5 ms·

I could shell out $13/mo, or, you know... not use a social network. I don't use one now, and I'm doing just fine.

by maxaf 7y ago

mholt 7y ago
HN is a social network
- workthrowaway 7y ago
  is it? i mean there were online boards and forums that had this comments/replies structure, joel on software anyone?. well minus the points. but those were never called social networks...
  - TallGuyShort 7y ago
    I wouldn't have called it a social network - there's really no graph of user connections, unless you want to consider a graph of directional has-replied-to or has-upvoted links, but that's pushing it. But if another technology added an embedded HN clone, they would call it "social networking features", probably...
- rexreed 7y ago
  It is neither social nor a network. But it is a good community forum.
  - hellofunk 7y ago
    And how is HN not social?
    - Finnucane 7y ago
      The main difference between a 'social media' forum and a topical forum is that in a topical forum there's some expectation of staying more or less, you know, on topic. There is some functional overlap, but more limited domain.
    - charlesism 7y ago
      HN is “social”. It’s just not so “social” that I want to throw my router off the balcony upon reading it.
- pwinnski 7y ago
  To call HN a social network is to redefine the term to apply to any website that allows comments. It's really not.
  - Someone1234 7y ago
    That's how the US Government defines it. If you want a US Visa you need to tell them your HK account.
    - r00fus 7y ago
      Do you have a cite for this?
      - Someone1234 7y ago
        PDF: https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Enhanced%20Vetting/CA%20-%20FAQs%20on%20Social%20Media%20Collection%20-%206-4-2019%20(v.2).pdf https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Enhanced%20Vettin...
        r00fus 7y ago
        This may be dated, but apparently there is a list of specific sites [1]. HN is not on that list. [1] https://redbus2us.com/us-visa-forms-ds-160-260-has-social-media-questions-now-samples/ https://redbus2us.com/us-visa-forms-ds-160-260-has-social-me...
    - dredmorbius 7y ago
      The PDF you link (downstream) does not include a definition. The DF-160 form lists a set of social networks, not otherwise accessable that I've found, here: https://ceac.state.gov/GenNIV/General/complete/complete_contact.aspx?node=AddressPhone https://ceac.state.gov/GenNIV/General/complete/complete_cont... Included are: Ask.fm, Douban, Flikr, Google+, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, MySpace, Pinterest, Qzone (QQ), Redit, Sina Waibo, Tencent Weibo, Tumblr, Twitter, Twoo, Vine, Vkontakte (VK), Youko, YouTube, and "none". Hacker News is conspicuously missing.
- virmundi 7y ago
  True. It is also niche and not directly related to your true persona. That’s why it’s lesser in most people’s mind.
  - OnlineGladiator 7y ago
    I spend more time on HN than all other social media (reddit, facebook, instagram, whatever) combined. Isn't user engagement what matters from a consumer perspective?
- hombre_fatal 7y ago
  Reminds me of people bragging they don't watch any television yet watch hours of Netflix/Youtube/etc every night.
  - shantly 7y ago
    "I don't even have a TV!" Watches TV on Phone/Tablet/Laptop
- maxaf 7y ago
  HN isn't a social network. It's centered around topics (articles, Show/Ask HN, ...) rather than individuals. There's no way for me to follow or contact a particular user.
  - hollerith 7y ago
    >There's no way for me to follow . . . a particular user So this is not good enough for you: https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=maxaf https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=maxaf Is that because there is no way to get notified by email when a new comment is made by the user?
    - maxaf 7y ago
      It's not the same as following in the traditional "use the follow to populate a timeline or feed" sense. I don't come to HN wondering "what did my peeps comment today?", rather I come to glance at particular stories, and perhaps read the comments. The "engagement" aspect of HN is in the quality of items that make it to the front page, and in the comments. It's not in the slow drip-drip-drip of near-real-time notification regarding the activities of specific users.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
- catalogia 7y ago
  Who are my friends then? You've got access to my profile, if this is a social network you should be able to find out who my friends are, right? This website contains no meaningful information about my relationships with other people. And more to the point, the way I use this site is not abnormal; people who leave lots of information about their social relationships on HN seem to be in a minority. You might claim that comments such as these, between you and I, are social interactions. I would counter by saying these are not meaningful social interactions. Don't take this personally but I don't know you and I don't plan on ever knowing you.
- thekyle 7y ago
  Although I would definitely consider HN to be a social network, the number of comments here disagreeing made me look into it a bit more. According to Wikipedia both Hacker News and Reddit are "social news websites".
tyingq 7y ago
$13/month does feel like an odd price point to me. I imagine people would compare to what they pay for Netflix, HULU, etc, and wonder why this is so high.

I could shell out $13/mo, or, you know... not use a social network. I don't use one now, and I'm doing just fine.

by maxaf 7y ago

I could shell out $13/mo, or, you know... not use a social network. I don't use one now, and I'm doing just fine.

mholt 7y ago

HN is a social network

workthrowaway 7y ago
is it? i mean there were online boards and forums that had this comments/replies structure, joel on software anyone?. well minus the points. but those were never called social networks...
- TallGuyShort 7y ago
  I wouldn't have called it a social network - there's really no graph of user connections, unless you want to consider a graph of directional has-replied-to or has-upvoted links, but that's pushing it. But if another technology added an embedded HN clone, they would call it "social networking features", probably...
rexreed 7y ago
It is neither social nor a network. But it is a good community forum.
- hellofunk 7y ago
  And how is HN not social?
  - Finnucane 7y ago
    The main difference between a 'social media' forum and a topical forum is that in a topical forum there's some expectation of staying more or less, you know, on topic. There is some functional overlap, but more limited domain.
  - charlesism 7y ago
    HN is “social”. It’s just not so “social” that I want to throw my router off the balcony upon reading it.
pwinnski 7y ago
To call HN a social network is to redefine the term to apply to any website that allows comments. It's really not.
- Someone1234 7y ago
  That's how the US Government defines it. If you want a US Visa you need to tell them your HK account.
  - r00fus 7y ago
    Do you have a cite for this?
    - Someone1234 7y ago
      PDF: https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Enhanced%20Vetting/CA%20-%20FAQs%20on%20Social%20Media%20Collection%20-%206-4-2019%20(v.2).pdf https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Enhanced%20Vettin...
      - r00fus 7y ago
        This may be dated, but apparently there is a list of specific sites [1]. HN is not on that list. [1] https://redbus2us.com/us-visa-forms-ds-160-260-has-social-media-questions-now-samples/ https://redbus2us.com/us-visa-forms-ds-160-260-has-social-me...
  - dredmorbius 7y ago
    The PDF you link (downstream) does not include a definition. The DF-160 form lists a set of social networks, not otherwise accessable that I've found, here: https://ceac.state.gov/GenNIV/General/complete/complete_contact.aspx?node=AddressPhone https://ceac.state.gov/GenNIV/General/complete/complete_cont... Included are: Ask.fm, Douban, Flikr, Google+, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, MySpace, Pinterest, Qzone (QQ), Redit, Sina Waibo, Tencent Weibo, Tumblr, Twitter, Twoo, Vine, Vkontakte (VK), Youko, YouTube, and "none". Hacker News is conspicuously missing.
virmundi 7y ago
True. It is also niche and not directly related to your true persona. That’s why it’s lesser in most people’s mind.
- OnlineGladiator 7y ago
  I spend more time on HN than all other social media (reddit, facebook, instagram, whatever) combined. Isn't user engagement what matters from a consumer perspective?
hombre_fatal 7y ago
Reminds me of people bragging they don't watch any television yet watch hours of Netflix/Youtube/etc every night.
- shantly 7y ago
  "I don't even have a TV!" Watches TV on Phone/Tablet/Laptop
maxaf 7y ago
HN isn't a social network. It's centered around topics (articles, Show/Ask HN, ...) rather than individuals. There's no way for me to follow or contact a particular user.
- hollerith 7y ago
  >There's no way for me to follow . . . a particular user So this is not good enough for you: https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=maxaf https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=maxaf Is that because there is no way to get notified by email when a new comment is made by the user?
  - maxaf 7y ago
    It's not the same as following in the traditional "use the follow to populate a timeline or feed" sense. I don't come to HN wondering "what did my peeps comment today?", rather I come to glance at particular stories, and perhaps read the comments. The "engagement" aspect of HN is in the quality of items that make it to the front page, and in the comments. It's not in the slow drip-drip-drip of near-real-time notification regarding the activities of specific users.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
catalogia 7y ago
Who are my friends then? You've got access to my profile, if this is a social network you should be able to find out who my friends are, right? This website contains no meaningful information about my relationships with other people. And more to the point, the way I use this site is not abnormal; people who leave lots of information about their social relationships on HN seem to be in a minority. You might claim that comments such as these, between you and I, are social interactions. I would counter by saying these are not meaningful social interactions. Don't take this personally but I don't know you and I don't plan on ever knowing you.
thekyle 7y ago
Although I would definitely consider HN to be a social network, the number of comments here disagreeing made me look into it a bit more. According to Wikipedia both Hacker News and Reddit are "social news websites".

tyingq 7y ago

$13/month does feel like an odd price point to me. I imagine people would compare to what they pay for Netflix, HULU, etc, and wonder why this is so high.