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I don't know why askubuntu doesn't have a way for users to communicate with each other like as we have in Ubuntu Forums (via private messages).

If the reason is preventing malicious activities like spamming, etc., then perhaps we can make "private messaging" a privilege granted only upon reaching rep 1000 or 1500 or higher?

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AskUbuntu does already facilitate direct communication between users, through chat. Users can create chat rooms to carry on one-to-one conversations. These rooms are not private, but private communication can be facilitated by using the contact information in a user's profile. If a user doesn't provide contact information in their profile, they probably don't want to be contacted privately by other AskUbuntu users who don't otherwise know them.

Remember, AskUbuntu is a question-and-answer site focused on creating reusable high-quality articles in question-answer form. There are many social elements of the site--after all, communication is fundamentally social. But the purpose of the site is to publish useful information for the community to use; it is not a social networking site. Private messaging between users isn't really part of what AskUbuntu is designed to do, and there are many ways users can already communicate privately if they choose.

Personally, I don't think there would be anything particularly wrong with having private messaging on AskUbuntu, so long as people can opt out of it (so they cannot be messaged), and so long as there is a prominent reminder that it is usually better for the community if people carry on conversations about matters of interest to the community in (publicly readable) chat. But I don't think there is much reason to implement this feature either, and I'd prefer that the development efforts that could go into it would instead be applied to enhancements more tangibly beneficial to our community and mission.

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  • thats information is helpful , i wanna close this question but i cant . could you do it for me please .
    – Raja G
    May 31, 2012 at 7:37
  • @Raja press the tickmark to the left of this answer
    – Amith KK
    May 31, 2012 at 7:39
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    @Raja Personally, while I disagree with the proposal in your question, I think it is a good productive question. I would be interested in seeing if other users post different points of view. If you want to try to close your question, that's your prerogative, but I think it's a good question. (I didn't downvote it, but anyway on meta downvotes don't mean the question is bad, but rather express disagreement with what it proposes. Voting works differently here than on main.) May 31, 2012 at 7:43
  • Fantastic answer @EliahKagan...
    – ish
    May 31, 2012 at 7:43
  • @EliahKagan Thanks man :) .
    – Raja G
    May 31, 2012 at 7:44
  • Thx izx! ;-) @Raja So while I'd suggest waiting to see if people post any other answers, if you want to accept this answer, then as Amith KK has said, you can do it by clicking the grey check mark to the left of it. (If you do decide to accept it, and then another answer comes along that you like better, you can still unaccept this and accept that one. However, accepting this answer will make it less likely that other people will post their own answers here, because it means you consider your question "solved." It's totally your choice.) May 31, 2012 at 7:46
  • @EliahKagan yeah i know that , because if i place my mouse pointer over there its gonna tell why its there . :) thanks again
    – Raja G
    May 31, 2012 at 7:48
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    Also you can make a chat room that only certain people can talk in, this will prevent others from "dropping" in with random stuff for a closer to one on one conversation, but this is still moderated and viewable to keep people accountable.
    – Mateo
    Mar 14, 2013 at 17:37

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