quote:
Originally posted by Ronn_Bman:
I actually like the PM function, but lately I've wondered whether or not it might affect posting. Initially, I thought "this will keep people from chit chatting and going off topic" but then an idea struck me.
Many of the threads I've gotten interested in on GD have been started by a couple of people talking back and forth, or people going off topic on a post and turning it into something interesting.
Just makes me wonder if I'm missing anything 
I don't think so. PMs should be used for, well, private messages.
PMs are good for asking a specific person a specific question. It's also a great (and private) way of letting a person know in case you weren't happy with something they posted. Avoids the possibility of public flames. Also, for mods and admin it's a great way to let someone know they've done the wrong thing, without embarrassing them in public.
Unless of course they deserve to be embarrassed...