I've ended up here because I was a smart arse but...
It makes sense not to be able to embark in private chat. If we cant state our case, ask questions or be challenged openly, then the ethos of sharing knowledge is flawed.
Someone said what's the point of starting a thread with only two contributors: ostensibly the original question and its reply. Well if its a sensible question with a pertinent reply, there's nowt wrong with the thread finishing there.... but we can all see the info and make our decisions accordingly.
I won't bother digging out an example but I can guarantee there's plenty of threads with only two posts but likely a couple of hundred views..... Good info for us all.
I'd also suggest that we all occasionally write a review with a bit of bias. Being able to PM me could mean that I may well give a different answer privately than that in the open thread: it's easier to lie in private.
Ultimately, I stand by what I've posted (allowing for errors and bias) but if what I've said is way off beam, am happy to be corrected or discuss or retract or amend.
I know this much: this place has helped me immensely when making selections and without the Mods and rules, would be dogshit. Please continue to post and if you need to PM, try it. If you get through, continue posting too. If you don't, continue posting too.