The email notification does 3 jobs:
1. Alerting a member that they have received a pm, it might be important.
2. Providing a practical direct link to the pm in the forum.
3. Providing a copy of the pm content, up to any member to just read it or, if it's important, log in and reply.
Now and then a few who does not read the following 3 things are sending a reply email to the forum outgoing email address:
1. The email sender (forum main email account)
2. The "IMPORTANT: Remember, this is just a notification. Please do not reply to this email"
3. The given link: "Reply to this Personal Message here:
http://www.a7a10.net/forum/..."
Yes, in case of someone not reading all the above clear info and just hit reply, I am
receiving the email sent by the member (whcih usually contains a copy of the notification etc) but
am not reading any content of these emails, just replying with a note to
read the notification and click the provided link to the forum pm. Then these emails are immediately deleted.
For the moment will not change anything (nor reset everyone to not receive notifications by email), as it's seldom this happens these days, & anyone is free to choose to make errors while sending emails :O)
you state your uncomfortable with it
Not with the PM notification, it's excellent and I personally find it very useful, but uncomfortable with the
result of (very few) members
not reading their email content, and failing to follow the instructions :O)
and do we really need up to date info that a message is waiting on a hobby website?
Some may find it very important, others less important. Set notification as you wish, go to profile, and adjust PM according to wishes and needs, keep it on, or simply turn it off (see attachment).