Overheard in Slack:

you don’t have to @ someone. just typing their name works too (Slack adds your name as a notification trigger by default)

The thing about using people’s real names to alert them, Pete, is that sometimes it can come across as an unnatural attempt to build rapport.

Pete, have you ever read ​How to Win Friends and Influence People​? You’re probably not missing out. It’s a blight on society.

You see, Pete, the author, Dale Carnegie, thought people love nothing more than hearing the sound of their own names. Which – I’m sure you’ve noticed, Pete – spawned generations of douchey salesmen who will incessantly throw your name into a sentence as though they have the right to it. They’ll probably even feign familiarity with your spouse and kids and infer that you should hang out sometime and maybe share holiday cards, Pete, even though they just laid eyes on you forty five seconds ago.

I’m sure you’ve met people like this, Pete. You met them and you shook their hand and you accepted their greasy business card and then you left it on the bar when you refreshed your G&T because this is a networking event, Pete, but you’re not going to be anyone’s patsy.

…

TL;DR: If you need someone to get notified in Slack, don’t try to work their name into the sentence. Just use their @username, for decency’s sake.