So many of us use the typical:
cc: @username
This can be embarrassing, and unclean at times. Discourse has a built-in feature that not many people use.
Look at the bottom of this thread. You will find an “invite” button. Once you click on that, you can plug in people’s usernames, and it sends an invite to them! Keep in mind that you can only invite one person at a time. So invite, close the pop-up, and do it again!
Here’s my two cents of the day, hope this helps 
!
Not seeing this. 
All I see is this:
Perhaps it’s in some different place.
On mobile, I have to expand this bar at the bottom of the thread to see it:
I’ve noticed button, but all it does for me is display the extra options to flag and bookmark the post.
I click this button:
The button dissapears and this is then what I see:
I guess this has something to do with Discourse permissions as I am a New Member and you two are both full Members. Not sure why we would not be allowed this, but that’s just what I’m guessing.
It’s at the bottom of the page above “Suggested Topics”, not the bottom of the post
That’s what I took a screenshot of in my post above that one, it’s not there either.
No idea then, sorry
That’s what I was thinking, and I guess that must be the reason. I guess we’ll stick to the ugly way of CCing people unless the permissions get changed. 
Keep in mind that you typically don’t need to invite staff members to threads, especially in the bug reports / feature requests categories since staff read all threads posted in these categories. Developer relations members can be made attentive of threads by using the flag functionality instead.
It was just a placeholder
I really wouldn’t call it embarrasing and unclean. Nor improper. On plenty of platforms, it is the proper way to do it.
Discourse just has an easy feature that helps keep it “cleaner”.
As for those who don’t know what CC means, it means “Carbon-Copy”
Explanation:
If you look at it that way, using @ is more like a CC while using the invite feature is BCC.
Yeah, that’s a better explanation 
I’m not sure you’re looking in the right spot.
Your image has a 
icon, when it shouldn’t. Don’t look at specific post/reply, but beyond/below that.
Even more below or in other place? Nothing?
Maybe somewhere at the top?
But yeah, it looks like it’s caused by rank permissions then — as you said.
