Would pinging/private messaging a PO member about a question he could like or probably even answer be considered inappropriate?

Question

I know that we are not Quora ;-), but due to the fact that we have the possibility to ping PO members everywhere and to write private messages, I sometimes feel tempted to make specific users aware of great questions they potentially would like and maybe even be able to answer.

For example, Arnold Neumaier might be interested in this question

http://www.physicsoverflow.org/20303/equivalence-moris-formalism-zwanzigs-heat-bath-procedure

Or Urs Schreiber and José Figueroa-O'Farrill might like and be able to say something helpful about this question

http://www.physicsoverflow.org/20309/exotic-spheres-in-string-m-theory

Does PhysicsOverlow consider pinging or private messaging specific users about a question inappropriate generally?

Answer 1

I personally cannot see why it would be inappropriate, but the pinger should be prepared to be ignored by the pinged person, and the pinged person has every right to ignore the pinging without any reply. Also we should require that in one post a user cannot ping the same user for more than a fixed number of times, say twice? I could be biased though, since I'm more often an asker than an answerer. 

Comments

How about a thread where users willing to be pinged (A2Aed in 1uora language) may state so? 

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@dimension10, sounds good.

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Ok, I'll set up the thread today. @dimension10 (pinging myself to remind myself to set the thread up)