Private messages on work messaging apps slow us down. Here's why we encourage everyone to default to public channels.
Open discussions help everyone stay informed, reduce repeated questions, and foster a culture of transparency.
Chances are, others have the same question. Posting it publicly means more people benefit from the answer.
In a private message, only one person sees your request. In a channel, multiple people can respond.
There’s no searchable history. Public channels build a collective memory of decisions and knowledge.
New team members can browse channel history to understand how decisions are made. That context is lost in DMs.
"Default to public. Ask in channels. Collaborate out loud."
Also check out nohello.net - a friendly reminder not to start messages with just “hello.”