Offensive private email

[SharLamb]

I just got an offensive private email from a new user on this forum. I don't see how to block this person from sending me stuff in the future. Can anyone help? I don't want to block private emails all together. Thanks, Shar

[billz]

SharLamb - I'd let one of the moderators know about it. I'll bet there's a button that can be pushed somewhere to suspend PM sending rights. I'm sorry that happened to you.

edit: Toward the bottom of this page (http://www.elementsvillage.com/forums/faq.php?faq=vb3_board_usage#faq_vb3_troublesome_us ers)there are some other suggestions to block specific user PMs.

Bill

[jonknee]

I just got an offensive private email from a new user on this forum. I don't see how to block this person from sending me stuff in the future. Can anyone help? I don't want to block private emails all together. Thanks, Shar

You were just one of many people who got the message. I had a copy forwarded to me. I have banned the user and attempted to delete all of the messages he sent (I have never done this before so we'll see if it works).

Sort of an odd thing to spam PM accounts, I'm not quite sure what he was going for. Especially odd to spam for Buddhism, that goes against the whole belief system. It came from the US too, which is fairly rare in the world of spam. But that's good for us because US companies actually deal with this stuff--I have reported the spam to his ISP and web host.

[SharLamb]

Thanks for the quick action, Jon. I saw that I wasn't the only one who got it. Wonder how we few were chosen. Oh well. Not the worst thing that can happen, but nice to have it cleared up. Shar

[Teacher617]

Now that you've written what this person's topic was ... this isn't the first time he's tried this, nor the first forum. Several months ago, I received the same private message in this forum. I blocked him from sending to me. Then I discovered the exact same thing in a different forum to which I contribute. I always wonder why people think others will want anything to do with such a message.

Tricia

[jonknee]

I just got word from his host that his website has been shut down (and checked to confirm). So I think you can chalk this one up as a W for the good guys.

[prouss]

Kind of an amazing achievement for the Internet - to inspire anger against Buddhism! What next - www.ihatemotherhoodandapplepie.com?

[SharLamb]

As far as this forum is concerned, I don't see anger AGAINST a religion, but against someone using the forum to intrude evangelism on the part of his religion. As sold out and passionate as I am to mine, I would not insult the members of a forum by sending private emails to recruit/evangelize them. If, for instance, I posted a layout or photo with comments that intimated my beliefs, apropos to the photo, and someone sent me an email asking about them, I would be happy to reply privately. However, I would not post a photo or layout with the motive of attracting religious discourse. It's my understanding that this is a forum to discuss PSE and related issues, not religion. There are plenty of forums on that subject, I'm sure. I'm a relative newbie, but what I have expressed here has been my experience here up until now, and given the rapid response, I'd guess I'm right about that! Shar

[Teacher617]

Kind of an amazing achievement for the Internet - to inspire anger against Buddhism! What next - www.ihatemotherhoodandapplepie.com?

There is no anger against Buddhism here at all. It is the poster's use of a forum designed for the sole purpose of providing info related to PSE that is in question.

Tricia

[prouss]

Chill out - I was joking (as was rather obvious from the second part of the post, emoticons or not!)

[SharLamb]

Well, I guess it wasn't obvious. And "Chill out" comes across in black and white as an arrogant put-down. Maybe what you could have said was, "Ooops. Sorry. I meant that as a joke." Shar