Hello,
I am a new member in this forum
Is it possible from time to time to contact by private message a member if he agrees ?
Best regards
Yes, from an etiquette point of view, it is acceptable to contact another member by private message (PM) if they agree.
The smoothest way to approach this is to ask for their permission openly on the thread first. For example, you can reply to their public comment saying: “I have a question regarding your point, would you mind if I sent you a PM?”
Some discourse stuff I’ve found that should apply here:
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Ask Before DMing: Sending unsolicited messages to strangers can be perceived as intrusive. Publicly asking for permission lets them consent or decline without pressure.
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Prevent Accidental Harassment: In many discourse-based communities, unsolicited direct messaging is considered spam or harassment if it continues after being rejected.
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Maintain the Forum’s Value: The core purpose of a discourse forum is public knowledge-sharing. While PMs are excellent for sensitive details or polite apologies, technical questions and answers should generally stay on the public thread so others can benefit from the solution.
Personally I don’t accept PMs since the vast majority of queries should be open to everyone to see (the latter bullet)
Thank you for your reply.
I fully understand and agree to what you wrote and will apply carefully.