page/contact tab, but not initiated through the “send an email to Poster B” button would, I presume, be unsanctionable, if still jerkishly pointless.
Gulp! I hope it’s permissible to say pit-worthy things in PMs to recipients who would understand and agree.
Y’know, “Sympathies over what that roaring idiot XYZ said to you on the thread about Ninja Gophers. He was way out of line, but, y’know, he’s a total drip and always has been. I set him on ‘ignore’ months ago.”
That’s kinda against the rules, but then if they understand and agree then they also probably aren’t going to report the PM and there’s no way that we would ever know about it.
If you want to be safe though, just keep in mind that the general board (non-Pit) rules apply to all PMs and post accordingly.
Is this true even in the Pit?
You are explicitly allowed to say who is on your Ignore list in the Pit.