Understanding User Profiles

The Hacker News MCP Server provides comprehensive access to user profile information, allowing you to explore the activity and contributions of community members. Each Hacker News user maintains a public profile that includes their karma score, account creation date, about section, and complete history of submissions and comments.

To retrieve a user profile, simply request information about a specific username through your AI assistant. The server will return structured data including the user's karma (a measure of community appreciation for their contributions), when they joined Hacker News, and any biographical information they've chosen to share.

Accessing Activity History

User activity history is one of the most valuable features for understanding individual contributors or tracking expert commentary. When you request a user's profile, you gain access to their complete public activity on Hacker News, including:

• Submissions: Every story or link the user has posted to Hacker News
• Comments: All comments the user has made across various discussions
• Timestamps: When each contribution was made
• Engagement metrics: Scores and responses to their posts

This comprehensive view allows you to trace a user's interests, expertise areas, and participation patterns over time.

Practical Applications

Understanding user profiles and activity proves valuable in several scenarios:

Identifying experts: Find users who frequently contribute insightful comments on specific technologies or topics by examining their comment history and karma scores.

Research and context: When you encounter a particularly insightful comment or submission, reviewing the author's profile can provide additional context about their background and expertise.

Tracking thought leaders: Monitor the activity of influential community members to stay informed about topics they're discussing or technologies they're exploring.

Community analysis: Study engagement patterns by examining how active users contribute and interact with the platform over time.

Making Requests

Requesting user information through the server is straightforward. Simply ask your AI assistant for profile details using natural language. For example, you might request "Show me the profile for user dang" or "What has user pg posted recently?" The server handles the technical details of API interaction and returns organized, readable information.

The real-time nature of these requests ensures you're always viewing current data, including the user's latest submissions and comments. This makes the server suitable for ongoing monitoring or one-time research needs alike.