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I kissed comment culture goodbye

(sustainableviews.substack.com)
256 points spyckie2 | 6 comments | 05 Sep 25 20:11 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source | bottom
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nostrademons ◴[05 Sep 25 20:59 UTC] No.45143535[source]▶
I actually made plenty of friends commenting, in the early days of the Internet, but it wasn't just commenting. It was that a comment on a message board would lead to following them on LiveJournal, which would lead to AIM chats, which would lead to volunteer positions and real-life meetups and being invited to their weddings and a job referral to Google in the late-00s.

I've got plenty of friends now. Most are not the ones I met online; that was a phase of our life that has largely passed us by, though I keep up with a couple. I still comment on things, but it leads to more shallow relationships if any, but perhaps that's because I'm not really looking for friends anymore.

But I think that the bigger reason I'm reconsidering commenting online is: I can never be sure if the other person is real anymore. And even if they are, it often doesn't feel like they're debating in good faith. A lot of recent Reddit comment threads have really felt like I'm arguing with an AI or Russian troll farm. Social media now feels like a propaganda cesspool rather than something where people come together to share disparate views.

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jchw ◴[05 Sep 25 21:32 UTC] No.45143874[source]▶
The entire Internet now is a giant confirmation bias machine, which is impressive considering it also exposes you to unlimited conflicting viewpoints no matter how crazy they are. I think this is just a natural consequence of structuring everything around engagement. Even when you're seeing multiple viewpoints, it's rarely going to be in a positive light.
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1. shjfbs ◴[06 Sep 25 01:58 UTC] No.45145899[source]▶
> The entire Internet now is a giant confirmation bias machine

Then why does it seem that millennials share more opinions worldwide than any prior generation?

Also, doesn’t anyone find it odd that we’re commenting on a post about stopping commenting, without addressing that?

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2. dehrmann ◴[06 Sep 25 02:07 UTC] No.45145960[source]▶
> why does it seem that millennials share more opinions worldwide than any prior generation?

Not to doubt you, but is this actually the case?

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3. jchw ◴[06 Sep 25 02:56 UTC] No.45146232[source]▶
> Then why does it seem that millennials share more opinions worldwide than any prior generation?

That seems sort of tangential to me.

> Also, doesn’t anyone find it odd that we’re commenting on a post about stopping commenting, without addressing that?

Not at all. I used to comment in a variety of different places across the Internet: discussion forums, image boards, random blogs, Reddit, Digg, etc. The vast majority of places I used to comment have deteriorated significantly or are simply significantly less amenable to actual discourse than they used to be.

Hacker News is weird because it feels like an exception. Not the only exception remaining, perhaps not even the best depending on your tastes, but certainly one of them.

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4. thepryz ◴[06 Sep 25 03:44 UTC] No.45146419[source]▶
Enjoy it while it lasts? sigh
5. thepryz ◴[06 Sep 25 03:46 UTC] No.45146431[source]▶
I’m old enough to remember BBSes and the early Internet. I’d argue that while there were fewer people on the internet, those that were online shared way more than what most are willing to today. There was a certain level of naivety looking back with hindsight.
6. opan ◴[06 Sep 25 11:58 UTC] No.45148506[source]▶
>Then why does it seem that millennials share more opinions worldwide than any prior generation

Do you mean "share" as in they're in agreement with each other more often, or share as in they post their opinions online more? I assumed the former initially, but as I read other replies I started to question it.