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I think that kind of cultural expression is something we need to protect and keep alive. A future when all of our communities, all of our social interactions,

I think that kind of cultural expression is something we need to protect and keep alive. A future when all of our communities, all of our social interactions, are routed two a small amount of services hosted by great companies is one I don't look forward to. That kind of thing - just setting something up for the hell of it, and slowly building a community, or a group of friends that way - to me it's very special.

spc476 11y ago
I remember when I first encountered BBSes (mid to late 80s). Dialing into a slew of local systems and enlarging my social circle. Then there was the Internet and many of my former BBS social circle were deriding it, saying it didn't have that community feel. I remember when I first encountered USENET (early 90s). Reading scores of USENET groups and enlarging my social circle, even going to far as to go to a yearly meeting one group held for several years. Then there was the World Wide Web that everything was being funneled in to. Most of the USENET crowd I was with were deriding it, saying it didn't have that community feel. I remember when I first encountered Slashdot (late 90s). Reading score of comments on trending topics and again, enlarging my social circle. Then there was Digg and many on Slashdot were deriding that, saying it didn't have that community feel ...
- EC1 11y ago
  That's all well and good but we've hit the top. Neither of those were billion dollar corporations.
  - spc476 11y ago
    I also remember when no one could get fired for buying IBM, and when no one could get fired for buying Microsoft. Both were also (and still are) billion dollar corporations.
eclipxe 11y ago
I agree. That's sorta what HN used to feel like also...