Recently I have had an influx of new users who do not know how to respond to email they get from old froends through the badge registry...

Please remember that when someone sends you an email through the badge registry, I do not see that initial email. It gets filtered through the badge registry to the home email account/hotmail account you provided me that is linked to your "Contact me" button.

When you get an email from the badge registry, the person who sends you that email does not get your email address. This is to protect you from having your email address given to people or organizations you may not want to have your address.

HOWEVER...if you get an email from your long lost buddy, and in your excitement you simply hit "reply" and start typing your life story to him/her...you are NOT replying to your buddy, you are replying to the Badge Registry, and in this case, it defaults to my home email account. I do not have time to be forwarding your emails for you, so I delete it, and your message does not get to its intended recipient.

WHEN REPLYING TO AN EMAIL SENT TO YOU THROUGH THE BADGE REGISTRY, CUT AND PASTE THAT PERSONS EMAIL ADDRESS OUT OF THE TEXT AND RESPOND TO THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS, NOT TO THE BADGE REGISTRY.

Check your sent items box of your emails folks...if you have sent a return email to the badge registry instead of picking your buddy's address out of the text, then your buddy has no idea that you have responded to him, because you haven't.