PM spam is a problem on many other large sites by "hit-and-run" users; folks sending out nonsense PMs wasting people's time.

Restricting PMs to Cafe Members only greatly reduces abuse (reduces server/db load too) and basically makes the PM system worthwhile for those with PM access - Cafe Members can be confident that the PM they receive will be worth the time reading, and the person sending it is likely a real person as opposed to a spam "bot", etc.

Thank you for your comments.

Ron