Is it possible to forward a PM?

[MrMike]

As per the subject, is it possible to forward a PM?

I'd like all PMs sent to the admin to be forwarded to another user; is there any way to do this?

I don't see any way to make it happen via global settings or through a user's PM options and I don't see any kind of mod or package that does this. (I do see a mod that allows sending PMs to BCC recipients but nothing that would automatically forward a PM to another user.)

To recap, when someone sends a PM to the admin I'd like to have it auto copied to another (specific) user.

Is this possible?

[Burke ♞ Knight]

PM's are considered to be private messages between the person sending and the person they are sending to.
What you are asking, is not a feature for just this reason. If I was a member at your site, and found you were forwarding my PM's to you, to another member, you better believe I'd be raising a lot of trouble. Forwarding someone's PM's, without their permission, is a violation of their privacy.

[Deaks]

Automatically its not possible by default, only way is quote the message and send as a new one.

BK say you have an account called admin thats only used for admin reasons, and people are messaging that account, and you want the messages sent to your second account instead as you dont check you admin account ... their is a use for it.  But I agree it could be used for wrongdoings

[MrMike]

BK say you have an account called admin thats only used for admin reasons, and people are messaging that account, and you want the messages sent to your second account instead as you dont check you admin account ... their is a use for it.

This is *exactly* what I want it for- I have an admin account that's never used, but people still send PM's to the admin.

[Burke ♞ Knight]

Set the admin account to block all PM's and have it tell them in the msg who to send to, instead.

[MrMike]

If I was a member at your site, and found you were forwarding my PM's to you, to another member, you better believe I'd be raising a lot of trouble.

Wouldn't it matter why someone was doing this? As in my case, it's needed because the admin account is never used. In fact, I've set a trigger on it so if anyone ever logs into it I get sent an email alerting me to the intrusion.

Forwarding someone's PM's, without their permission, is a violation of their privacy.

I think it depends on what the purpose is. In my case it's actually fulfilling the intended function, which is notifying the actual admin.

[MrMike]

Set the admin account to block all PM's and have it tell them in the msg who to send to, instead.

That would work.

I've already blocked the account from receiving PMs; could you please point me to where I can change the message you referred to?

EDIT: are you referring to this line in "PersonalMessage.english.php":

Code Select Expand

$txt['pm_error_user_cannot_read'] = 'User \'%1$s\' can not receive personal messages.

[Burke ♞ Knight]

Wait a minute.
If the forum is your own, and you still are using an administrator account, why not just use the main admin account?

As for the msg, that would effect all that have people blocked.
I think there's a way to set personal PM blocked messages, but I think it's a mod someone had a while back.

[MrMike]

Wait a minute.
If the forum is your own, and you still are using an administrator account, why not just use the main admin account?

For reasons I can't enumerate here, I do not use the main admin account. It's never used by anyone (including myself). That's why I wanted to forward PMs from it, but blocking users and pointing them to our general contact form is a workable solution.

As for the msg, that would effect all that have people blocked.

It's okay if everyone sees that message.

I added some text to the message indicating that if they're trying to contact the admin to use the contact form instead (with a link included).

[Lou69]

What you are looking for is an Auto Responder.

http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=2630

http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=3160

Hopefully you are not on an earlier version of SMF 

http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=232

[Ninja ZX-10RR]

Hm! Can I suggest you this one instead? http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=2491

It's SimpleDesk, basically it's a contact form but faraway better than the normal one, much more advanced and you would be able to track each request with a number. The most important thing to you would be that you are able to access it from both your main account and your secondary so it wouldn't matter anymore
With this one you could solve both problems, the one related to messages and the one related to that other account not being used/rarely being used.

[Deaks]

Flavio how is that going to help, its abit overkill for what the user needs.

[Ninja ZX-10RR]

He wouldn't be having to edit strings and it would be very useful because that mod allows to select who is able to view the tickets and who is not. So he could let both the old account and the new one (and others if he needs to) to see the tickets, so this could solve the problem he asked without having to do more stuff. Additionally he would be able to track every issue or enquiry with a number and this would make things a lot easier as regards storing the stuff
As a last comment I can say that personally I find it much more professional a ticket system like that (also depends on the forum subject) rather than the usual contact form (this mod is also harder to spam than the contact form), but this is just a personal opinion huh! Just wanted to be kind purposing other ways of solving it, user's choice in the end as long as he is happy with it and he is able to solve his problem

[Lou69]

Flavio ... that is way, way overkill for what the OP needs. A mod that is used as a help desk is not what the OP needs. He did not state ( as I read it ) that he is running a help desk and he needs trouble tickets ( a lot of them ) to be rerouted as PMs.

An Auto Responder is what the OP needs. It is the simplest method to accomplish what the OP needs to have done and that is to tell members that he/she 'is out' and they should sent the PM to another account. The very same is accomplished with modern email clients. You send me an email and if I am out of the office you get a instant response back that I am out/vacation/etc. and to contact someone else.

[Burke ♞ Knight]

As for the msg, that would effect all that have people blocked.
I think there's a way to set personal PM blocked messages, but I think it's a mod someone had a while back.

http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=3665

[Lou69]

@BK ... that would work, no doubt and work much better than Simple Desk. The only issue with the warning is that I think every member would see that warning when they used a PM. Even if it were not to the Admin. Members might find that bothersome to read every time they PM'd a non admin member.

[Burke ♞ Knight]

Could always place this as message:

Please do not PM (Insert the main Admin name here) Instead, please PM (Insert name that is to be PM'ed here).

That little message would not be bad to be seen by all. It would serve to make sure all sees and knows it.

[Ninja ZX-10RR]

No need to look that "cool", like I said I was just suggesting. That's it.

[MrMike]

I thank you all for your suggestions. Some of them would work (sort of) and some seem a bit much for what I want to do.

What I did in the end was set the Admin account to "no PMs", and I edited the line below:

(before)

Code Select Expand

$txt['pm_error_user_cannot_read'] = 'User \'%1$s\' can not receive personal messages.';

(after)

Code Select Expand

$txt['pm_error_user_cannot_read'] = 'User \'%1$s\' can not receive personal messages. ' . "\n\n" . '<b>If you are trying to reach the Admin, please use the <a href="http://domain.com/contact.php">Contact Form</a> instead.</b>';

This blocks all PMs to the Admin account and includes a message asking the user to use the contact form.

Thanks again for the suggestions and solutions.

[MrMike]

The way I did it any user trying to PM someone who has blocked PMs will see the message, and they'll also see a message indicating that if they're trying to reach the Admin, to use the contact form.

@BK ... that would work, no doubt and work much better than Simple Desk. The only issue with the warning is that I think every member would see that warning when they used a PM. Even if it were not to the Admin. Members might find that bothersome to read every time they PM'd a non admin member.