This can get confusing for newcomers, so here are a few words of explanation ...
At the top of every RootsChat page you will see three lines/links
Welcome back, Josephine Soap, you have xxx messages, yy are new.
Show unread posts since last visit.
Show new replies to your posts.
If you click on the xxx messages you will come to your Personal Messages (PM)
These are private and only you can see them.
Show unread posts since last visit.
Any new topic, or any topic that has been replied to, since you last logged in will be found in this list.
Show new replies to your posts.
If you reply to any topic, or start up a topic yourself, then anytime anybody replies to this topic,
it will appear in this list, regardless of whether or not the reply was meant specifically for you.
It might help to read the text "as is" but think of it as meaning:
"Show new replies to any topics to which you have also replied"
E-mail notification.
In a way, this is similar to the Show new replies to your posts list
If you reply to any topic, or start up a topic yourself, then you will receive an e-mail notification,
"a reply has been made on a topic you are interested in", anytime somebody replies to this topic,
regardless of whether or not the reply was meant specifically for you.
The reply itself is on the topic.
You can switch e-mail notifications on and off,
either individually, when you are replying to a topic,
or globally, in your profile : "Notifications and Email" and "Personal Message Options"
or at any other time, by clicking on the "Notify" button at the top or bottom of the topic.
And by the way, that only applies to e-mail notifications;
sorry, but you cannot switch off entries in the
Show unread posts since last visit. or the Show new replies to your posts. list.
Unfortunately, there is no standard "naming convention" on RootsChat;
when talking about their input on RootsChat:
- Some people say message, meaning "Personal Message/PM"
- Some people say message, meaning "Reply to topic"
- Some people say "e-mail" meaning "Reply to Topic"
- Some people say "e-mail" meaning "Personal Message/PM"
Added: (see Reply #4)
- Some people say posting, meaning "Reply to topic"
Hope this helps,
Bob