Using direct messages and private discussions limits your audience to only the people you want.

Direct messages and private discussions show up in the Communications streams of only the people you send them to. These are useful features, but the power of Jive is that nearly all topics in the community can be helpful to others, so try to keep things public whenever possible.

To send a direct message to someone, click the Send Direct Message button on the Communications or Actions page. Alternatively, click Create > Direct Message or hover over the person's name in the Activity stream and click Direct Message. After your message is sent, the receiver will see it in their Communications stream. From there, the receiver can respond directly.

To create a private discussion, click Create > Discussion > Private Discussion. Select the participants you want to include in the discussion and then use the content editor to draft your thoughts. When you're finished, click Post Message. Only the partcipants you selected will see a discussion notification in their Communications stream. From there, they can respond to the discussion.