4 ms·

isn't HN more like professional news/discussion place? is it considered social media?

wccrawford 10mo ago
This is absolutely social media. And like all addicts, people here loudly proclaim that it's less toxic. Whether or not is it indeed less toxic is up for debate.
- direwolf20 10mo ago
  It's highly censored.
  - potato3732842 10mo ago
    And it has the little Righthink number in the corner that goes up when you make Righthink.
    - JKCalhoun 10mo ago
      Maybe. But that Righthink number has also reminded me when I am being too combative (trollish) online. It's also fun to throw caution to the wind with a "fuck it" and just let your comment fade away after having ranted at the clouds.
BbzzbB 10mo ago
What:s the difference between reddit and HN beyond the form? It seems to be obviously social media to me
- direwolf20 10mo ago
  The content is also different. Reddit uses AI agents to populate feeds to generate user engagement.
  - cons0le 10mo ago
    The main difference is no personalized algorithm ranking content to increase engagement. The algorithm has consumed reels/shorts/tiktok/insta. Being extremely inflammatory is rewarded there.
    - BbzzbB 10mo ago
      Algorithms don't define social medias, it's just the latest iteration from the main ones. Is BeReal not a social media because there's no algorithmic feed?
- dooglius 10mo ago
  The lack of subreddits is a big difference because it inhibits users coagulating into subgroups. Reddit also allows people to be banned from subreddits by subreddit owners/mods which leads to groupthink more.
  - BbzzbB 10mo ago
    HN is one large subreddit with it's own groupthink.
KPGv2 10mo ago
> isn't HN more like professional news/discussion place? I see enough racist and misogynist comments here to know that isn't true. And that's not even considering the low-knowledge comments offered up as expertise. I long for the days of a Slashdot where you could filter out anyone with a UID greater than 200K or so, and it'd be nothing but 20yr experts in IT dropping rugged after rugged of tremendously insightful analysis. (Granted there was also plenty of GNAA frist psot stuff.)
- potato3732842 10mo ago
  >I long for the days of a Slashdot where you could filter out anyone with a UID greater than 200K or so, and it'd be nothing but 20yr experts in IT dropping rugged after rugged of tremendously insightful analysis. If you had a similar filter here it'd likely have the the opposite effect.
mrgoldenbrown 10mo ago
HN is definitely social media, even if it isn't explicitly labeled as such. Ostensibly Instagram is just a photo sharing site, but we all know it is social media.
gessha 10mo ago
There’s that old joke about how everything with an input form is a social media platform.

This is absolutely social media. And like all addicts, people here loudly proclaim that it's less toxic. Whether or not is it indeed less toxic is up for debate.

direwolf20 10mo ago
It's highly censored.
- potato3732842 10mo ago
  And it has the little Righthink number in the corner that goes up when you make Righthink.
  - JKCalhoun 10mo ago
    Maybe. But that Righthink number has also reminded me when I am being too combative (trollish) online. It's also fun to throw caution to the wind with a "fuck it" and just let your comment fade away after having ranted at the clouds.

BbzzbB 10mo ago

What:s the difference between reddit and HN beyond the form? It seems to be obviously social media to me

direwolf20 10mo ago
The content is also different. Reddit uses AI agents to populate feeds to generate user engagement.
- cons0le 10mo ago
  The main difference is no personalized algorithm ranking content to increase engagement. The algorithm has consumed reels/shorts/tiktok/insta. Being extremely inflammatory is rewarded there.
  - BbzzbB 10mo ago
    Algorithms don't define social medias, it's just the latest iteration from the main ones. Is BeReal not a social media because there's no algorithmic feed?
dooglius 10mo ago
The lack of subreddits is a big difference because it inhibits users coagulating into subgroups. Reddit also allows people to be banned from subreddits by subreddit owners/mods which leads to groupthink more.
- BbzzbB 10mo ago
  HN is one large subreddit with it's own groupthink.

KPGv2 10mo ago

> isn't HN more like professional news/discussion place? I see enough racist and misogynist comments here to know that isn't true. And that's not even considering the low-knowledge comments offered up as expertise. I long for the days of a Slashdot where you could filter out anyone with a UID greater than 200K or so, and it'd be nothing but 20yr experts in IT dropping rugged after rugged of tremendously insightful analysis. (Granted there was also plenty of GNAA frist psot stuff.)

potato3732842 10mo ago
>I long for the days of a Slashdot where you could filter out anyone with a UID greater than 200K or so, and it'd be nothing but 20yr experts in IT dropping rugged after rugged of tremendously insightful analysis. If you had a similar filter here it'd likely have the the opposite effect.

mrgoldenbrown 10mo ago

HN is definitely social media, even if it isn't explicitly labeled as such. Ostensibly Instagram is just a photo sharing site, but we all know it is social media.

gessha 10mo ago

There’s that old joke about how everything with an input form is a social media platform.