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PG: The biggest source of stress for me at YC was running HN

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482 points ilamont | 3 comments | 11 Jul 20 21:53 UTC | HN request time: 0.439s | source
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ufmace ◴[11 Jul 20 22:43 UTC] No.23806806[source]▶
I think there's a larger point in what he said. Basically all current social media ends up optimizing for creating outrage, spawning mobs, less thoughtful discussion and more vitriolic arguments, etc. It's becoming a real concern to me that this is going to drive us into some kind of civil war or something if we don't find some way to check it.

The outrage seems to be like a drug. Nothing generates engagement quite like it, even if it's toxic in the long-term. So all social media platforms that embrace it grow bigger until they become near-monopolies, and all that don't so far have had a hard time growing userbases, making money, and generally fade into irrelevance.

It would be a real service to society IMO if we could find a way to somehow generate enough engagement and energy to challenge the big players without the outrage culture.

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joe_the_user ◴[12 Jul 20 02:18 UTC] No.23808156[source]▶
Basically all current social media ends up optimizing for creating outrage, spawning mobs, less thoughtful discussion and more vitriolic arguments, etc. It's becoming a real concern to me that this is going to drive us into some kind of civil war or something if we don't find some way to check it.

Outrage-driven profit models existed before social media as such. Once known as tabloids and the guttered press, this kind of media existed a while before Facebook. William Randolph Hearst was credited with starting the Spanish-American war back in the day (as fictionalized in Citizen Kane). This is to say the "outrage complex" extends well beyond social media platforms though such platforms certainly serve to accelerate it.

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1. BelleOfTheBall ◴[12 Jul 20 10:34 UTC] No.23810367[source]▶
Even HN has this problem where the users themselves stoke outrage in certain topics. For example, 99% of threads are see are great with in-depth discussion and nuanced opinions, even on topics that get flamed on other social media: climate change, gender issues, divisive art and personalities. However, lately I've noticed a huge disconnect between these threads and anything that mentions China/TikTok or solar/wind energy. For some reason, these two specifically seem to push people into baring their teeth.
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2. sharken ◴[12 Jul 20 19:50 UTC] No.23814226[source]▶
Wholly agree on the first part, HN is a great place for good discussions and insights.

For me the discussions about Corona has been the most controversial, as we simply don’t have a good understanding of it yet. It tends to lead to not very constructive discussions.

3. lamby ◴[12 Jul 20 23:10 UTC] No.23815523[source]▶
> or solar/wind energy

Oh, wow, really? I'm sure it is a topic that is debated, but you would put that approximately on the same level as China/TikTok? (Not disagreeing, I just don't follow HN as closely as I used to.)