You got mail

Is there away to put an icon next to the private messages button so we would know if we had any new mail without having to open the box?

I think what was meant is that when you have already logged on and say you're busy doing something, posting in threads and submitting poems, that a icon would come up next to private messages to let you know that you have a message.

Thanks both Bellepheron and Painted you are both right.
If there was an icon it would be one less step we would have to take.

It's still a two second step. I know some sites that have a pop up box but it's not something that would go out of the way to just click account news every so often.