No DMs, please

See also: jez not Jez

Please avoid sending me direct messages (DMs) to ask me questions. (Especially technical questions.)

If you can ask me a question in a public space, please ask it there.
If you can’t or aren’t sure whether you can ask it in public, feel free to DM me (but know that my first response might be to request that you re-ask it in a public space).

Some suggestions for public spaces to ask questions in include:

• the #discuss channel on the Sorbet Slack or the Sorbet Twitter account (for Sorbet-related questions),
• GitHub Issues and GitHub Discussions where available
• Public work channels (if you and I are co-workers)

The exception: if you have questions for me relating to my employer, or are curious to know whether I’m open to new roles elsewhere, please do email or DM me, as I do not prefer answering these questions in public.

Whatever you do, do not let the first message be merely “Hello” or “👋” because that will ding me immediately, and then I’ll impatiently await the actual question while watching a “user is typing” indicator.

Why?

Questions are excellent moments to teach and share knowledge. When asked in public spaces, a couple good things happen:

• Other people get to see the question.

  Sometimes other people learn more simply from seeing the questions other people are asking. Seeing other peoples’ questions helps them expand their horizons into new territories.

• Other people get to see the answer.

  Chances are, you’re neither the first nor the last person to ask me your question. By asking it in the open, it makes it easier for other people to find answers to their questions in the future.

• My teammates get a chance to learn from my answers.

  Part of my job is to help those around me grow. One way I can do this is by sharing my knowledge with them. When they get to see how I answer questions, it helps share my knowledge with my teammates and equip them to help answer similar questions in the future.

• You get answers faster in expectation.

  I check all notifications at the same speed. Whether you send me a DM or mention me in a Slack channel, I’ll respond to those notifications at the same speed. For example, if I’m on vacation, I’ll have all notifications paused, and you may not hear back from me for days or weeks. Asking the question in public increases your odds that someone else who can answer your question sees it quickly.

Exceptions

Of course, feel free to send me DMs for situations like these:

• If you have something personal or confidential to say. This includes if you have individual feedback to give to me. (Thanks in advance for your feedback.)

• You’re not comfortable asking a question in a public space. (If this is the case, please say so, otherwise my first response will likely be to request that you re-ask your question in public.)

• If you don’t know of a good public space to ask it. For example, the Sorbet Slack is a good place to ask me Sorbet questions, but is not a good place to ask me questions about other projects. In these cases feel free to contact me directly (but know that if there is a good public forum to ask the question, I may redirect you there first before answering).

• To share jokes or memes 😉 (especially those that you think might be misinterpreted if shared with an overly-wide audience).

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