So if this is going to be a form of a FB replacement social media platform I whould sugest adding a functionality to send messeges to others via the main site wher eyou also read and write artickles. Maybe via a function wher eyou can add contacts to communicate with. Then you can connunicate with spesific individuals without going via a comment on an article or the chat that you need to go to a seperate childsite of steemit.
Now this may not be the best way to put a sugestion out - but then again - unless others also think this is a good idea, then its not likely to be implimented. Seeing as this (I asume) is more of a site built on what the users want.