Duolingo Forum

The duome Admintrator may have enabled the PM "Private Messages" feature for you.
This depends on a number of criteria.

For example "New Registered Users" may have to wait before the PM feature is granted.
As soon as you have participated in the forums with a minimum number of decent posts, the feature will be enabled.
If you don't see the feature yet, don't start asking for it. Just participate a bit more in the forums.

Here are some additional instructions and warnings about the use of PM:

• in the PM options, by default the option "Allow other users to contact me" is set to "NO"
  You see that option in the UCP "User Control Panel" => Board Preferences => Global Settings

If you intend to change that setting to "YES", then consider the following, it's all at your own risk:

Your correspondent has not been screened. Meaning that duome is not aware of who is behind the alias

• the alias may be fake
• the alias may "pretend" to be someone else
• the alias may also seem a real name, even when it's not

Duome is not aware of the date of birth of the person behind the alias

• the age of the person may be fake

• nor age, nor gender, nor good/bad intentions are known to duome

• Duome is not aware of the actual location of the person behind the alias

• Duome has not verified any relation between the person behind the alias and the flags
  used in the alias Profile, nor the flags used in the signature of the alias

You may have to read through the "how to use Friends/Foes" feature of PM
It allows you to setup your own circle of well-known, trusted, communication partners

Before the system will allow you to change the "Allow" setting to "YES", you will have to read
through the system message, making you aware of the risks, and you'll have to give your consent :

YES, I have read - and declare to have understood - the risks of using PM,
and I hereby disclaim duome.eu forum

• from any abuse that may occur by me using the PM feature,
• or from any abuse caused by me being PM'd by other users of the forum.
• I understand the use of the Friends feature
• and I understand the use of the Foe feature

I hereby consent.

the alias may also seem a real name, even when it's not

Does this mean a bot?

Edit: I think you mean someone masquerading as someone else with a real name you recognize?