Do You Answer?

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   Aficionadaposted 13 years ago

   If you receive an e-mail from a HubPages member, and the message says "e-mail address not verified," do you respond?  I've only received a few messages through e-mail, all from truly wonderful HP people, but one showed the "not verified" message, and that gave me pause....

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   1. 92

      Rochelle Frankposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I would wait . . .
      
      I have had 'not verified' responders on hub comments, which is OK, but if it is a personal e-mail, you are under NO obligation to reveal your email address with a reply.

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2. 72

   Cagsilposted 13 years ago

   I am with Rochelle on this- do not respond to that email. It will give away your primary email address and that's just what the emailer wants.
   
   If you have a "not verified" comment on hubs, then as long as they do not leave a link irrelevant to my hub, and it's not crud, then it will stay. Otherwise, I delete it.

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3. 80

   Aficionadaposted 13 years ago

   Thanks, Rochelle and Cagsil -
   
   I actually haven't even responded through e-mail to the ones that are verified, and I feel awkward about that.  It feels as if I am being stand-offish, but I'm really just preferring to keep my private life and my HP life separate for now.
   
   This "not verified" one is very friendly, and it appears that we have a lot in common; there are some questions in the e-mail that I wouldn't mind answering to someone that I felt more certain about, but in this case I definitely won't through e-mail and maybe not in any other way either.

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      Rochelle Frankposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I think that is perfectly reasonable. If people want to join-- you can communicate by responding in forums or in comments to their hubs.

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   2. 72

      Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      If you want and I have done this several times....I have received emails from hubbers who I am willing to answer, but not give out my email address, so I do not respond to the email sent by sending one back.
      
      I go to their profile and use the contact link, if it's there. If it is not, then their question goes unanswered.

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         Rochelle Frankposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         But doesn't that give them your email on the "reply to" line?

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4. 80

   Aficionadaposted 13 years ago

   I thought that the Contact link was the way someone would send an e-mail to the Hubber.  I thought the link was a way of hiding the recipient's e-mail address, but that it would show the sender's e-mail address.  Have I misunderstood?
   
   Rochelle, this was actually from a Hubber.  They were responding to some comments I had left on one of their Hubs.  I don't know whether maybe they had changed to a different e-mail address that wasn't recorded in HubPages.  Or it's also possible that the Hub account is a husband-wife account and one was e-mailing me, but their e-mail address may not have been the primary one for the Hub account.  I don't know - it was pretty confusing to me.

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   1. 72

      Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      If you send me an email, and I respond to you, then you will have my email address. If I use the contact link, then you don't get my email address.
      
      Yes, it is a protection of your primary email address. That is why I said what I said.
      
      If a hubber sent you the email, if you respond to the hubber's email, then you give them your email address. Plain and simple.
      
      You will be responding to their email from your primary email address. Thus, giving them your email address.
      
      If you only contact people via the contact link, then your email address is never received on the other end.
      
      I have answered hundreds of emails from hubbers. The ones I want to have my email address have it and those who I don't want to have it, then I use the contact link or they don't get a reply.

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         Marisa Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         How do you manage that, Cagsil?  Does it allow you to delete your email address from the "Your email address" line at the top of the Contact form?

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            Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Thank you Marisa. You just helped me to realize that it didn't matter. Much appreciated. So, with that said- never mind.

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5. 80

   Aficionadaposted 13 years ago

   I've been trying to search for an answer in Help or the Learning Center - haven't found it yet.  I thought when I first signed up that one thing I read was that the person who uses the Contact link is sending an e-mail to the Hubber, and that the sender's e-mail address is then visible.
   
   If that's not the case, then how would those people who send me an e-mail have ever gotten my e-mail address?  In all of the ones I've received so far, I have seen the other person's e-mail address and sometimes their real name as well.

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   1. 84

      Marisa Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      They don't have your email address, unless you reply.  Which you can do, because (as you say) you can see their email address.
      
      The best way to solve this is - set up an email address specially for HubPages.  Then you can reply to other Hubbers without worrying so much, because if you hit a problem you can always delete it and get a new address.

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         Lisa HWposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I have a public e.mail address that I post wherever I'm interested in being contacted.  That's all it's for, and that's the one I use when I reply to emails through HubPages.  There's nothing in that account.   For the most part, there's far less junk mail in that one than in my "real" accounts (and, as you say, it can easily be deleted if necessary).  I keep all my Internet doings completely separate from my "real-life" doings.

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            Aficionadaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Great idea.  I am definitely looking into this.  Thanks!

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      2. 80

         Aficionadaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         The original question has been cleared up.  But in this section that you quoted, I was talking about the people who did send me e-mail (through the Contact Link).  They didn't actually know my e-mail address, but they were able to send me e-mail.  I as the recipient was able to see their e-mail address.  My question (above) was somewhat rhetorical, because I really didn't see how it was possible to do what Cagsil was suggesting.  I think it's all settled now.

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6. 80

   Aficionadaposted 13 years ago

   Thanks, Marisa.  I did find one forum where it was discussed, with the same information that you gave.  But so far I haven't been able to find anything in the Help section.  No longer needed, I see.  The separate e-mail address is a good idea!  Do I edit my profile to change to that address, if and when I create one?

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   1. 84

      Marisa Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, you'd have to change the email address in your profile.
      
      Something else that might help - when I get an email from another Hubber, I usually check their profile before answering.
      
      If they have a properly completed profile and have written some good Hubs, I feel perfectly comfortable about replying.  If they have a blank profile or have written no Hubs, I will probably decide not to reply.
      
      As for the "not verified" thing - I think this means that they changed the "from" email address when they used the Contact form. 
      
      Perhaps they had similar concerns about revealing their own main email address!

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7. 64

   Money Glitchposted 13 years ago

   It has been my experience that when you receive a 'not verified' e-mail and or comment it is from either someone that is not a member of HubPages.  Or someone trying to remain anonymous by not signing into their account when they are contacting you. 
   
   Needless to say, I normally don't respond to outsiders or to Hubbers that I do not want to have my e-mail address. I have several e-mails accounts, but my thoughts are why open a can of worms, if I don't have to.  That's my two cents.

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   1. 80

      Aficionadaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for your two-cents! 
      
      In the case I mentioned, neither of these situations was in play.  It was a Hubber, and their actual name did show up on the e-mail.
      
      But I do take your thoughts to heart.  I don't really want to give out my e-mail address, so I am very happy to have these suggestions.

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8. 61

   Lisa HWposted 13 years ago

   Unfortunately, not all other Hubbers are on the up and up either.  When I reply (and I hate to "have an attitude" when someone may have contacted me with sincerity) I ask myself if I would care about what I've shared if it turned out the person is phony.  It stinks that you can't ever be really certain, but that's how the Internet is.   
   
   These days my profile is such that I don't allow e.mail.  If/when my mood changes I may switch that again.     I got a few too many "please e.mail me" e.mails without any real point or message to them. 

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   1. 80

      Aficionadaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      
      
      Thanks, Lisa!  Will you e-mail me please????  (Joking, just joking!  

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9. 80

   Aficionadaposted 13 years ago

   Thanks, Marisa.  I think I will still wait until I create another e-mail account before answering any.  So far, I have been very fortunate in the e-mails I have received.  All of the people have seemed to be quite genuine and trustworthy people; they are good Hubbers; everything I have read in their Hubs, profiles, and forum posts has led me to feel good about them.  But I was taken aback when I noticed that one of them (yes, a Hubber whose name was showing on the e-mail) had "e-mail address not verified" underneath the name and address.
   
   ETA:  I just re-read and saw that you had addressed that last part in your previous post.  I must have missed it before. Thanks!

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