email and chat within groupsite

I think groupmembers would appreciate the containment of emails within an inbox on their profile-like facebook- a separate tab for inbox. So you can opt in or out of receiving personal messages to your regular email inbox yet still get the message. 

It is a a deterant right now to sign up as people get too many emails as it is.    It would also be nice to be able to email select group members at once rather than sending private messages separately to each/or only being able to post to all.