The public private message problem

Private messages are private. Public messages are public.

A scenario I've found myself in many times over is having people prefer to send direct messages rather than send them publicly, even if its content may involve other people. It seems harmless at first. You answer, they go on their way. However, they come back. And they keep coming back, with more and more direct messages.

They're not private, or confidential either. It can be as simple as "What piece of work should I pick up next?" or "I've got this error in my console... ". Finally you realise your team's public channel is a ghost town. Conversations are going on, but behind closed doors. Not everybody knows what everybody else knows. Then you end up playing conversation whack-a-mole.

Everybody knows something, but nobody knows everything.

Welcome to Brooks's law.

If you zoom out, this is how the private message chain can be represented using graph nodes. Terrifying, isn't it?

So you should push for everyone in your team to use public channels. When you get a direct message that isn't private or confidential, politely redirect them to your public channel.

Allowing conversations to happen in the open cuts down on the amount of communication that needs to happen between people. It will save you time. Sure it can get annoying at times that a channel is being inundated with messages, but a temporary mute or turning your sound off, both solve the frustration (I live life with all notifications turned off of all devices).

Getting people to use public channels more freely destroys the chains that the above image demonstrates. Now it's a network of two nodes, one being an array of users, the other being the public channel.

Importantly, some of the messages you get can also be answered by others. "I've got this error in my console..." could be the call to action for another team member to roll up their sleeves and help out.

Lastly, for crying out loud.

Please don't start an async conversation with just a greeting. Otherwise you're being sent this.