Forum: Bug Report and Feature Requests

I'm aware that in the forums, if the poster is an author then (at least sometimes) the poster name is actually a link to the author page which includes the option to send an email to the author via the SOL system (so not revealing the author email unless they reply).

I'd like the same sort of functionality for reader names as well (if the reader permits it via an added field in their profile) so that a private exchange may be initiated, e.g. to offer a copy of a withdrawn item where the poster's copy was lost for some reason, without triggering the flood of 'send it to me too' messages. So, if a reader permits, their forum moniker would actually be a (script) link which invokes something like the feedback form to send an email to the registered address of the reader.

This probably would also need to be tied in to the 'report abusive emails' mechanism that's being discussed re author feedback, preferably so an identified abusive emailer would have their messages silently dropped.

edited to break up the monolithic bloc of text.

ETA: This would have subtly different functionality from the proposed/coming 'private message' system, but looks to me to be a darned sight easier to implement.

When I have responded to people directly (after they have stated an address in the forum) I use a throwaway rather than my SOL known email. If the option to use a different email address was available, then I would participate.
It would also help if that permission could be turned on and off, so a poster can open up for responses for a specific time (like the example mentioned of 'send it to me too'), but generally be turned off to avoid flaming or possible spam.

Overall, I think it would be a useful added feature.

You can email reviewers as well as authors. Sometimes I comment on reviews too, mostly when homonyms appear in the review. I MUST proof-read.