Is PBeM Roleplaying?

I would say "yes". But this posting on 'Constrained Writing' at the The 20' By 20' Room doesn't seem to agree:

Play-by-Email (with its precedent play-by-mail and play-by-post) is an interesting hybrid of the two above forms with tabletop roleplaying. I personally am not so sure pbem is roleplaying, but I do think it is an excellent writing exercise that can provide many of the pleasures of world and character creation.

I've been playing either PBeMs or their close relative, message board gaming for several years now, and I find them just as much 'roleplaying' as the more traditional tabletop style of gaming. In fact, I'm sure that many of the online games I've played in have much greater characterisation and emotional depth than most of the face-to-face games. It might just be that I'm better at writing than I am at improvisational acting. To many times in face-to-face gaming I've either thought of a witty in-character line just after the game has moved on, or got tongue-tied at just the wrong moment. It's also true that the slow nature of the PBeM/PBmB format tends to deemphasise tactical combat, and characterisation and plot take their place.

I think it's true that the FtF and PB** format are quite different, and appeal to a different kind of player. But I can't see that both are not roleplaying. But MMORPGs? That's a different story....