Hi Douglass,
If you click on the member's name, a window will pop with an option to "start a conversation". That will send a private message to the individual.
You don't get notified if someone reads your post other than the general count of how many times it has been read by all people. However, you can get notified if someone responds to a thread that you start by choosing "more options" and selecting "Watch this thread". You can also choose to receive email notifications at the same time.
I hope this helps.
Pete