be careful what you wish for my girl... altho' I'm sure you can more than stand up for yourself. I've been on the receiving end of more unwanted and unwarranted PMs than I could count!!!
Unwanted Conversations? Yes, I know that feeling very well... Earlier tonight I was at a new group meeting. As it was our first visit, we expected that we'd be introduced to everyone else present. I knew the beginning time but not the ending. However, you know the feeling you get (well some of us do...) when all around you are overlapping and you hope they'll eventually get to talk to you? Nope, once the meeting was call to order, we weren't even mentioned . We felt very uncomfortable. We got our 2 minutes to say hello then they just jumped into the regular mission. We finally had a tea break, but that was spent in silence again. Unfortunately, 9pm came around and we had to leave for getting back to our kitten who's all alone and in particular our dinner. They were going to have the discussions then I assumed. [Crying] I politely stated you know, excuse us, don't want to interrupt but we have to take our leave and see you next week. The interlocutor stopped and uttered under his breath... "Yes, leave you're too disruptive anyway..." I don't know if he was joking or if he was serious... After all I've been through that hasn't been easy for us to survive, I've no idea how to react or if we should go back next week. Sincerely, I'm confused dot com... Sorry, I've got food to make now...
It hasn't happened on this site (yet), but I often get messages from someone who agrees with something I've said but doesn't want to say so on the forum because they fear the backlash.
Considering the circumstances, I would say he was joking. I am of the opposite ilk. I would rather be ignored and sit at the back until I decide if I want to insinuate myself into the group...or just barge in.
Sadly, I doubt that the backlash has any substance to it...just torches & pitchforks, with a core of ignorance.
This is why I don't use pms to others, I politely as possible tell them I'm more comfortable on the forum. I did ask about forum to a mod, but that's all so far here. On one site I was accused of talking about someone in pm, ironically it was a group who called me into a 'conversation' about a member, where several others were talking about this person, after reading first post I just left and never commented. Anything I have to say is always in the open, it has served me well. I'm too opinionated and outspoken to join cliques online.