Hello, I am a relatively new member to the board and cannot seem to view member information or even my own private member area. Is this normal, or did something get turned off somewhere? It would be great to be able and send private messages, and check my area for notes, check new messages, etc. rhawk301[at]gmail.com thx.

Hi there and welcome, rhawk301
This is actually by design, as you need to reach a certain number of posts before being able to use this - it's intended to prevent people signing up simply to gather members' details.

Additionally, there are several other board features that become unlocked when members reach a certain number of posts. Again, this is simply for the safety of our members and the board itself, as some features could potentially be maliciously misused. Respected members who spend a lot of time on the board & frequently post good info will automatically earn more trust & premissions as they go on.

I am sorry that you've found this to be so restrictive meantime, but I hope this helps explain the apparent glitch in the system - it doesn't take long to gain access to the notes and PMs area.
~Cypher