There is no provision for direct messaging or emailing a member. That has never been instituted in these forums and there is currently no plan to do so.
There are other technical forums that do have the type of feature you're looking for. I'm not sure if Eng-Tips doesn't have the feature activated, or if the forum platform doesn't allow it; either way, it isn't possible here.
The workaround is typically to put up a post calling out the person you want to talk to, and if they want you to contact them they'll either give you their email and delete it quickly, or will give you enough information to find them. At least one prominent member of the forum has a riddle in their profile. If you can solve it, you get their email address.
My understanding is that it was a software incapability issue with the original software. When the present owners took over the forums, they decided not to upgrade the site and port it to more robust software, so it continues to limp along.
Yes, there are others that allow direct messaging. I'm involved with another engineering forum, now owned by the original owner of Eng-Tips; however, if I mention the name of the forum this post will get deleted by management. It has direct messaging and a very friendly interface.
I'll see if I can disguise it....It is simply with an "i" instead of "y". Then add engineering.com...all one word. I think you'll like it.
This is at least better than linkedin in terms of conversations. Linkedin devolves into 75% of posters just wanting the world to see how smart they are about stuff that they know near nothing about.
Point of a forum is to discuss issues in public. I don't see a benefit for private messages.
On hobby forums I'm part of there is an option for PM. The only benefit is, if for some reason I sell or buy an item from a forum member. But that isn't the case on a professional forum. Any other PMs I got on those forums are either insults, or questions that could have been posted publicly or were already answered in the thread anyway.
@EP...there's a benefit to direct messaging. I keeps specific correspondence from cluttering the general forum. Often there is a need to contact the individual for specific information that would have little or no benefit in the main forum. We have found this to be the case in the other forum that I'm involved in. Many of our members there have used the direct messaging feature and found it to be useful.
![[bigsmile]](/data/assets/smilies/bigsmile.gif "[bigsmile] [bigsmile]")