I can understand and appreciate those precautions and thoughts.
Just as much as those players like reading the journal entries or backstories behind characters we still are required to suspend such information as OOC, yet still appreciate the IC and IG qualities it has to offer as background and showing the evolution of a character. Utilizing IC forum channels to arrange meetings through notary means, or inquiries through correspondence between non-faction entities, NPC and PCs is merely another form of it in a current state of interaction rather than a past.
I think a few may be sensing I'm stating for players to use the IC boards to outline their plots, details and in person interactions. That's not what I was intending to be exact, I don't see the fun or merit in that, when such things can be done in game (person to person persay). What I was intending was to use the out of game time to show a 1st person perspective to interactions that can be done.. while allowing readers a peek to the workings going on outside of their perspective? Still in this format, we do not need to necessarily read/present our hidden thoughts/agendas or details behind the interaction, but allow the reader some to appreciate how to utilize the avenues that can be taken or utilized outside of in game (especially when it's requiring a DM to be present in game to provide that quality) and still give that interaction back as a creative narrative to the community to read and appreciate is all.
Speaking as one that can only actively play in game once maybe twice a week for perhaps 6-8 hours total. OOCly I'm very well aware that there are multiple plots by both DM and player alike. Public announcements while useful, tend to far and few, many of which are as you said a general update of political, religious or legal issues of the crown or public decrees of either church or faction. Aside from my own ingame time, I tend to... A) miss those who are hooked by plots... B) Don't have the time to act on hooks when presented (due to time constraints) .. or C) time never seems to have allowances for aside from small functionary requests from DMs to assist much for any plots of my own... not to mention I feel selfish taking a DMs time away during the busy hours from working with larger groups, especially when a DM does have their own plots to work with.
I'm not trying to say the DMs don't have their own ways, forum board or method to sound off on and brainstorm with. What I was meaning by utilizing more IC forum use for notarizing interaction/arrangements between PCs and NPCs gives them an easier viewing for them to overlook, to grab up small/or bigger ideas to include or prey upon .. as well set up future catalysts for their own current plots .. future plot spins, or how such interactions may affect plots (for merit or flaw). While a DM can be omnipotent in seeing what's going on in the server... they don't always have a way to empathetically understand the motivations, mindset or movements of PCs off camera, without PMs and that tends to becomes more of a personal one on one understanding, when there are multiple DMs.
Just as some table top gaming groups (DMs and players) will sometimes discuss OOCly about IG/IC things during coffee house outings, often the DM gains insights to the characters thoughts, motivations and avenues of choice, just as well the players learn something that should have been obvious to them about other players or a DMs response, get ideas, learn of a way to get involved or create new avenues by seeing a niche they could work into character where it wasn't seen before. Be it a needed profession, a nurturing shoulder, a cruel pushing hand, a trade or a working spin to add to their concept that can allow a player to jump into a spotlight and make themselves useful, when once they didn't appear to be to others. Maybe their character is the one in game hand delivering the letters for another PC to an NPC that wrote them? Perhaps they were the scribe that was hired to notarize the letter for someone that couldn't read/write and paid to remain silent on pain of death.. or some such. (Or chooses to write a different letter completely to screw with them) for someone that was lacking the writing skills but had a need to impart something to another. This can also platform a player to better prepare their character for what is to come, to better fit in character work out their lines (not all of us are on the spot quick in our creativity to type out the best IC response) and reactions somewhat ahead of time, yet still not having a preset in stone narrative format of what is to come, since it is still improve when it comes to IG.