Why is it that when I'm trying to PM someone I get the following message?

"1. You do not have permission to access the page that you were trying to. Are you trying to edit someone else's post or trying to access administrative features? Check that you are allowed to perform this action in the Forum Rules.
2. If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation"

I have a friend online I'm trying to contact.