it's called a PRIVATEmessage because it is sent to one person and and not posted on a bulletin board. As I said, confidentiality should not be assumed. If you tell someone something and they repeat it, or convey your message to other people, theres no foul. UNLESS you ask them to hold it private. In some cases, the information shared is inherently private. But it aint automatic. IOW, if you sent me a PM saying that you were sexually attracted to Spexxvet, but were afraid to say it to him....I wouldn't post that. But if you mentioned that you thought he looked hawt in his new sweat suit, I might make reference to that if the topic came up.

Yup, he's runnin' with it.

naw....i'm standing here with my legs spread slightly in superman fashion, and i have it hanging out of my zipper. it's danglin' for ya.

So now if you want every one of your PM's to be private, you probably need to put a disclaimer at the bottom like they put on some company emails. You know..."the contents of this message are meant for the recipient and no one else. The contents of this message are confidential blah blah blah..."

Is that right?

if I have an expectation of the contents being treated confidentially, then yes.

I have stayed out of this till now. I agree with LJ's definition of a PM.

I don't PM much, but when I do, it's because I want to say something specifically to a single person. I make no assumptions about them keeping it private from the rest of the board.

As if I was at a party (just can't get away from this analogy) and was talking quietly in a corner with someone. If I didn't want them to repeat what I was about to say, then I wouldn't say it in the first place.

That being said, I wouldn't blab to any third parties about what I have been chatting with a person. I figure, if they wanted that third person to know, they'd tell them themselves. It's not my place to do so. There are a few exceptions, like if I am honestly worried about the well being of someone.

How about if the someone took you into a seperate room, with the sign "this room is for private communications" over the door. You know, the one down the hall, next to the bathroom. Would you then keep your conversation confidential?

Stupid is as stupid does.

And I do. ;)

Like I said, I would keep any conversation to myself. As for expecting the other person to keep it between us, I could say "This stays between us" till I'm blue in the face and have a signed contract fron the other person, but have learned enough times that it never does anyway...so if I don't want it leaked, I keep my mouth shut.

The only person I totally trust is my husband.

What does this mean?

Well, it's a quote from Forrest Gump.

Um, yeah. I knew that. What were you referring to when you posted it?

It's an obscure reference that I feel under no obligation to explain. A wise man once told the masses that people either get the joke or they don't; explaining it is moot.

Why do you ask, twice???????