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I noticed the train wreck phenomenon she described around 2009 on facebook and immediately quit knowing that I lacked the self control to look away. I post from

by norir 3y ago

I noticed the train wreck phenomenon she described around 2009 on facebook and immediately quit knowing that I lacked the self control to look away. I post from multiple anonymous hn accounts to test ideas and make a point of not acquiring a particularly high karma before switching to a new account to ensure that I don't get attached to a particular persona that might become correlated with the handle.

d1sxeyes 3y ago
2009 was when FB introduced the 'like' button, which I think burdens the majority of the responsibility for the decline of the quality of interactions on Facebook. Gathering 'likes' was addictive, and because of the low effort required to 'like' things, it created the false impression of being connected to people. Suddenly, reacting to EVERYTHING became an expectation. Of course, this is what Facebook wanted, but it is overwhelming to react meaningfully to everything every one of the 338 friends an average Facebook user has. There's also the receiving side of likes - the Variable Ratio Schedule which means the more you post, the more likely you are to receive a 'like' - but there's not a direct correlation. Skinner (the father of operant conditioning) identified this as the most effective reward mechanism to condition behaviour. I believe (quite strongly) that the 'like' button is directly or indirectly responsible for most of the mental health damage being done by Facebook and Instagram.
Wolfenstein98k 3y ago
This is an interesting approach. Do you imbue reach handle with its own persona (presumably a fragment of yours, writ whole)? Or is it basically just a cover for whatever you feel like writing in each moment?
- norir 3y ago
  A little of both. I do sometimes feel like "this is a post for xxxx" vs. this is a post for norir. I'm not comparing myself to him, but kierkegaard used pseudonyms to write most of his works in personas that he considered distinctive and separate from himself although surely they reflected aspects of himself.
exodust 3y ago
> correlated Why would there be correlation? Do you mean in your own mind, or decided by others? > test ideas I don't understand. You post things you don't necessarily believe, to see how people react? This is not a healthy approach for you or the platform. You could instead use one account and simply say you're not sure about this or that idea, or on the fence about particular issues.
- norir 3y ago
  I only post things I believe to be true but I am not always successful at communicating my thoughts and feelings. The response lets me know if I was effective or not. I also have blindspots and recognize that I may not be seeing the whole picture at any given moment. Sure, I could hedge every statement with every possible doubt but then it becomes impossible to actually say anything. If I had a reputation then people would consciously or not evaluate the truth of my statements at least in part based on my reputation. I often fail, but I try to write the truth as I see it and let it stand without being tied up in my identity.
  - luminen 3y ago
    The way you wrote this resonates with me. I've noticed the "pressure," internally sourced or not, that comes with building a persona in a community of peers you (for the most part) respect. It's good in some ways because it drives behavior I would consider healthy in a community--thoughtfully reviewing a post before hitting 'reply,' respectful discourse, and thorough fact-checking. But I also find that same pressure convincing me not to post, especially if I'm a novice in an area or need help. I understand this is egotistical in many ways, and managing it by "staying anonymous via a new stage name" is a really interesting idea.
  - exodust 3y ago
    But right now I have zero knowledge of your reputation. I have zero interest in finding out the reputation of "user norir"... I am evaluating your statements one at a time, without interest in your historical activity. I would expect the same of readers of my posts... I highly doubt anyone is digging through my old posts. Who has the time? For what purpose? The exception is maybe a big claim you make. Perhaps a controversial claim which is hard to verify, and people may then look at your past comments. But if you're not making any big bold claims, or leaking juicy gossip, or dropping any unbelievable truth bombs.... I think your account churn is motivated by something else. It's your business, it's all good, but your HN account reputation wouldn't be used against you. Every day is a new day, and people gravitate towards good faith discussion, don't they? Your spicy post from the other day is forgiven! (to be clear, I am not aware of any spicy posts you wrote). Good luck.

by norir 3y ago

d1sxeyes 3y ago

2009 was when FB introduced the 'like' button, which I think burdens the majority of the responsibility for the decline of the quality of interactions on Facebook. Gathering 'likes' was addictive, and because of the low effort required to 'like' things, it created the false impression of being connected to people. Suddenly, reacting to EVERYTHING became an expectation. Of course, this is what Facebook wanted, but it is overwhelming to react meaningfully to everything every one of the 338 friends an average Facebook user has. There's also the receiving side of likes - the Variable Ratio Schedule which means the more you post, the more likely you are to receive a 'like' - but there's not a direct correlation. Skinner (the father of operant conditioning) identified this as the most effective reward mechanism to condition behaviour. I believe (quite strongly) that the 'like' button is directly or indirectly responsible for most of the mental health damage being done by Facebook and Instagram.

Wolfenstein98k 3y ago

This is an interesting approach. Do you imbue reach handle with its own persona (presumably a fragment of yours, writ whole)? Or is it basically just a cover for whatever you feel like writing in each moment?

norir 3y ago
A little of both. I do sometimes feel like "this is a post for xxxx" vs. this is a post for norir. I'm not comparing myself to him, but kierkegaard used pseudonyms to write most of his works in personas that he considered distinctive and separate from himself although surely they reflected aspects of himself.

exodust 3y ago

> correlated Why would there be correlation? Do you mean in your own mind, or decided by others? > test ideas I don't understand. You post things you don't necessarily believe, to see how people react? This is not a healthy approach for you or the platform. You could instead use one account and simply say you're not sure about this or that idea, or on the fence about particular issues.

norir 3y ago
I only post things I believe to be true but I am not always successful at communicating my thoughts and feelings. The response lets me know if I was effective or not. I also have blindspots and recognize that I may not be seeing the whole picture at any given moment. Sure, I could hedge every statement with every possible doubt but then it becomes impossible to actually say anything. If I had a reputation then people would consciously or not evaluate the truth of my statements at least in part based on my reputation. I often fail, but I try to write the truth as I see it and let it stand without being tied up in my identity.
- luminen 3y ago
  The way you wrote this resonates with me. I've noticed the "pressure," internally sourced or not, that comes with building a persona in a community of peers you (for the most part) respect. It's good in some ways because it drives behavior I would consider healthy in a community--thoughtfully reviewing a post before hitting 'reply,' respectful discourse, and thorough fact-checking. But I also find that same pressure convincing me not to post, especially if I'm a novice in an area or need help. I understand this is egotistical in many ways, and managing it by "staying anonymous via a new stage name" is a really interesting idea.
- exodust 3y ago
  But right now I have zero knowledge of your reputation. I have zero interest in finding out the reputation of "user norir"... I am evaluating your statements one at a time, without interest in your historical activity. I would expect the same of readers of my posts... I highly doubt anyone is digging through my old posts. Who has the time? For what purpose? The exception is maybe a big claim you make. Perhaps a controversial claim which is hard to verify, and people may then look at your past comments. But if you're not making any big bold claims, or leaking juicy gossip, or dropping any unbelievable truth bombs.... I think your account churn is motivated by something else. It's your business, it's all good, but your HN account reputation wouldn't be used against you. Every day is a new day, and people gravitate towards good faith discussion, don't they? Your spicy post from the other day is forgiven! (to be clear, I am not aware of any spicy posts you wrote). Good luck.