Understanding User Profiles

The Hacker News MCP Server provides comprehensive access to user profile information, allowing you to research contributors, analyze community members, and track activity patterns. Each Hacker News user maintains a public profile containing their submission history, comments, karma score, and optional biographical details.

Accessing User Profiles

To look up a user profile, simply ask your AI assistant about a specific Hacker News user by their username. For example, you might say "Show me the profile for user 'pg'" or "What's the karma score for user 'tptacek'?" The server retrieves the complete profile data, including:

• Username and account age - When the user joined Hacker News
• Karma score - The cumulative points earned from upvoted submissions and comments
• About section - Biographical information if the user has provided it
• Submission history - Stories and links the user has posted
• Comment activity - Recent comments and discussions the user has participated in

Tracking User Activity

Once you have access to a user profile, you can dive deeper into their activity patterns. The server allows you to examine what topics a user discusses, how frequently they contribute, and which submissions have gained the most traction. This is particularly useful for:

• Identifying subject matter experts in specific technical domains
• Following thought leaders whose insights you value
• Understanding contribution patterns of active community members
• Researching author credibility when evaluating linked articles

Practical Applications

User profile lookups become powerful when combined with other server features. You might explore the comment history of users who are active in discussions about your technology stack, identify prolific contributors in areas relevant to your research, or track how specific community members respond to emerging trends.

When researching a technical topic, examining profiles of users who frequently comment on related stories can surface additional valuable perspectives and help you identify reliable voices within the community.

Tips for Effective Research

Start with users who author highly-rated comments or submissions in your area of interest. Check their karma score as a general indicator of community trust, but remember that insightful contributions matter more than raw numbers. Review their recent activity to understand their current focus areas and expertise.