Our perspectives are indeed valuable, but the problem is that here we are on Hacker News in our own little bubble, disengaged from the rest of society. After T

Our perspectives are indeed valuable, but the problem is that here we are on Hacker News in our own little bubble, disengaged from the rest of society. After Trump's election I came to the conclusion that I had let myself get sucked into a left-leaning filter bubble, which was why I was so surprised when Clinton lost. I realized I had no clue what really mattered to "the other half" of the country, and that terrified me. Equally terrifying was that there are (at least) two bubbles, neither of which comprehends the other, and very few central mediating platforms that connect these two worlds. On Twitter I decided to follow Breitbart. Yes, Breitbart, the much-reviled bogey-man of the left. And yes, I find some of it objectionable. But really the surprise has been how not-totally-insane it is. It presents an alternate worldview which is in its own way coherent and (dare I say it?) legitimate. Maybe it's right, maybe it's wrong, it doesn't matter---the point is that without bringing these separate worlds into meaningful communication, America is in for some real turmoil. And HN is part of this. It's rare for me to see things here that really challenge the mainstream narrative. It basically all confirms what I already believe. That's what drew me here in the first place, and though many of us probably like to think of ourselves as free-thinking and willing to confront contrary evidence, I'd imagine that's why many of you are here, too.