It's a rather new rule that hasn't been incorporated into the official rules yet. Sorry if this threw you off. Basically Bluelight isn't trying to advertise the fun and senseless stuff first. When you first sign up to Bluelight you should spend that quality beginner's time on the more important and serious side of Bluelight.
You won't need to PM a mod. When you reach 50 posts you'll be able to access the lounge & you'll also be able to PM other members. At the moment you can only send PMs to members of the staff.