Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion How do I turn off the envelope next to My Stuff?

You can't. You have to learn to ignore it. You can set your PMs to email you when you receive one*, but the blinky envelope seems to be permanent.

* Choose "My Preferences" under the "My Stuff" menu to the left of the blinky envelope, and set "Do you want to be notified via email when you receive a private message?" to Yes.