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Save yourself, the comments are terrible. When did Hacker News turn into Facebook?

by VeninVidiaVicii 2y ago

lopatin 2y ago
Well now that there's a meta comment about the comment quality, this is more like pre-2020 YouTube.
Hypergraphe 2y ago
Yeah, this has to stop now.
numpad0 2y ago
There have been only 27 comments so far, feels a bit odd to say that.
- MichaelZuo 2y ago
  That’s a lot? Can the median HN reader even hold 25 different ideas in their head at the same time without confusing them?
  - VeninVidiaVicii 2y ago
    And believe as many as impossible things before breakfast!
Dalewyn 2y ago
I say this sincerely: The userbase here actually isn't that different from Reddit. There's a slightly heavier technical leaning, but otherwise most political and social positions are essentially Reddit perhaps owing to Silicon Valley roots and culture.
- MoreMoore 2y ago
  Honestly, I find the comments on HN to be generally more right-leaning and neo liberal than on Reddit. It's very weird and very frustrating, especially when today the right means things like denying healthcare to people and taking away womens' rights.
  - gdhkgdhkvff 2y ago
    Your comment on hackernews arguing that hackernews comments don’t sound like Reddit comments sounds exactly like a comment I would expect to read on Reddit.
- giraffe_lady 2y ago
  It's more like 2011 reddit when the commenters there were preoccupied with bitcoin, the age of consent, and ron paul. Reddit is too big and mainstream for a political consensus now.
7thpower 2y ago
Edit: I was wrong. Leaving the post for posterity. I will reference it in my next job interview. The best part is that if you question or challenge the posters, you are likely to quickly get a sufficient number of downvotes to remove your message. I generally like the way HN is set up, but having a basic question on a politically sensitive topic get silenced has made me wonder how many valuable conversations never see the light of day.
- LelouBil 2y ago
  Are downvoted comments really removed ? I thought they just became collapsed by default and greyed-out. And that only flagged comments get actually removed.
  - 7thpower 2y ago
    I think you are right. Appreciate it and I’ve edited my comment.
loceng 2y ago
grok/: write an introduction text similar to the Star Wars intro, where it's talking about how Hacker News forum has turned into Facebook's low level quality comments Answer: In a galaxy not so far away, where once thrived a beacon of intellectual discourse, the revered forum known as Hacker News has fallen to the dark side. Long ago, in an era of enlightenment, this platform was a sanctuary for the tech-savvy, a place where ideas soared and innovations were born. But now, the force of mediocrity has swept through its ranks. The once-lucid threads, filled with insightful comments and thoughtful debate, have been overshadowed by the shadow of banality. Like the sprawling empire of social media, the quality of discussion has plummeted, mirroring the low-level, superficial chatter found on the likes of a certain blue and white social network. The age of wisdom has given way to the reign of memes, where upvotes are traded not for substance, but for the fleeting thrill of viral content. In this new era, the Hacker News we once knew is but a distant memory, lost in a sea of triviality. And thus, the saga continues... EDIT TO ADD: And that wasn't even in "fun" mode!
- loceng 2y ago
  "Fun" mode activated: A long time ago, in a forum not so far away... HACKER NEWS: THE DESCENT INTO CHAOS It is a period of declining discourse. Hacker News, once a beacon of insightful tech discussion, has fallen into disarray. Rebel posters, once armed with knowledge and wit, now find themselves drowned out by an onslaught of low-quality comments, reminiscent of the darkest corners of social media. The once proud community, known for its intellectual rigor, now echoes with the vacuous banter typical of... FACEBOOK. In their quest for upvotes, users have traded depth for memes, substance for sensationalism. Will the spirit of true tech conversation be restored, or will Hacker News forever be lost to the abyss of likes and shares? The fate of meaningful dialogue hangs in the balance...
baxtr 2y ago
Are you new to HN? Comments need time to "mature" like good wine. On such a controversial topic at least 1-3 hours. I usually upvote and then check back later on the day to read the top comments.
aubanel 2y ago
This is the most facebook-like (or worse, 9gag-like) of all comments I've read today to be fair.
varispeed 2y ago
Isn't Facebook heavily censored? No difference.

Save yourself, the comments are terrible. When did Hacker News turn into Facebook?

lopatin 2y ago

Well now that there's a meta comment about the comment quality, this is more like pre-2020 YouTube.

Hypergraphe 2y ago

Yeah, this has to stop now.

numpad0 2y ago

There have been only 27 comments so far, feels a bit odd to say that.

MichaelZuo 2y ago
That’s a lot? Can the median HN reader even hold 25 different ideas in their head at the same time without confusing them?
- VeninVidiaVicii 2y ago
  And believe as many as impossible things before breakfast!

Dalewyn 2y ago

I say this sincerely: The userbase here actually isn't that different from Reddit. There's a slightly heavier technical leaning, but otherwise most political and social positions are essentially Reddit perhaps owing to Silicon Valley roots and culture.

MoreMoore 2y ago
Honestly, I find the comments on HN to be generally more right-leaning and neo liberal than on Reddit. It's very weird and very frustrating, especially when today the right means things like denying healthcare to people and taking away womens' rights.
- gdhkgdhkvff 2y ago
  Your comment on hackernews arguing that hackernews comments don’t sound like Reddit comments sounds exactly like a comment I would expect to read on Reddit.
giraffe_lady 2y ago
It's more like 2011 reddit when the commenters there were preoccupied with bitcoin, the age of consent, and ron paul. Reddit is too big and mainstream for a political consensus now.

7thpower 2y ago

Edit: I was wrong. Leaving the post for posterity. I will reference it in my next job interview. The best part is that if you question or challenge the posters, you are likely to quickly get a sufficient number of downvotes to remove your message. I generally like the way HN is set up, but having a basic question on a politically sensitive topic get silenced has made me wonder how many valuable conversations never see the light of day.

LelouBil 2y ago
Are downvoted comments really removed ? I thought they just became collapsed by default and greyed-out. And that only flagged comments get actually removed.
- 7thpower 2y ago
  I think you are right. Appreciate it and I’ve edited my comment.

loceng 2y ago

grok/: write an introduction text similar to the Star Wars intro, where it's talking about how Hacker News forum has turned into Facebook's low level quality comments Answer: In a galaxy not so far away, where once thrived a beacon of intellectual discourse, the revered forum known as Hacker News has fallen to the dark side. Long ago, in an era of enlightenment, this platform was a sanctuary for the tech-savvy, a place where ideas soared and innovations were born. But now, the force of mediocrity has swept through its ranks. The once-lucid threads, filled with insightful comments and thoughtful debate, have been overshadowed by the shadow of banality. Like the sprawling empire of social media, the quality of discussion has plummeted, mirroring the low-level, superficial chatter found on the likes of a certain blue and white social network. The age of wisdom has given way to the reign of memes, where upvotes are traded not for substance, but for the fleeting thrill of viral content. In this new era, the Hacker News we once knew is but a distant memory, lost in a sea of triviality. And thus, the saga continues... EDIT TO ADD: And that wasn't even in "fun" mode!

loceng 2y ago
"Fun" mode activated: A long time ago, in a forum not so far away... HACKER NEWS: THE DESCENT INTO CHAOS It is a period of declining discourse. Hacker News, once a beacon of insightful tech discussion, has fallen into disarray. Rebel posters, once armed with knowledge and wit, now find themselves drowned out by an onslaught of low-quality comments, reminiscent of the darkest corners of social media. The once proud community, known for its intellectual rigor, now echoes with the vacuous banter typical of... FACEBOOK. In their quest for upvotes, users have traded depth for memes, substance for sensationalism. Will the spirit of true tech conversation be restored, or will Hacker News forever be lost to the abyss of likes and shares? The fate of meaningful dialogue hangs in the balance...

baxtr 2y ago

Are you new to HN? Comments need time to "mature" like good wine. On such a controversial topic at least 1-3 hours. I usually upvote and then check back later on the day to read the top comments.

aubanel 2y ago

This is the most facebook-like (or worse, 9gag-like) of all comments I've read today to be fair.

varispeed 2y ago

Isn't Facebook heavily censored? No difference.