The conversation on the talk page that day was extremely thoughtful.
But my experience is that talk pages are watched by few people.
However, its content automatically appears at the top of the talk page.
When in doubt, you may go to the talk page and let another editor decide.
Try to resolve the issue on the user's talk page first.
Or would one just use the talk page anyway?
If you're suspicious, leave a message on the talk page.
I pass this along in a note on the appropriate talk pages.
The reason for this has not been explained (see talk page).
Several methods of communication are available beyond conventional talk pages.