Super cool if threads would indicate whether an author is participating.
("Author here") https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=pastMonth&page=0&prefix=tr...
The thread takes on an AMA (AskMeAnything) vibe.
I suppose it'd be possible to do that programmatically as a third-party service by checking for socials and then automatically notifying author of a thread - perhaps once it gets popular. Orange username?