Excelsior

You may on occasion prefer to disable PMs entirely.

To do this, type [pm (return) in game.
It will pull up a gump.
Click "PM" in the middle of the bottom row.
If the square next to "Allow Private Messages" is checked, click it to uncheck it.



Now, anyone who goes to message you, such as typing in: [pm solawesome will get the following message:
"No name containing 'solawesome' was found."
Or, it will pull up a list of possible alternatives that fit their partially submitted inquiry, 'sol, sola, solawes' but fail to list your name 'solawesome'.

Why would you want to do this?

• ¤ If you are becoming overloaded with correspondence.

• ¤ If you find PMs popping up on your screen disturbing or otherwise negatively impacting to your zen.

• ¤ If you do not like that the PM system verifies if you're online.

• ¤ If you do not like that the PM system verifies if you're ATK (message return receipt.)

Why would you not want to do this?

• ¤ The PM-fail msg is the same whether you personally ignore a user or if you disable PMs to all users (unnecessary offense.)

• ¤ If you also disable world chat, no one will be able to verify you're online through the C and PM systems, which may give the further appearance that perhaps you are a lost character (false death notice.)

• ¤ You will also not be able to PM anyone, either (inability to privately negotiate trade.)

• ¤ People you may not have realized you wanted to reach you will not be able to.

Increased use of this feature could be a bonus. To add a degree of difficulty at reaching certain players adds a bit of random, unprogrammed, personalized quest and adventure to otherwise reaching the player that must be on screen to correspond. Why be personally offended if a player is no longer reachable by private instant-letter, rather than finding it a fun challenge or RP opportunity? It is as though private correspondence is an expectation rather than a privilege. Nonetheless, I just like to imagine I've successfully slipped away and can't be found.

In case you wanted to kick the phone off the hook for a bit.
Sol