By clicking on the send a private message (PM) under the member's avatar in their profile page or in a post they wrote, or from the compose tab in your My Messages section. After typing your message, you just click send.

Click [settings] next to My Profile in your left personal menu, then click Set Email Notifications.

1. Check the General section for Hugs, PMs and site updates. Click update on that section.
2. Second section is a per group basis. For each one of your groups choose one of four different notification options. If you choose to stop notifications but not deleting current subscriptions you will receive the ones you have already subscribed to.
3. Important: when replying to a discussion, choose if you want to subscribe to it or not. Subscribing to a post will override these settings!

 * PMs notifications are also controlled in the Settings page in the PMs section.


PMs are Private Messages, email-like communication between two members and away from the public eye. PMs can be read only by the two members participating in the discussion.

30 days. If you want to delete messages from the inbox you can and if you want to keep certain ones make sure you archive them.

The read messages in the outbox will be kept for 30 days or until deleted by the receiving party.
You may recall a message before it’s being read, but remember that the email notifying of the PM was already sent...

The archive allows you to keep the important messages for as long as you want, for future reference! Click on archive this message from within the PM.

In an ideal world you wouldn't need. ;-). Sometimes things just don't work out...  if you wish to not receive PMs from a certain member use this feature (link within the PM). The blocked member cannot see you blocked them.