Allow people to contact you by email?

poVoq

I just found an extension for Flarum that restores the functionality from the old phpBB forum to make an contact request via email: d-damien/flarum-ext-contact-request

This adds an button to your profile people can use to dispatch an email requesting a reply. This does not expose your email address until you reply, but still has some abuse potential.

On a side note: this forum has intentionally no DM functionality, as this is all too often used to harass other members. Therefore I am a bit hesitant to add this extension without asking first.

So please vote on this poll and also leave a comment if you have anything to add.

Peter

~~I voted that I consider it useful.~~ Nontheless my wish is that is NOT implemented because besides usefulness it has bad potential as you said here:

poVoq this forum has intentionally no DM functionality, as this is all too often used to harass other members.

I corrected my vote.

ffaf

I voted for "useful". If there is an option to opt-out/opt-in, doubly so.

Modanung

Turned my "would not use" vote into abstention, because the option starts with "No".

poVoq

Modanung right, that should be an option. I added it now.

Peter

@ffaf makes a good point: If the forum user can choose whether he/she can be contacted it seems a good idea.

poVoq

Peter the above linked extension doesn't seem to have this functionality, and if it had, the next question would be immediately if it should be opt-in or opt-out by default. So that doesn't really help solve to the main question.

ffaf

poVoq

the above linked extension doesn't seem to have this functionality, and if it had, the next question would be immediately if it should be opt-in or opt-out by default. So that doesn't really help solve to the main question.

It is crucial imho @poVoq. If someone decides to stalk/abuse you, there has to be a way to stop that. Whether opt-in/opt-out is a more delicate question, but there has to be a way to say “no”.

I will ask the developer.

Peter

If it would be choosable perhaps more people would vote for it because they could turn it off. But as this is technically not possible it doesn't matter, as you said.

Right now the poll result doesn't help, too...

TPW

Given how small the community is, I think both the need for the function and the risk of abuse are minimal, tbh.

Modanung

TPW Agreed.

Btw, I don't see why this extension would be up for discussion, while private messages seem to be out of the question. What exactly makes the latter more prone to being abused? And, concerning abuse potential, I'd worry more about people talking behind the backs of others - which victims cannot block, opt out of or refute - than direct nagging/spam/insults.

poVoq

Modanung we have no influence on what people do behind the backs of others on 3rd party services or in private messages, but DMs are very often used to harass people with unwanted messages and sending people a lot of email contact request notifications is a milder form of that.

However it looks like the extension in question already allows opting out of such notifications, it is just that currently the contact button stays visible even if people opt out, which makes it a bit confusing.

Lopy

I feel like there could be legitimate uses. I don't think it would be easy but if the addon developers provide an easy way to filter those requests, the potential for abuse seems much lower.

poVoq

On a related note, it looks like Flarum 2.0 will have DMs.