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True. I blame it on a trend of the 2010s: friendly people who would otherwise write moderate and/or optimistic comments a decade ago, have increasingly lost mot

by voidz 10y ago

True. I blame it on a trend of the 2010s: friendly people who would otherwise write moderate and/or optimistic comments a decade ago, have increasingly lost motivation to partake. This is my theory at least, I can't back it up scientifically or any of that. The causes and/or reasons are that many of those people may have become parents (myself included), or have grown tired of the negativity, or frustrated by the Orwellian developments. We all know the most obvious example on HN: leave a well intended comment and get at least one cynical or even suffocating response that doesn't even get downvoted properly. It gets tiring really fast. Fast forward a couple of years, and most of what's left is enforced so-called constructivism, hyperextreme political correctness, cynisism and depression. The glory days are over, I think, and I strongly doubt that future generations will keep using the Internet for social interaction.

noir_lord 10y ago
I'm pulling further and further back from online communication, back in the 90's I loved talking to people around the world about technology and programming but these days I often come away with negative feelings, everyone seems so cynical and jaded or siloed off, it seems almost impossible to talk about anything new without someone carpet bombing it with the absolute most negative interpretation of whatever was said. I have reddit and HN /etc/hosts'd out on my laptops and desktops and mostly just check them occasionally from phone, if you surround yourself with that eventually it starts to soak in.
zajd 10y ago
It also could have something to do with the socioeconomic landscape where a vast majority of individuals simply don't have the means or ability to contribute or even participate.
- voidz 10y ago
  Sure, can't rule it out. But I'd say you're pointing out a different (though in and of itself legitimate) problem than the problem of hostility in the sphere which many of us from the 70s and 80s grew up and old(ish) in. To be honest with you, if I just look at how those people in my very well developed country (with the Internet being ubiquitous, and being poor generally means receiving minimal benefits as opposed to having no money or place to live) behave who still do partake in the public discourse, I'd say that the problem is more with all of their bitterness than that their bitterness is caused by those who never even had a chance in the first place. As for me, I'm no saint either because I too can get bitter, annoyed, cynical and depressed from time to time. The difference is just that don't tell people off or post my unhappiness; I have the proclivity to just shut up and leave. "There's no use to arguing". Or I do my absolute best to be constructive, like now. And to add to that: these days and even years I also barely share my own happiness and/or optimism online, because I don't want my vulnerabilities and/or soft spots to become targets. In fact, I'm not even sharing most of my humanity / personality / identity online with strangers at all anymore, unless it's to reflect or in an attempt to at least offer something to counter all of the now common harshness. Like in comments such as this one. And if I'm really really honest then I also need to admit that this side of me is really closer to a character trait than that it's something implying actual personal involvement. But I digressed, sorry, so let me back up a bit to the two kinds of groups we've established. Maybe the latter group (the one you pointed out) could indeed bring something nice to the table. Assuming they could, it's not realistic to assume they would, for clearly it's not exactly an hospitable, inviting environment these days, and I'd say this just doesn't make it appealing at all. Simply put: it is what it is mainly due to those who can join in and they either freeze, fight, or flight. Who in their right mind who's not here already would want to join in on that mess?
- deleted 10y ago
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by voidz 10y ago

noir_lord 10y ago

I'm pulling further and further back from online communication, back in the 90's I loved talking to people around the world about technology and programming but these days I often come away with negative feelings, everyone seems so cynical and jaded or siloed off, it seems almost impossible to talk about anything new without someone carpet bombing it with the absolute most negative interpretation of whatever was said. I have reddit and HN /etc/hosts'd out on my laptops and desktops and mostly just check them occasionally from phone, if you surround yourself with that eventually it starts to soak in.

zajd 10y ago

It also could have something to do with the socioeconomic landscape where a vast majority of individuals simply don't have the means or ability to contribute or even participate.

voidz 10y ago
Sure, can't rule it out. But I'd say you're pointing out a different (though in and of itself legitimate) problem than the problem of hostility in the sphere which many of us from the 70s and 80s grew up and old(ish) in. To be honest with you, if I just look at how those people in my very well developed country (with the Internet being ubiquitous, and being poor generally means receiving minimal benefits as opposed to having no money or place to live) behave who still do partake in the public discourse, I'd say that the problem is more with all of their bitterness than that their bitterness is caused by those who never even had a chance in the first place. As for me, I'm no saint either because I too can get bitter, annoyed, cynical and depressed from time to time. The difference is just that don't tell people off or post my unhappiness; I have the proclivity to just shut up and leave. "There's no use to arguing". Or I do my absolute best to be constructive, like now. And to add to that: these days and even years I also barely share my own happiness and/or optimism online, because I don't want my vulnerabilities and/or soft spots to become targets. In fact, I'm not even sharing most of my humanity / personality / identity online with strangers at all anymore, unless it's to reflect or in an attempt to at least offer something to counter all of the now common harshness. Like in comments such as this one. And if I'm really really honest then I also need to admit that this side of me is really closer to a character trait than that it's something implying actual personal involvement. But I digressed, sorry, so let me back up a bit to the two kinds of groups we've established. Maybe the latter group (the one you pointed out) could indeed bring something nice to the table. Assuming they could, it's not realistic to assume they would, for clearly it's not exactly an hospitable, inviting environment these days, and I'd say this just doesn't make it appealing at all. Simply put: it is what it is mainly due to those who can join in and they either freeze, fight, or flight. Who in their right mind who's not here already would want to join in on that mess?
deleted 10y ago
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