I mean, if the person being contacted doesn’t want to be contacted privately, they’re free to ignore the request. No one’s saying they “need” access or that someone else is fully obligated to talk to them privately.
Just reminding you that the commenter asked for others to offer their take on whether or not the request was perceived to be creepy. I didn't go out of my way to offer unsolicited commentary on this.
If you don't want to hear that you are wearing an ugly shirt, don't ask an entire room full of people if your shirt is ugly.
Ok, but you haven’t explained _why_ this would be inappropriate. If there’s no other way to contact sb, I’ll reach out with a comment where I can. I did this on twitter once. Worst that can happen is that I get no answer, but I don’t see any creepiness.
I suppose most people on HN don’t include a public address in their profile because it’s not required (not even your email is required), not because they don’t want any direct interaction.
If you don't want to hear that you are wearing an ugly shirt, don't ask an entire room full of people if your shirt is ugly.