Which one you consider more effective, A Welcome PM or a Welcome Email?

[xpl0iter]

In my opinion a welcome pm will be more effective, as the member might not be providing a personal email there are chances for him to miss that email. But once they login to the forum, its noway they could miss a welcome PM.

What do you think?

 

[Jamiew2510]

I also think a welcome PM

 

[Martee]

Out of the two choices, a PM is better but for my own personal opinion, both are simply annoying. There a few things that will make me leave a forum straight away and recieving a welcoming PM is one of them. The last thing I want to do after signing up is to instantly read an automated PM. Whilst you may think this is silly of me, it is rather annoying. The first thing I like to do on a forum is post an intro and get stuck into the content, not read some annoying PM or even see the 'YOU HAVE ONE UNREAD PRIVATE MESSAGE' bar instantly after you sign up. It is very annoying to me, maybe it is just the way I am though.

The email area is the same for me except it is more annoying than the former. I have my hotmail open at all times and I get the alerts popping up down the side which annoys me in a singular sense (But I need them on for important emails >_>) but when all I see are emails coming through 'Welcome to XYZ Forum!' and such, annoys me even more. I know I have signed up to your forum, I know the link and what you're about, why do you feel the need to send me an email detailing all this junk?

/rant over.

 

[Xyphien]

I do not check my emails most of the time, so if it is a welcome email I will always delete it unless I need it for activation. For the PM I actually read it most of the time. So I find the PM more effective.