Beware of the PM flag

The action MSG in ADC for protocol chat have a PM flag to be used as a way to signal that the chat message is for “private” use. Most likely, clients will use this flag in combination with a D or E type message.

However, one should be aware of this. A client is not forced to use the PM flag, even if they intend for it to be a private message. Eg, if you send a message with the D-type and without the PM flag, the remote client should interpret the message as it was a “main chat message” (yet the message shall only appear in that client, per the type). The client don’t care whether that flag is present.

Also, the PM flag can be used in combination of the broadcast type, B. This leaves some room for spammers; send a broadcast message with the PM flag and all of the users in the hub will receive a “private message”.

The reason this all is confusing is most likely because NMDC only have a sense of “main chat” or “private” message, and not a sense of “message directed to someone [or a group of people]”, as ADC have.

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