Private messaging limit

[redtails]

A short thread I've been willing to write for some time.. I'm starting this thread to start up a discussion, please take notice of that.

I personally do not see why there should be a limit to the amount of private messages that one can store on their account. We live in 2009, I believe this site is ran from a dedicated server and I'm quite sure the mysql string for a private message is not, on average, bigger than just a few kilobyte.

In fact, I understand why there is a limit to the amount of messages, I've been around on the internet for that long. Back in the old days where computers weren't as fast as they are now, it took CPU time to process these kind of things. Setting a limit meant the database wouldn't get as big and the system would remain somewhat fast. Because of tradition, this seems to have stuck around all the way to nowadays bulletin board systems. With current hardware and processing power, these kinds of limits have become completely obsolete.

Yes, I have done my homework:
-I fully understand and am aware that a user can download a text file containing all of their private messages
-Yes, I am aware a VIP already has a higher limit of messages in their inbox
-Yes I understand what the delete button does and how it can increase the available free space

[Hex]

I believe the main reasons it's set so low here (AFAIK 100 is the vBulletin default), is to encourage user's to use the forums and profile messages to communicate.

Also PMs are hard to moderate by their private nature. Of course most forum software provides means for admins/mods to read PMs, but generally you don't want to as you'd have to inform your users. You could of course, ask your users to report it, but it could still violate forum rules (such as sending links to porn or pirated software) without users wanting to report it. Setting it to a level so as not to make this practical also helps.

A lot of forum software does not make it easy to set PMs to no limit, so the best solution is to set it to some large number (on forums I ran, I usually set it to 1000, when we had our own server, when we were hosted on other sites, we weren't allowed to set it).

EDIT: I'd just like to point out one thing: the forums I ran were based on a phpbb variant. I've modded on a vb forum or two and I'd know people who run vb forums but I can't comment expertly on the settings you can and can't change. This is just how it was with the forum software I used. Also Abby (see next post) has said that it was unlimited before so the third point doesn't seem to apply here.

[s4u]

A couple things though, Dreammaker.

1) It was set to unlimited before, so changing it back shouldn't be a problem.
2) Setting a limit will *not* change the nature of the PM's, not the amount received. It's just gives the user the annoying task of deleting their inbox.

I have to say I'd like to see unlimited message storage, but you can download them to your computer, *then* delete, so you still have them.

[Pojo]

I don't really care if there is a limit or not...I don't PM that often (PM me peoples )...And I don't mind deleting...

Mine says 93% full and I have to clear it out every once and a while, but it isn't really a loss...I do get annoyed deleting them just because I hate the process but it is something I can deal with.

If it is possible to hike up the limit that would be cool, but if not, it should not be such a big deal.

FullMetal

[redtails]

Originally Posted by Dreamaker

I believe the main reasons it's set so low here (AFAIK 100 is the vBulletin default), is to encourage user's to use the forums and profile messages to communicate.

Also PMs are hard to moderate by their private nature. Of course most forum software provides means for admins/mods to read PMs, but generally you don't want to as you'd have to inform your users. You could of course, ask your users to report it, but it could still violate forum rules (such as sending links to porn or pirated software) without users wanting to report it. Setting it to a level so as not to make this practical also helps.

A lot of forum software does not make it easy to set PMs to no limit, so the best solution is to set it to some large number (on forums I ran, I usually set it to 1000, when we had our own server, when we were hosted on other sites, we weren't allowed to set it).

As Abby has said, changing the limit does not change the content of private messages. And what I understand from FullMetal, deleting messages is seen as a nuisance to some. I'd also like to add that if the limit is set to encourage people to use the forum, why isn't there a limit to the amount of visitor messages for exactly the same reason? Principles are only good if they count for everything, I believe

although Dreamaker seems to be knowledgeable about the impossibility of an unlimited amount of messages. I don't have any insight into that unfortunately. If it has been unlimited before, though, that technical problem doesn't seem to count

[avery]

i'd love to see unlimited PMs. i just recently reached my limit again and had to download them as a text file and blitz my PM folders. it's an irritating process.

[RJ]

It was set low to encourage everyone to prune their stuff regularly.
The limits have been increased.

[redtails]

Originally Posted by RJ

It was set low to encourage everyone to prune their stuff regularly.
The limits have been increased.

A new limit of 500. Why thank you for your time and effort. I'm sure I'll appreciate this increase of storage capacity!

[Charlie F]

500?

Can you increase mod's PM limits too? It's still 250.