11 ms·

As an old person that's also seen political debate polarise into either flame wars or ideological echo chambers, I also highly value HN as one of the few remain

by simonh 5y ago

As an old person that's also seen political debate polarise into either flame wars or ideological echo chambers, I also highly value HN as one of the few remaining places where meaningful political discourse is possible. Even when I completely disagree with my fellow HN, it's valuable to me to have a forum where I can see those views articulated clearly, and where I can even ask questions and get useful responses.

shreyshnaccount 5y ago
Sometimes I realise a flaw in my thought process when trying to write a HN comment, something that almost never happens on twitter and reddit. And i think its because the community has decided that curiosity is the prime virtue of HN, I really like that.
samizdis 5y ago
> Even when I completely disagree with my fellow HN, it's valuable to me to have a forum where I can see those views articulated clearly ... Yes, this. "one of the vices of those who would repress the opinions of others is they make themselves prisoners of their own opinions, because they deny themselves the rights and the means of changing them." - a comment by Christopher Hitchens, referencing a Thomas Paine commentary on a John Milton pamphlet, in a 2006 debate about free expression. Full transcript (v long): https://scrapsfromtheloft.com/culture/debate-freedom-of-expression-must-include-the-license-to-offend-2006-full-transcript/ https://scrapsfromtheloft.com/culture/debate-freedom-of-expr...
d0mine 5y ago
Could you link to an example HN thread of "meaningful political discourse" in your opinion.
- simonh 5y ago
  Most of them, honestly. We obviously don't come to a mutual consensus, but for me the value is in an opportunity to understand why other people think differently, and to explain why I think the way I do. Of course there's a lot of straw man-ing and snide comments. Every now and then though I strike up a conversation with someone I disagree with in a comment chain and I learn something new.

by simonh 5y ago

shreyshnaccount 5y ago

Sometimes I realise a flaw in my thought process when trying to write a HN comment, something that almost never happens on twitter and reddit. And i think its because the community has decided that curiosity is the prime virtue of HN, I really like that.

samizdis 5y ago

> Even when I completely disagree with my fellow HN, it's valuable to me to have a forum where I can see those views articulated clearly ... Yes, this. "one of the vices of those who would repress the opinions of others is they make themselves prisoners of their own opinions, because they deny themselves the rights and the means of changing them." - a comment by Christopher Hitchens, referencing a Thomas Paine commentary on a John Milton pamphlet, in a 2006 debate about free expression. Full transcript (v long): https://scrapsfromtheloft.com/culture/debate-freedom-of-expression-must-include-the-license-to-offend-2006-full-transcript/ https://scrapsfromtheloft.com/culture/debate-freedom-of-expr...

d0mine 5y ago

Could you link to an example HN thread of "meaningful political discourse" in your opinion.

simonh 5y ago
Most of them, honestly. We obviously don't come to a mutual consensus, but for me the value is in an opportunity to understand why other people think differently, and to explain why I think the way I do. Of course there's a lot of straw man-ing and snide comments. Every now and then though I strike up a conversation with someone I disagree with in a comment chain and I learn something new.