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615 points __rito__ | 18 comments | | HN request time: 0.001s | source | bottom

Related from yesterday: Show HN: Gemini Pro 3 imagines the HN front page 10 years from now - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46205632
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modeless ◴[] No.46222213[source]
This is a cool idea. I would install a Chrome extension that shows a score by every username on this site grading how well their expressed opinions match what subsequently happened in reality, or the accuracy of any specific predictions they've made. Some people's opinions are closer to reality than others and it's not always correlated with upvotes.

An extension of this would be to grade people on the accuracy of the comments they upvote, and use that to weight their upvotes more in ranking. I would love to read a version of HN where the only upvotes that matter are from people who agree with opinions that turn out to be correct. Of course, only HN could implement this since upvotes are private.

replies(7): >>46222748 #>>46223194 #>>46223649 #>>46224507 #>>46226548 #>>46228558 #>>46229291 #
cootsnuck ◴[] No.46222748[source]
The RES (Reddit Enhancement Suite) browser extension indirectly does this for me since it tracks the lifetime number of upvotes I give other users. So when I stumble upon a thread with a user with like +40 I know "This is someone whom I've repeatedly found to have good takes" (depending on the context).

It's subjective of course but at least it's transparently so.

I just think it's neat that it's kinda sorta a loose proxy for what you're talking about but done in arguably the simplest way possible.

replies(2): >>46223139 #>>46224287 #
1. nickff ◴[] No.46223139[source]
I am not a Redditor, but RES sounds like it would increase the ‘echo-chamber’ effect, rather than improving one’s understanding of contributors’ calibration.
replies(5): >>46223212 #>>46223419 #>>46223446 #>>46229052 #>>46229324 #
2. mistercheph ◴[] No.46223212[source]
it depends on if you vote based on the quality of contribution to the discussion or based on how much you agree/disagree.
replies(1): >>46229227 #
3. modeless ◴[] No.46223419[source]
Reddit's current structure very much produces an echo chamber with only one main prevailing view. If everyone used an extension like this I would expect it to increase overall diversity of opinion on the site, as things that conflict with the main echo chamber view could still thrive in their own communities rather than getting downvoted with the actual spam.
replies(1): >>46236140 #
4. PunchyHamster ◴[] No.46223446[source]
More than having exact same system but with any random reader voting ? I'd say as long as you don't do "I disagree therefore I downvote" it would probably be more accurate than having essentially same voting system driven by randoms like reddit/HN already does
5. intended ◴[] No.46229052[source]
Echo chambers will always result on social media. I don't think you can come up with a format that will not result in consolidated blocs.
6. miki123211 ◴[] No.46229227[source]
I don't think you can change user behavior like this.

You can give them a "venting sink" though. Instead of having a downvote button that just downvotes, have it pop up a little menu asking for a downvote reason, with "spam" and "disagree" as options. You could then weigh downvotes by which option was selected, along with an algorithm to discover "user honesty" based on whether their downvotes correlate with others or just with the people on their end of the political spectrum, a la Birdwatch.

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7. baq ◴[] No.46229324[source]
Echo chamber of rational, thoughtful and truthful speakers is what I’m looking for in Internet forums.
replies(2): >>46234952 #>>46235381 #
8. jrmg ◴[] No.46234952[source]
That’s what everyone living in an echo chamber (and especially one of their own creation) thinks they’re in.
replies(2): >>46235850 #>>46236116 #
9. red-iron-pine ◴[] No.46235381[source]
flat earth creationists would describe their colleagues the same way.

a group of them certainly is an echo chamber; why isn't your view?

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10. baq ◴[] No.46235850{3}[source]
I don't think I'm in any is my problem (HN is better than most, doesn't mean it's good in absolute terms...)
11. XorNot ◴[] No.46236116{3}[source]
"you're in an echo chamber" is one of the most frightfully overused opinions.
replies(1): >>46236280 #
12. XorNot ◴[] No.46236140[source]
Hacker News structure is identical though. Topics invite different demographics and downvotes suppress unpopular opinions. The front page shows most up voted stories. It's the same system.
replies(2): >>46237162 #>>46240762 #
13. ssl-3 ◴[] No.46236280{4}[source]
The expression is an echo chamber in and of itself; it is self-fulfilling prophecy.
14. modeless ◴[] No.46237162{3}[source]
HN's moderation and ranking is better. But there's definitely an echo chamber effect here too.
15. ahf8Aithaex7Nai ◴[] No.46238315{3}[source]
He doesn't deny that his point of view forms an echo chamber.
16. xmprt ◴[] No.46239615{3}[source]
An echo chamber is a product of your own creation. If you're willing to upvote people who disagree with your and actively seek out opposite takes to be genuinely curious about, then you're probably not in an echo chamber.

The tools for controlling your feed are reducing on social media like Instagram, TikTok, Youtube, etc., but simply saying that you follow and respect the opinions of a select group doesn't necessarily mean you're forming an echo chamber.

This is different from something like flat earth/other conspiracy theories where when confronted with opposite evidence, they aren't likely to engage with it in good faith.

17. morshu9001 ◴[] No.46240758{3}[source]
You can't change it for other users, only for yourself, which is what the original comment about the extension said.
18. morshu9001 ◴[] No.46240762{3}[source]
HN has some built-in ways to reduce this, like not allowing everyone to downvote everything.