Auto delete excess PMs

[Pilot]

The PM system should delete old PMs over a "n" days-old threshold or over a limit of the number in the mailbox. This should apply especially to sent PMs.

This delete should take place when the user next views their PM mailbox (and not when someone sends them a PM!).

At present the mailboxs are a pain to keep pruned by hand, especially as people don't see the "sent" view automatically.

As well as or alternatively have an Admin function to prune old PMs from all users.

[tubedogg]

You can already mass-delete PMs as an admin.

However I would not want to login to find my PMs missing all of a sudden (as would be the case with your auto-prune after x days). What I would rather have is the admin educate me (in the FAQ and/or elsewhere, maybe mass-send a PM) about keeping my PMs in check, and about the Sent folder, and/or have a lower limit set by the admin, so I know when I'm approaching it rather than PMs just disappearing.

[Fusion]

Yes, anything that automatically purges PMs is liable to create a fair bit of static. History has invariably proven that to be a bad thing.

[Pilot]

You missed my point, like the old UBB PM hack - it would not have to delete them before you saw a warning.

When you logged in (to PM) it would warn you that a number of them were marked for auto-purge and highlight them.

You could then copy them or whatever. However if you failed to delete them manually then it would delete them for you next time you sent a PM.

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Another option would be to allow the user to set a rollover limit. I personally would be happy to have new PMs delete the oldest (read) ones as I don't get that many.

Manual deletion is tedious. "Education" is tedious and ultimately does not work with 6000 users.

Computers are designed to automate tedious but simple procedures - so let's use them for what they are good at!

People are bad at remembering boring details.

[Fusion]

But you forget, of the breed of computer users you are an advanced specimen. Common users will react to having "their" old PMs deleted, especially when they return after days, weeks, or months of absence. That said, using a hard-limit for saves as well as the inbox would force them to delete messages themselves. It works extremely well with computer-illiterate students, it'd work well here. ;)