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From the 2018 thread [0] > What I like about HN is that the comments VERY RARELY descend into the inevitable political sniping that seems to happen almost ever
by Semaphor 4y ago
From the 2018 thread [0]
> What I like about HN is that the comments VERY RARELY descend into the inevitable political sniping that seems to happen almost everywhere else on the internet, even when discussing controversial topics like Trump, and even the percentage of snarky and dismissive comments is kept pretty low.
This is something, I thought, has gotten way worse since covid. I always explained it (mostly to myself) from the sudden influx of people that arrived faster than cultural assimilation could happen. Back then, it was only cryptocurrency topics where I preferred not reading the comments.
Nowadays, it’s so many topics where I quickly nope out of the comments again. It’s still better than most places, but that’s because it started from a far superior position.
[0]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16441306 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16441306
- closedloop129 4y agoWould it be an option to embrace that development? Instead of assimilating everybody the Borg way, it would also be possible to tag snarky people and allow each user to choose if their comments should be included. The front page could be an example of good behavior, but people don't have to adapt instantly. They can be snarky, are flagged, and get the signal that the expectations are higher. With some resources for personal development, depending on the flagged transgressions, there could be a form of assimilation that scales.
- Semaphor 4y agoI mean, what you are describing is still assimilation [0]. The way to get there can be multifold, but concepts like not being toxic (which seems harder to accept) and providing value instead of making joke-comments (which seems to be accepted somewhat readily) still need to be adopted by new people. This is exactly how it should be, but it’s also a way that, at least IMO, does not scale and stopped working properly. [0]: the process of assimilating new ideas into an existing cognitive structure
- jimbob45 4y agoWell two of three years since COVID hit have been hotly contentious election years. I would expect things to rapidly cool down come this December.
- Semaphor 4y agoYour words in whoever’s ears ;)
- verisimilitudes 4y ago
- saagarjha 4y agoI can't speak for your submissions, but peeking at your comments you seem to be downvoted in the past for being prickly and constantly complaining about how you've been shadowbanned, so perhaps not doing that may improve your chances?
- verisimilitudes 4y agoI've complained about it once. I've been prickly, sure. Telling the truth to liars tends to come off as prickly. I'd delete this account if I could.