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Show HN: Made a forum for depressed founders to confide

52 points by vforissi 3y ago

esafak 3y ago
I question the ability of a bunch of depressed people to help each other.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- nerdwaller 3y ago
  Isn't that a myopic view? While sure, if someone is forever depressed they may not help others (beyond sharing their experience others may relate to). Imagine the people that are in a rough place for a period that come out the other side. I hope those types engage today and share as things change.
  - hoten 3y ago
    It can definitely be more harmful than helpful for some. If you want get bummed out, search out forums for those that were broken up with ("lost my ex"). There are many support forums for such things with people that have been active for _years_ after their breakup. At a certain point they are just ruminating on their pain. Romantic rejection is one of the most personal and emotional things most people will experience, and having a support network is important for moving on. But something goes haywire for some people given an infinite source of "support" online - unlike with real social connections, online strangers won't tire of you discussing your breakup, so you can do it probably forever, constantly freshening the pain, and peering into everyone elses story for insight on your own...and never move on.
- quickthrower2 3y ago
  Because they are probably not clinically depressed but just annoyed, despondent, kicked in the balls etc. Basically this is a group of friends letting off steam.
- explain 3y ago
  I think if you are hanging around forums about depression, then you almost want to remain depressed.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
splatzone 3y ago
This is very valuable, anonymous venting can bring out topics that many people wouldn’t otherwise discuss (for better or worse.) Is there a way to reply to threads? Without replies I think you’ll see much less traction.
- coolandsmartrr 3y ago
  I've also noticed that there's no option to reply to topics. I think this forum would be more useful and forum-like if users who have experienced similar situations can give each other advice through a reply feature.
CandidUserspace 3y ago
[dead]
nevodavid10 3y ago
People don't talk enough about depressed founders! That can really leads to a mental illness
- noduerme 3y ago
  Alcoholism for the win
  - jacquesm 3y ago
    Not really.
zarkenfrood 3y ago
This is good. As others mentioned replies would definitely help but even as it is it helps people see that others have gone/ are going through similar situations. Often knowing you aren't alone can help greatly.
- hypercube33 3y ago
  Most people feel. feeling is an experience. Bonding through experiences can be a major connector to other people. Though as others stated the tone of this all really is the key I think.
noduerme 3y ago
When I was 14, I was a year into playing all weekend every weekend with my first rock band. We recorded on a 4-track. Out there, at Guitar Center, were machines that could record 8 tracks. And pedals with crazy things like digital delay. Stuff that cost more than our parents made in a week. But you had a slim chance of being noticed and a slimmer chance of becoming a rock star. If you only worked harder AND had that piece of kit... so went the sales pitch that was made to my generation in the 90s. You known who got famous and obscenely rich? Maroon 5. The Strokes. You know why? It wasn't their originality or their work ethic as musicians or their technical proficiency or the brilliance of their lyrics, nor their immense line of credit at Guitar Center. It was their parents paying girls from modeling agencies to go to their shows. What's depressing about being a founder is just watching less interesting, less competent people who are psychotically good at marketing take your ideas and get rich doing crappier versions of them. Thanks, now I feel better and don't need the site.
- quickthrower2 3y ago
  Does the girl from modelling agency thing not work for AI startups?
  - noduerme 3y ago
    Even just the concept of an AI startup [as what that means now in the age of LLMs] is already epochs worse than anything 90s douches could dream up. But sure, paying models always helps if you're nihilistic enough to use people as props.
    - Cacti 3y ago
      > paying models always helps if you're nihilistic enough to use people as prop they’re from a modeling agency. that’s what they do.
      - noduerme 3y ago
        Not to take away agency from people who choose to model, but you're saying their entire job is basically just being used anyway so fuckit? [edit] I wasn't saying I feel specifically bad for the models in this scenario, just for society at large, average kids who are set up to believe that fake humans and fake influencers are living the lives they want so desperately.
tommiegannert 3y ago
Re. replies. Comparing to r/depression, their subreddit rules are so strict about replies, that the only ones you see are "I feel you." Not allowed to analyze, try to help, etc. Likely for the better. So in practice, I think this site does with hearts what r/depression does despite replies. I wonder if it can have the virality without interaction, though. Or will it simply end up with posts being replies with quotes. I don't know the history of r/depression, if it grew before the rules, or with the strict rules.
- chewmieser 3y ago
  It feels very alone without replies. The rules make sense but this feels too impersonal.
aeim 3y ago
Hi vforissi, The site looks like a clean implementation of a simple idea, allowing someone to acknowledge a negative event, and by expressing in words and externalising, let it go On the below post, I wonder what your thoughts are on this kind of interpretation of depression? Does it fit with your understanding and the above method? https://fragments.themanual.io/zonal-ban/ https://fragments.themanual.io/zonal-ban/
pvaldes 3y ago
I would suggest to replace the crying icon for a different image. It does not really help

52 points by vforissi 3y ago

esafak 3y ago

I question the ability of a bunch of depressed people to help each other.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
nerdwaller 3y ago
Isn't that a myopic view? While sure, if someone is forever depressed they may not help others (beyond sharing their experience others may relate to). Imagine the people that are in a rough place for a period that come out the other side. I hope those types engage today and share as things change.
- hoten 3y ago
  It can definitely be more harmful than helpful for some. If you want get bummed out, search out forums for those that were broken up with ("lost my ex"). There are many support forums for such things with people that have been active for _years_ after their breakup. At a certain point they are just ruminating on their pain. Romantic rejection is one of the most personal and emotional things most people will experience, and having a support network is important for moving on. But something goes haywire for some people given an infinite source of "support" online - unlike with real social connections, online strangers won't tire of you discussing your breakup, so you can do it probably forever, constantly freshening the pain, and peering into everyone elses story for insight on your own...and never move on.
quickthrower2 3y ago
Because they are probably not clinically depressed but just annoyed, despondent, kicked in the balls etc. Basically this is a group of friends letting off steam.
explain 3y ago
I think if you are hanging around forums about depression, then you almost want to remain depressed.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]

splatzone 3y ago

This is very valuable, anonymous venting can bring out topics that many people wouldn’t otherwise discuss (for better or worse.) Is there a way to reply to threads? Without replies I think you’ll see much less traction.

coolandsmartrr 3y ago
I've also noticed that there's no option to reply to topics. I think this forum would be more useful and forum-like if users who have experienced similar situations can give each other advice through a reply feature.

CandidUserspace 3y ago

[dead]

nevodavid10 3y ago

People don't talk enough about depressed founders! That can really leads to a mental illness

noduerme 3y ago
Alcoholism for the win
- jacquesm 3y ago
  Not really.

zarkenfrood 3y ago

This is good. As others mentioned replies would definitely help but even as it is it helps people see that others have gone/ are going through similar situations. Often knowing you aren't alone can help greatly.

hypercube33 3y ago
Most people feel. feeling is an experience. Bonding through experiences can be a major connector to other people. Though as others stated the tone of this all really is the key I think.

noduerme 3y ago

When I was 14, I was a year into playing all weekend every weekend with my first rock band. We recorded on a 4-track. Out there, at Guitar Center, were machines that could record 8 tracks. And pedals with crazy things like digital delay. Stuff that cost more than our parents made in a week. But you had a slim chance of being noticed and a slimmer chance of becoming a rock star. If you only worked harder AND had that piece of kit... so went the sales pitch that was made to my generation in the 90s. You known who got famous and obscenely rich? Maroon 5. The Strokes. You know why? It wasn't their originality or their work ethic as musicians or their technical proficiency or the brilliance of their lyrics, nor their immense line of credit at Guitar Center. It was their parents paying girls from modeling agencies to go to their shows. What's depressing about being a founder is just watching less interesting, less competent people who are psychotically good at marketing take your ideas and get rich doing crappier versions of them. Thanks, now I feel better and don't need the site.

quickthrower2 3y ago
Does the girl from modelling agency thing not work for AI startups?
- noduerme 3y ago
  Even just the concept of an AI startup [as what that means now in the age of LLMs] is already epochs worse than anything 90s douches could dream up. But sure, paying models always helps if you're nihilistic enough to use people as props.
  - Cacti 3y ago
    > paying models always helps if you're nihilistic enough to use people as prop they’re from a modeling agency. that’s what they do.
    - noduerme 3y ago
      Not to take away agency from people who choose to model, but you're saying their entire job is basically just being used anyway so fuckit? [edit] I wasn't saying I feel specifically bad for the models in this scenario, just for society at large, average kids who are set up to believe that fake humans and fake influencers are living the lives they want so desperately.

tommiegannert 3y ago

Re. replies. Comparing to r/depression, their subreddit rules are so strict about replies, that the only ones you see are "I feel you." Not allowed to analyze, try to help, etc. Likely for the better. So in practice, I think this site does with hearts what r/depression does despite replies. I wonder if it can have the virality without interaction, though. Or will it simply end up with posts being replies with quotes. I don't know the history of r/depression, if it grew before the rules, or with the strict rules.

chewmieser 3y ago
It feels very alone without replies. The rules make sense but this feels too impersonal.

aeim 3y ago

Hi vforissi, The site looks like a clean implementation of a simple idea, allowing someone to acknowledge a negative event, and by expressing in words and externalising, let it go On the below post, I wonder what your thoughts are on this kind of interpretation of depression? Does it fit with your understanding and the above method? https://fragments.themanual.io/zonal-ban/ https://fragments.themanual.io/zonal-ban/

pvaldes 3y ago

I would suggest to replace the crying icon for a different image. It does not really help