Send Topic - Simple but smart options

[Fizzy]

It would be nice of you didn't have to enter a valid email address when you click on "Send Topic", instead for the Send Topic to work by one of two methods.
1. An email address is entered (maybe to a non-member ? ) then the "send to" goes out by email,
2. The email address isn't filled in but a username is, it sends the "send to" to the users IM inbox.

EG, you want to alert a member to a particular topic that you know they will want to read, you try to use send topic but .... aha ! The member in question has their email address hidden so you don't know what it is. The only option then is to mess about going in to send a message to them and copy the link in to the message which makes it a much bigger deal that a simple "click, name, go !"

Could the "Send Topic" be configured to send an IM rather than an email ? In that way there would be the best of both worlds.
If the recipients email is hidden it wouldn't cause a problem as they will get the message the next time they visit and , or if the recipient has selected to send IM's by email then they get that bonus too and will be notified but without revealing their email address.

I get this a lot on my home board, "send topic" type IM's  are being sent internally all the time.