The benefits you* are listing for PM's are (mostly) the same benefits of private conversation- whether that be email, old-fashioned letters, a phone call, etc. What are the sole benefits of PM's? The solution seems to me to get people to put their email addresses in their profiles- surely it is standard practice to have a "throw-away" account. A better name may be "internet persona" email account. Mine is the one I've got listed on LQ, that I sign up to stuff on the net with (forums etc.)

Why PM, specifically?

TG

*royal you/hypothetical you, not attacking anyone, not attacking full-stop.

While I can see how a geek/nerd (I say that in a good way - I'm a nerd) would have 'throw-away' email accounts, I don't think that its fair to expect anyone else to. I also firmly believe it is a bad idea for everyone to have their email address listed in their profile.

The benefits of PM over 'email/old fashioned letters/phone calls' is that a) you're not compromising personal information in the process, b) its easier to just click on their name and select 'PM' and c) you're able to compartmentalize this information so as to keep it separate from your real life.

Now, I understand that for some people LQ IS their life.......but thats not the case for everyone.

Personal choice, but you had to put one in to sign up for LQ, right? Some people don't add this layer of privacy, fair enough. If it's a worry, why not set up another email address? It is not that hard.

The LQ e-mailing system is quiet nifty, I think. You put in your message into a box that looks suspiciously like the 'report' message box. You don't get that person's address unless they reply to you. They get your email address right away obviously, but you're the one who wanted to contact them... It's not like you have an address in the form of spammers-please-mail-me@harvest-this.com

Release of personal information is always up to you- if you have an issue, fix it by making an alternate email address for things like that. I've compartmentalized LQ information from my regular "Hi TG, wanna go out for dinner thursday, love friend" email account- all by choice/effort.
b) is easier always better?

The concept of an internet pseudonym is well known- an added privacy measure perhaps. If you are signing up as "titanium_geek" instead of "$my-real-name" you could have an email account to match. (I do, in fact.)

For those who live on LQ, why are you trying to make it harder for them to have their lives all in one place?

titanium_geek