You are being so polite using the word Numbskulls ;)
Unfortuantley we do live in a world where people don't read messages/signs and then ask the question or assume wrong, I've not compared the notification with 2.3.6's notification but with 2.3.6 I never had anyone trying to reply to the messages, thats what makes me think that a do not reply message might of been left out of the notification.