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Contentious public debates with people I barely know is exactly why I use Facebook less than I used to.

• damal 9y ago
  It's far better concentrating that effort on something constructive like reading a book or taking part in a creative hobby. Social media is a time suck... I would go so far as describing it as a scourge on humanity.
  • acjohnson55 9y ago
    Would you consider participating in HN forums to be social media? I think it quite literally is that.
    • damal 9y ago
      Yes, the voting system makes it social media. It's not as manipulative as other websites, but it's for that reason I wouldn't class it as a discussion forum.
• code_duck 9y ago
  Then, after you have a contentious public debate with someone you barely know, your actual friends and acquaintances on FB are repeatedly encouraged to go read the exchange. And since you were talking to that person so much, FB's algorithm reasons it means you must like them a lot, so your news feed starts telling you about everything the person you were arguing with is doing.
  • acjohnson55 9y ago
    To an extent, I think that's a good thing. It keeps challenging points of view in my feed. If I ever found someone truly abusive, I'd block them. But that's never happened to me. As I said elsewhere, my discussions can get pretty heated, but I try always to be respectful. At the end of the day, I'm more concerned with how my point of view appears to lurkers than to someone I'm debating. I'm unlikely to change that person's mind in any given convo.