3 ms·

But not all social media are the same. HN for example, is the only social media that I consume completely (news feeds + comment section). Everything else I limi

But not all social media are the same. HN for example, is the only social media that I consume completely (news feeds + comment section). Everything else I limit as much as I can.. what makes HN so much better than the others? Lack of ads? Moderation?

bckr 5y ago
Intention of the creators and, yes, moderation. The exact same HTML/CSS/JS could power a community devoted to fighting a holy war against Lizard people.
- pelasaco 5y ago
  but not all moderation are the same too, right? I mean reddit has moderation, but IMO, there, it doesn't work as good as here.
  - bckr 5y ago
    That's why I mention intention of the creators. Reddit is meant to be "the front page of the Internet", which means it needs to be enormous and serve many different communities.
  - anigbrowl 5y ago
    That's because Reddit has a million subreddits and to some extent they compete with each other. You may find this study of virtual conflict dynamics interesting: https://snap.stanford.edu/conflict/ https://snap.stanford.edu/conflict/
  - pessimizer 5y ago
    I think a big part of it was that it was seeded (and continues to be watered with) people who are looking for funding and/or people whose hopes are already dependent on YC and other sources of financing. People have to behave well, or there are consequences far beyond the forum.
CodeGlitch 5y ago
I don't consider HN to be social media. It's a forum isn't it? Mostly anonymous and no "pushing" of feeds or content.
- thethethethe 5y ago
  From Wikipedia: > Social media are interactive technologies that allow the creation or sharing/exchange of information, ideas, career interests, and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks Sounds like social media to me
  - igravious 5y ago
    Please read properly what you copy-pasted. “[…] via virtual communities and networks” (Friend and follower (and so on) relations create these virtual communities and networks, these don't exist on HN.) Ergo, HN is not social media. Facebook is social media, Twitter is social media. IRC is not, HN is not. Tiktok is, SnapChat is. Reddit isn't, Slashdot isn't. Google+ was, Orkut was. LWN isn't, Ars Technica isn't. Social media implies a massive global social graph which under-girds the communication flows – not rooms, forums, articles, channels, "subreddits", spaces, etc.
  - CodeGlitch 5y ago
    > Social media are interactive technologies that allow the creation or sharing/exchange of information, ideas, career interests, and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks This description would include email and SMS - and no one describes those as social networks. HN is a forum.
    - thethethethe 5y ago
      To start, social media != social network. I am saying that HN and other forums are a form of social media, albeit a very primitive form. Forums enable individuals to interact to create and exchange information, as opposed to mass media where things are centrally distributed and consumed with no input. > This description would include email and SMS I would absolutely consider SMS and email to be a social network, they are just limited and have fewer features. Definition of social network from wikipedia: > A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors > no one describes those as social networks I do acknowledge that there is a more nebulous popular definition of social media which refers to the major platforms. However, when you try to define what makes them different than email and SMS, things get challenging. If email, an network of independent actors exchanging information isn't a social network, then what set of features would make it a social network and why? All of the major platforms have different sets of features, some of them overlapping. What set of common features makes them a social network and why?
pessimizer 5y ago
It's an ego-vehicle for billionaires; a bauble to show off. HN isn't really a business or a public service. It's a rich man's hobby spun-off, and its only purpose and governance is to make him happy enough to continue to bother. It's an aging salon, and reflects the product of the current mood and amount of attention given by its host.

bckr 5y ago

Intention of the creators and, yes, moderation. The exact same HTML/CSS/JS could power a community devoted to fighting a holy war against Lizard people.

pelasaco 5y ago
but not all moderation are the same too, right? I mean reddit has moderation, but IMO, there, it doesn't work as good as here.
- bckr 5y ago
  That's why I mention intention of the creators. Reddit is meant to be "the front page of the Internet", which means it needs to be enormous and serve many different communities.
- anigbrowl 5y ago
  That's because Reddit has a million subreddits and to some extent they compete with each other. You may find this study of virtual conflict dynamics interesting: https://snap.stanford.edu/conflict/ https://snap.stanford.edu/conflict/
- pessimizer 5y ago
  I think a big part of it was that it was seeded (and continues to be watered with) people who are looking for funding and/or people whose hopes are already dependent on YC and other sources of financing. People have to behave well, or there are consequences far beyond the forum.

CodeGlitch 5y ago

I don't consider HN to be social media. It's a forum isn't it? Mostly anonymous and no "pushing" of feeds or content.

thethethethe 5y ago
From Wikipedia: > Social media are interactive technologies that allow the creation or sharing/exchange of information, ideas, career interests, and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks Sounds like social media to me
- igravious 5y ago
  Please read properly what you copy-pasted. “[…] via virtual communities and networks” (Friend and follower (and so on) relations create these virtual communities and networks, these don't exist on HN.) Ergo, HN is not social media. Facebook is social media, Twitter is social media. IRC is not, HN is not. Tiktok is, SnapChat is. Reddit isn't, Slashdot isn't. Google+ was, Orkut was. LWN isn't, Ars Technica isn't. Social media implies a massive global social graph which under-girds the communication flows – not rooms, forums, articles, channels, "subreddits", spaces, etc.
- CodeGlitch 5y ago
  > Social media are interactive technologies that allow the creation or sharing/exchange of information, ideas, career interests, and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks This description would include email and SMS - and no one describes those as social networks. HN is a forum.
  - thethethethe 5y ago
    To start, social media != social network. I am saying that HN and other forums are a form of social media, albeit a very primitive form. Forums enable individuals to interact to create and exchange information, as opposed to mass media where things are centrally distributed and consumed with no input. > This description would include email and SMS I would absolutely consider SMS and email to be a social network, they are just limited and have fewer features. Definition of social network from wikipedia: > A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors > no one describes those as social networks I do acknowledge that there is a more nebulous popular definition of social media which refers to the major platforms. However, when you try to define what makes them different than email and SMS, things get challenging. If email, an network of independent actors exchanging information isn't a social network, then what set of features would make it a social network and why? All of the major platforms have different sets of features, some of them overlapping. What set of common features makes them a social network and why?

pessimizer 5y ago

It's an ego-vehicle for billionaires; a bauble to show off. HN isn't really a business or a public service. It's a rich man's hobby spun-off, and its only purpose and governance is to make him happy enough to continue to bother. It's an aging salon, and reflects the product of the current mood and amount of attention given by its host.