When you are engaging in a discussion group / topic, you have the option to reply to a topic or contact the author directly. Members are encouraged to use the “Reply” option when participating in a discussion. This allows all members participating in the discussion to be notified that a new post has been added, and whatever you contribute appears as part of the discussion so any other member can read. If you would prefer to just contact the author of the post directly without contributing to the discussion, use the “Contact” option instead.