4 ms·

If I had the money, I'd pledge $1B to erase social networks from our lives.

TaylorAlexander 8y ago
If you feel that strongly, stop using them. I stopped using Facebook a year ago, and now my most social sites are YouTube and reddit. Neither are as toxic for me as Facebook was. You won’t save others, but it’s easy to save yourself.
- amhokies 8y ago
  Just don't read the Youtube comments.
  - jessaustin 8y ago
    Sometimes they're pretty funny. One just has to remember that those aren't real people. They're all Martian bots.
- fein 8y ago
  > now my most social sites are YouTube and reddit So out of the fire, and into the frying pan.
  - newscracker 8y ago
    I thought this was weird too, because both YouTube and reddit are quite addictive, just like Facebook. YouTube's recommendations are an endless pit of wasted time unless one takes care to view only a small, curated set of channels with daily time limits. As for reddit, it's quite noisy (like Twitter) and attracts a lot of what I consider low value comments and posts (the kinds that are discouraged on HN and get ruthlessly downvoted to oblivion here).
    - TaylorAlexander 8y ago
      On YouTube and reddit I am a “content creator” and my specialty is 3D printed robots. I am good at what I do and people appreciate it, so I don’t get a lot of trolls. Also it’s all open source so people tend to just really appreciate my posts!
- overcast 8y ago
  I did stop using them, years ago. YouTube I tolerate because I disable comments. Reddit is a cesspool.
  - hunter2_ 8y ago
    There are several valid places to draw the line between what is and isn't a social network, but aren't there enough similarities between Reddit and HN to not draw it between the two? Subreddits is the main difference I think, but that sort of thing can't be a requirement because Twitter doesn't have something similar.
    - overcast 8y ago
      Sure, but HN is civilized, Reddit is not.
  - gitgud 8y ago
    Disable viewing them on other videos? or allowing others to comment on your videos?
    - overcast 8y ago
      I have a comment blocker enabled on all sites, with exceptions like HN. Much more pleasant experience.
- tenaciousDaniel 8y ago
  Not to doubt you, since I don't know your experience, but I use Facebook to keep up with distant family members and old college friends. I check in about once a day, and if we find ourselves in the same town we notice, and make plans to meet up. That sums up 99% of my use of Facebook, and it's absolutely benign for me. No toxicity at all, from my pov. Maybe it depends on your social circle?

If you feel that strongly, stop using them. I stopped using Facebook a year ago, and now my most social sites are YouTube and reddit. Neither are as toxic for me as Facebook was. You won’t save others, but it’s easy to save yourself.

amhokies 8y ago
Just don't read the Youtube comments.
- jessaustin 8y ago
  Sometimes they're pretty funny. One just has to remember that those aren't real people. They're all Martian bots.
fein 8y ago
> now my most social sites are YouTube and reddit So out of the fire, and into the frying pan.
- newscracker 8y ago
  I thought this was weird too, because both YouTube and reddit are quite addictive, just like Facebook. YouTube's recommendations are an endless pit of wasted time unless one takes care to view only a small, curated set of channels with daily time limits. As for reddit, it's quite noisy (like Twitter) and attracts a lot of what I consider low value comments and posts (the kinds that are discouraged on HN and get ruthlessly downvoted to oblivion here).
  - TaylorAlexander 8y ago
    On YouTube and reddit I am a “content creator” and my specialty is 3D printed robots. I am good at what I do and people appreciate it, so I don’t get a lot of trolls. Also it’s all open source so people tend to just really appreciate my posts!
overcast 8y ago
I did stop using them, years ago. YouTube I tolerate because I disable comments. Reddit is a cesspool.
- hunter2_ 8y ago
  There are several valid places to draw the line between what is and isn't a social network, but aren't there enough similarities between Reddit and HN to not draw it between the two? Subreddits is the main difference I think, but that sort of thing can't be a requirement because Twitter doesn't have something similar.
  - overcast 8y ago
    Sure, but HN is civilized, Reddit is not.
- gitgud 8y ago
  Disable viewing them on other videos? or allowing others to comment on your videos?
  - overcast 8y ago
    I have a comment blocker enabled on all sites, with exceptions like HN. Much more pleasant experience.
tenaciousDaniel 8y ago
Not to doubt you, since I don't know your experience, but I use Facebook to keep up with distant family members and old college friends. I check in about once a day, and if we find ourselves in the same town we notice, and make plans to meet up. That sums up 99% of my use of Facebook, and it's absolutely benign for me. No toxicity at all, from my pov. Maybe it depends on your social circle?