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Hacker News is about pseudonymous discussion. Only a small percent of HN posters are building a brand name. Twitter is much more real-name based and personal b

by dzdt 6y ago

Hacker News is about pseudonymous discussion. Only a small percent of HN posters are building a brand name. Twitter is much more real-name based and personal brand-building focussed. Jumping in on a bandwagon to signal group membership in an in group can help brand-building. Going against the in group is potentially fatal to your brand. The risk/reward balance does not favor genuine discussion of a controversial topic. On HN most comments are up/down voted based on their content. The post authorship usually matters little. There is little benefit for the author to announce support of a popular position and little risk for the author to express an unpopular one. So discussion here can be more about substance and less about signaling.

z3ncyberpunk 6y ago
you are writing like HN is much fairer and upstanding than other forms of social media. there is nothing different here, if you step outside of the blind faith of corporate fawning and startup hustle or bring any challenging opinion you get shadowbanned
machinelabo 6y ago
This is one of the most illuminating assessments of Twitter. It’s virtue signaling , as cliche as it sounds to use that term - that’s what Twitter has become. No fault of Twitter, we’ve created a culture in our society where persons with their open identity cannot easily voice dissenting opinions and going against the grain without getting cancelled. What a fucked up world we live in.
- 495636483 6y ago
  I am not on twitter. What's with this canceling? Who got cancelled? What does that mean for them? Could you illustrate some examples?
  - TotallyHaram 6y ago
    Cancel culture is when the Twitter Strangler deletes your current account for the 23rd time because you point out the irony of someone working in 'AI ethics' is 100% unethical for trying to extort the company they work for with their own political agenda, regardless of the companies interests or needs. Thankfully this 'ethical AI researcher' will no longer be employed teaching or guiding ethics in AI.
  - npteljes 6y ago
    In case you're still curious: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancel_culture#Examples https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancel_culture#Examples
495636483 6y ago
This is not true. HN very much behaves like the rest. The hive mind here just keeps repeating the mantra while still downvoting dissenting opinions. Look at the other dead comment. Was that really bad enough to kill it? And from my experience, if you really challenge the powerful crowd you get vengeance killed all over the thread. Also accounts here are not like on reddit. You gain power with accepted comments. That's the most echo'y power dynamic imaginable. If you don't play the old boy's game, you can't participate and shape the conversation. So, HN, are you gonna give me voting rights or will you kill me, too?
- 495636483 6y ago
  Q.E.D.

by dzdt 6y ago

z3ncyberpunk 6y ago

you are writing like HN is much fairer and upstanding than other forms of social media. there is nothing different here, if you step outside of the blind faith of corporate fawning and startup hustle or bring any challenging opinion you get shadowbanned

machinelabo 6y ago

This is one of the most illuminating assessments of Twitter. It’s virtue signaling , as cliche as it sounds to use that term - that’s what Twitter has become. No fault of Twitter, we’ve created a culture in our society where persons with their open identity cannot easily voice dissenting opinions and going against the grain without getting cancelled. What a fucked up world we live in.

495636483 6y ago
I am not on twitter. What's with this canceling? Who got cancelled? What does that mean for them? Could you illustrate some examples?
- TotallyHaram 6y ago
  Cancel culture is when the Twitter Strangler deletes your current account for the 23rd time because you point out the irony of someone working in 'AI ethics' is 100% unethical for trying to extort the company they work for with their own political agenda, regardless of the companies interests or needs. Thankfully this 'ethical AI researcher' will no longer be employed teaching or guiding ethics in AI.
- npteljes 6y ago
  In case you're still curious: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancel_culture#Examples https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancel_culture#Examples

495636483 6y ago

This is not true. HN very much behaves like the rest. The hive mind here just keeps repeating the mantra while still downvoting dissenting opinions. Look at the other dead comment. Was that really bad enough to kill it? And from my experience, if you really challenge the powerful crowd you get vengeance killed all over the thread. Also accounts here are not like on reddit. You gain power with accepted comments. That's the most echo'y power dynamic imaginable. If you don't play the old boy's game, you can't participate and shape the conversation. So, HN, are you gonna give me voting rights or will you kill me, too?

495636483 6y ago
Q.E.D.