Understanding User Profiles

The Hacker News MCP Server allows you to access detailed information about any Hacker News user through their profile. Each profile contains valuable data including the user's karma score, account creation date, biographical information (if provided), and their complete submission and comment history. This feature is particularly useful when you want to research contributors, track thought leaders in specific domains, or understand the posting patterns of community members.

To look up a user profile, simply ask your AI assistant for information about a specific Hacker News username. For example, you might request "Show me the profile for user pg" or "Get information about the user dang." The server will retrieve the profile data and present it in an easy-to-read format.

Accessing Activity History

User activity history is one of the most powerful aspects of profile lookups. Each user's profile includes their complete history of submissions and comments on Hacker News, allowing you to trace their contributions to the community over time.

When you retrieve a user's profile, you'll have access to:

• Submitted Stories: All posts the user has submitted to Hacker News, including article links, Show HN posts, and Ask HN questions
• Comments: The complete history of comments the user has made across various discussions
• Karma Score: A numerical indicator of community appreciation for the user's contributions
• Account Age: When the user joined Hacker News

This historical data helps you understand what topics interest particular users, identify subject matter experts in specific technical areas, or follow the evolution of someone's thinking over time.

Practical Applications

Looking up user profiles serves several practical purposes:

Identifying Experts: If you notice insightful comments on a technical topic, you can review the commenter's profile to see if they consistently contribute expertise in that area.

Following Thought Leaders: Many influential figures in technology are active on Hacker News. By accessing their profiles, you can review their submissions and comments to stay informed about their perspectives.

Research and Verification: When evaluating the credibility of information or opinions shared on Hacker News, checking the user's history and karma can provide helpful context.

Making Profile Requests

Profile lookups are straightforward through natural language interaction with your AI assistant. You don't need to memorize commands or syntax—simply ask for the information you need. The server handles the technical details of querying the Hacker News API and returns structured, readable results.

Remember that all data accessed through the server is public information already available on Hacker News; the MCP server simply makes it more convenient to retrieve and analyze this information programmatically.