http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/webmaster-console-adds-message-center/

http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2007/08/update-on-penalty-notifications.html

After stopping because of spoofed emails – Google will be emailing all the Webmasters again.

If you want to know their rationale for changing their minds – read * ONE PARTICULAR * comment on Matt'sBLOG – then read the similar language on the Google Webmaster blog – 6 weeks later ;-)