# Why was the private messageing system taken down?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-private-messageing-system-taken-down/188710>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [July 15, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-private-messageing-system-taken-down/188710 "2003-07-15T18:42:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kputt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@kputt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kputt)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-private-messageing-system-taken-down/188710/1 "2003-07-15T18:42:15Z")

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I’ve noticed that this system was taken down. I was just wondering why.

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**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-private-messageing-system-taken-down/188710/2 "2003-07-15T19:58:20Z")

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I don’t think the SDMB has ever had private messaging.

[From the FAQs](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=103503) at the top of the forum:

> [@](#):
>
> Q: Why can’t I do (some vBulletin action)?  
> A: We have disabled the following features at our message board. Some were disabled because they were abused in the past; some because we thought the usage might become abused in the future; some to protect the privacy of our members; some due to site speed considerations; and some for other reasons.

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**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-private-messageing-system-taken-down/188710/3 "2003-07-16T19:13:39Z")

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I think PM was for site speed issues. You already have email. No need for a site specific personal messaging system that cranks the servers (i.e. makes the hamsters’ job harder).

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**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:** [July 18, 2003, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-private-messageing-system-taken-down/188710/4 "2003-07-18T12:34:41Z")

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There’s a lot of functions in vB we don’t get to use; just keeping the board running (or whatever other speed it’s operating in at the present time, which these days seems to be somewhere between creeping and crawling), just handling posts takes every bit of server power we have and beyond.

Sometimes I feel like Scotty from Star Trek, “They’ll not take the strain!”

The Star Trek reference is apt; it’s going to take a server from another dimension to get to a place where we can fully explore all the things vB can offer and still allow all of you to see the board as you want when you want it.

your humble TubaDiva  
Administrator