One of the main objectives of a message board is to be reachable when a Google search is made for a very specific topic. Chatbox discussions never show up in a Google search. Posting in the forum also can prohibit redundant questions from being asked. Even if the same question was asked more than once, the asker can be quickly referred to the first topic.
Below is how I envision etiquette of a member with regards to utilizing this website's communications resources:
Chat: Use for chatting, out of boredom, bouncing ideas back and fourth, informal opinions, informal announcements concerning the release of a mod/utility, the informal release of an incomplete mod/utility
PM: Use for private communications, anything that could spoil a newly released mod without the active author's consent, asking for assistance and sharing files in private to avoid spoiling your own mod/utility, communicate spam/bugs/glitches/errors of the website/forum/chat with administrators/moderators (there is no reason to publicly discuss these problems in the forum unless it is certain that they can serve a purpose in the future)
Forum: Use to share ideas, codes, formal releases of complete level editors/mods/utilities, ask other forum members/staff for assistance, spoil inactive authors' abandoned mods, spoil your own mod, spoil active authors' mods while their general consent has been implied, to use the "Off-Topic" section out of boredom, announce the launch of another PoP related website
With proper usage, both princed.org and popot.org can be headed in the right direction and leeches can be converted to valuable members.
[Edit: I've removed the last part of your post. See my private message.
--Norbert]
