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There are subjects where the UI matters. Eg, I don't see the HN UI ever be used for anything graphics related, because there's no image embedding. This is fin

There are subjects where the UI matters. Eg, I don't see the HN UI ever be used for anything graphics related, because there's no image embedding. This is fine for many subjects, but greatly constrains others. It also has social effects. HN makes usernames very vague compared to say, Reddit or Slashdot. Which means that after more than 2 years on this site I still don't know any. The site is extremely impersonal to me, compared to Reddit where I can recognize regulars in some of the subreddits. Whether this is a good thing or not varies, but it certainly affects the dynamics.

maksimur 3y ago
> It also has social effects. HN makes usernames very vague compared to say, Reddit or Slashdot. Which means that after more than 2 years on this site I still don't know any. The site is extremely impersonal to me, compared to Reddit where I can recognize regulars in some of the subreddits. I actually like this approach as it reduces the issue of some users dominating the conversation, thereby overshadowing others. I think it's essential to foster a level playing field for everyone when discussing topics of interest.
veave 3y ago
Usernames being vague is a feature. Comments should be judged by their content and not by the person who posted them. Also if you use old reddit usernames in reddit are as impersonal as they are here because of no discernible avatars.
- pavel_lishin 3y ago
  Pseudonymity beats anonymity. People's track records and comment history should be a factor when judging what someone says, unless we expect every comment to be a lengthy thesis. If I see a comment from someone I know to be a relative expert on a field based on my previous interactions with them, I want to judge it as more authoritative and interesting than a rando who registered two weeks ago and has mostly commented "lol".

maksimur 3y ago

> It also has social effects. HN makes usernames very vague compared to say, Reddit or Slashdot. Which means that after more than 2 years on this site I still don't know any. The site is extremely impersonal to me, compared to Reddit where I can recognize regulars in some of the subreddits. I actually like this approach as it reduces the issue of some users dominating the conversation, thereby overshadowing others. I think it's essential to foster a level playing field for everyone when discussing topics of interest.

veave 3y ago

Usernames being vague is a feature. Comments should be judged by their content and not by the person who posted them. Also if you use old reddit usernames in reddit are as impersonal as they are here because of no discernible avatars.

pavel_lishin 3y ago
Pseudonymity beats anonymity. People's track records and comment history should be a factor when judging what someone says, unless we expect every comment to be a lengthy thesis. If I see a comment from someone I know to be a relative expert on a field based on my previous interactions with them, I want to judge it as more authoritative and interesting than a rando who registered two weeks ago and has mostly commented "lol".