agree
Request HN: Can We have a Private Messaging Feature in HN?
11–20 of 24 posts
Re: Request HN: Can We have a Private Messaging Feature in HN?
#12In your case, you could start by putting your email address in your profile in the about section, that's why we've been contacting each other so far.
Re: Request HN: Can We have a Private Messaging Feature in HN?
#13Re: Request HN: Can We have a Private Messaging Feature in HN?
#14Feature set selection is simple: just ask the question "What would Digg do?"
Then do the exact opposite.
Would Digg add direct messages?
Re: Request HN: Can We have a Private Messaging Feature in HN?
#15I really hate those private messaging features available on most websites. If I want to be contacted on a given website I include my mail address (or a pointer to my mail address) in my profile. What's the advantage of duplicating the features already available in email?
Re: Request HN: Can We have a Private Messaging Feature in HN?
#16Just give people the option to publicly display their email in profile, otherwise no contact desired.
I'd like to see tags on stories (restrict to membership of certain timelength and karma) with their own RSS feeds. But I know that's unlikely to happen.
Re: Request HN: Can We have a Private Messaging Feature in HN?
#17Given that some like it and some don't, it might not be that great an idea. Besides, you can always reply to someone's comment and ask for a way to get in touch with them.
Re: Request HN: Can We have a Private Messaging Feature in HN?
#18I have noticed most people have their email addresses publicly displayed (in some human readable form), or have web pages with ways to contact them. In that note, I have been contacted via HN before and have met some people as well. Considering the ultimate purpose of a Private Messaging feature is to allow communication between two willing parties - the existing infrastructure is already there. Moreover, more influe…
But that's not a private messaging system. I get enough spam as it is and don't feel like playing games with obfuscating my e-mail when there's a better solution.
And if you don't want private msgs, just turn on a flag to disallow it.
Re: Request HN: Can We have a Private Messaging Feature in HN?
#19Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why not? (just curious)
I don't think anyone ever will contact me; i don't have anything important to say or to be asked. Besides, there's email if I wanted it to be so.
>i don't have anything important to say or to be asked.
Let other people decide that. I can't think of anything anyone would want to ask me, either - except that once someone wanted me to get in touch to talk about my university. (I think I forgot to contact them. Sorry.) I still can't think of anything else I might be asked, but there might be something.
If you actively don't want to be contacted, fair enough. If you just don't think you will be, it doesn't hurt to be available. (But yes, email is sufficient.)
Re: Request HN: Can We have a Private Messaging Feature in HN?
#20I think this is a good time for a reminder:
The email address in your profile is not visible to other HN users. If you want people to see your address, put it in your "about" box.