Why do so many people ban use of email or IM on their profile?

I've had so many unkind ones that is why I don't reveal.

Good question indeed!

It is true that in some of the cases you will find that Yahoo! Answers Users would disable IM and e-mail contact options just so that you are not able to leave a note or ask for additional information to their original question.

This also obviously makes it impossible for others when they see an interesting question or answer and would like to contact the Asker for more information etc.

The Trolls and Abusers has made it impossible for some of the people to keep their IM and Email options 'open' to other Users. I would personally feel that unless the menace reaches to 'unhealthy' level, let us keep our communication channels open till the real threat is encountered and then we can always put bar at later stage.

I have seen that so many people would allow Y!360 to be seen by Friends or Friends-Friend level etc. This way we can restrict nuisance-mongers from messing with our pages.

In fine, I will go for 'open' environment where one can easily see the amount of information required for any Asker or respondent. This would make the Users responsible while they Ask as well as when the respond with Answers.

I think it's because people don't know it is entirely private through Yahoo!Answers. When people talk about the unwanted mail they have received, I'm not sure they mean through the Y!A system, since your address is hidden when people send a message to you. Also, you can put people on ignore when they send you something you don't want. Most users seem to think they can rid of unwanted messages by sending a nasty reply, but any reply just encourages it.

I have communicated with many people and rarely received unwanted mail.

If you leave yours open I'm sure you will very soon decided to keep it private.

I have people that I would like to have more correspondence with. When I first joined this a few days ago, I left mine open & have already received emails of a nature that I don't wish to receive.

I now (I hope, if I've set it up properly!) have banned the use of email &IM.

Hope this answers your question.

Have you ever heard the expression: "A few bad apples spoil the whole barrel?" That is why....There are "crazies" out there that will start to harass you,they literally "stalk" your in box and send you hundreds of verbally abusive emails if they did not like your answer! Also you will see spammers spamming you until your in box will be filled with junk! So it is better to not allow anyone on the chance that you will find that one crazy person...or better stated..on the chance that that ONE CRAZY PERSON finds YOU!!!

Once I put my email address that I check often got spammed so much when I revealed it. I don't like doing that much...I thought about making an email address just for this site, but I keep forgetting it. I don't come here every single day either, so that's why.

i banned IM cos i got a really nasty one after i posted a question then another asking about my underwear!! i dont ban email

A.. cos i like to make friends on answers too and

B.. your actual email address is not revealed its all done thru yahoo they pass them on hiding our email add. doesnt sound like people are aware of this here.

I used to have my IM available, until someone sent me a very rude message threatening to harm my pet cat. I have e-mail available since it doesn't reveal my actual e-mail address. I think some people have neither contact option available because they don't want to deal with rude people.

i dont ban email but i do ban im just for the fact i dont use im's AT ALL...some people probably feel better not giving email addresses cuz there are sooo many weirdos out there nowadays you never know what kind of person you could be communicating with

I don't have them activated because for one, I don't use IM anymore. It's way too distracting for me. I don't have my e-mail active, but I rarely contact people that way and rarely check it. You can add questions to your original questions that are directed at a specific person for clarrification.

It seems some people just want to display there thought...and keep there reasoning to themselves.

Maybe they have justification, maybe not.. those who are 'available' have my greater respect...i would prefer the equal opportunity to exchange ...rather than the incompleteness and insulation form interaction..but... that's just the way people define there differences.