PMs just mean private message to the recipient, if they make the contents public I'd say it means you can't trust 'em, especially if you make it clear in the message itself.
Private message means just that to me, a private message between me and the adressee.
These days e-mails end up in the paper, remember the "good day to bury bad news" saga or the more recent thing when instructions about a parties ended up in the press?
Is there any such thing as "private" these days?? the communication method used can make it very easy for a "private" communication to end up round the world in seconds.
Now wheres me quil pen and lemon juice
Ray.