←back to thread

I kissed comment culture goodbye

(sustainableviews.substack.com)
256 points spyckie2 | 1 comments | 05 Sep 25 20:11 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
Show context
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.

replies(12): >>45143746 #>>45143815 #>>45143874 #>>45144389 #>>45144493 #>>45144504 #>>45144622 #>>45144712 #>>45144901 #>>45146370 #>>45147533 #>>45152974 #
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.
replies(6): >>45144435 #>>45144453 #>>45144816 #>>45144862 #>>45145899 #>>45148616 #
_mu ◴[05 Sep 25 23:12 UTC] No.45144816[source]▶
> I think this is just a natural consequence of structuring everything around engagement.

Agree - for me this leads to the conclusion that some services should not be run for-profit, or at least they should be run for public benefit. Similar to how governments in some countries own part of the railway.

replies(3): >>45147315 #>>45147404 #>>45147960 #
1. carlosjobim ◴[06 Sep 25 09:55 UTC] No.45147960[source]▶
HN threads usually have a comment demanding socialization and government control of whatever issue is discussed. Usually first or second comment. This time it took until the third comment for somebody to make the demand.

If you want government organized discussion, look no further than listening to the sessions of parliament.