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Is there anything small and niche (apart from, literally, HN) that hasn't been completely utterly destroyed by the nasty people online? Local and specialist fo
by reaperducer 2y ago
Is there anything small and niche (apart from, literally, HN) that hasn't been completely utterly destroyed by the nasty people online?
Local and specialist fora are doing quite well. Some have been around for decades because they offer what social media promises but doesn't deliver. Examples:
https://thestampforum.boards.net
https://thehaif.com
https://forums.atariage.com
Most offer RSS, so you can roll your own "feed" like a social media site, but without being followed, tabulated, and monetized to death.
Their secret is friction and moderation. You have to jump through a hoop or two get registered, unlike social media where the barriers to entry are so low that bots step over them without a care. That's because these web sites care about the content, not tallying up monthly user statistics for shareholders.
It's like radio. If you're in Los Angeles, you can listen to KROQ, which serves its corporate owners and shareholders far away, or you can listen to KCSN, which serves its listeners locally.