Lemmy probably feels like Reddit when it first started, all warm cuddly and friendly to newcomers eager to discuss and collaborate around central topics.
Lemmy probably feels like Reddit when it first started, all warm cuddly and friendly to newcomers eager to discuss and collaborate around central topics.
I joined reddit on the tailwind, so it was all echo chamber, we hate newcomers, gatekeeping, automod frenzy, too many rulebreakers, too many rules, etc I could be wrong, but thats what I imagine it used to be like.
I was on Reddit since almost the beginning and I would not say it's similar, but I also don't think that culture exists on the internet anymore, closest thing might be tildes?
What I really miss is the intelligent conversion and actual debate in the comments. People don't really lay out arguments anymore, complete with sources and logical conclusions. Back in the early days of Reddit you'd be downvoted and told off if you made a claim without evidence. Anecdotal evidence, speculation, and bias were called out. There were still jokes and light comment sections, but comments aiming to make a point were essays where you could actually learn something. Might sound exhausting to some, but it feels like the internet has turned into just upvoting whatever confirms your bias, whether there's evidence of it or not. I'm sure you can find some excellent examples in the old r/bestof posts.
The content was a lot different too, the community was just a lot more scientific. Studies were posted over articles, and clickbait articles (before they were even clickbait) were called out as not having substantial content or evidence. Even studies were heavily scrutinized by identifying the bias in the methodology.
There were a lot less communties (subreddits) too, which I think lead to healthier discussion overall and less of an echo chamber effect. It was still always criticized as being a "hive mind", but it felt less like one to me back then anyways.
I guess overall it feels like the main difference is everything nowadays is meant to radicalize you, or get a reaction out of you. Back in the day if something political or scientific was being shared it was shared with the intention of changing minds, not confirming bias.
Anyways, that's my old person rant. I'm probably looking at it all through rose tinted nostalgia glasses, but there's definitely been a shift in how we communicate on the internet for better or for worse.
I don't know, I'm a pretty left leaning person. The vitriolic, almost violent responses to some of my comments is shocking. I knew Lemmygrad was a thing here, along with tankies, honestly it's off putting to say the least. OP talks about Reddit being an echo chamber. I got news for you. This place is just as bad for lefty type discourse being regurgitated. My experience is that it has been anything but friendly.
I was around when reddit first started. There were Nazis. It seemed fine, because Nazis were useless idiots, and people told them to go fuck themselves.
Reddit in 2016 actively helped install a fascist who eventually tried to overthrow American democracy.
Reddit now is a place where "fuck off, Nazi" is punished more reliably and more harshly than being a goddamn Nazi.
This service feels familiar - but not for the reasons I'd like. The fools in charge of every popular instance think scolding "be polite!" and punishing rudeness instead of trolling are a force multiplier for trolls. If you can just keep saying dumb shit until someone says a no-no word - they get the boot, and you win.
I want a forum where "here is why you're an asshole" is moderated based on whether the explanation is correct.
I'd say less so. There wasn't much by way of disinformation campaigns and bots back when Reddit first started so the posts and comments felt more genuine and organic. Even with Kbin/Lemmy being much smaller, there's still a ton of weird shit that gets posted here or comments that feel really suspicious. It would be nice for that kind of environment to make its way back, but it seems those days are over.
Honestly the lack of content helps people mellow out.
I like the fact that I'm not doom scrolling and being fed rage bait by algorithms. I also like the fact that I'm reasonably sure most people here are actual people and not bots or paid actors.
my experience so far is people are as, if not more toxic then reddit. honestly I feel like half the people here were sick of people blocking them on reddit and decided to attack people with their stupidity here instead.
If you're reading this, please go back to reddit, they need you so much more over there.
This is just how it seems to go, before reddit there was Digg, after Digg went down, everyone went to reddit, now that reddit is going down, people are migrating to alternatives, with Lenmy being the most prominent one right now. I think Lemmy's ability to have multiple instances will help cement its popularity though
I'm not sure, i made a comment on the controversy over linus tech tips, basically there may have been miscommunication and we should wait and see before demonising anyone. But people took what i said the wrong way and downvoted me to eternity. It was quite depressing. I didn't say anyone was wrong or anyone was right. Just stated i'd been in a position before where people misunderstood my intentions so i understand how easily it can happen.
The concept you're describing is called Eternal September and happens to all web services that get popular enough.
My Brother in Christ any online community will have toxicity as long as it has people
"cuddly and friendly" aren't the words I'd use, but I suppose it is better than the way you can get dog piled on reddit over the most stupid stuff. Also less people tend to accept bigotry here most of the time which is nice.
Still trying to settle into communities for games I hyperfixate on - they aren't very active currently, but perhaps if I put in my own activity it'll bring some of those communities to life, no?
One of the earliest comments on reddit when they enabled commenting was complaining about the addition of commenting-
https://old.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/17913/reddit_now_supports_comments/c51/
Dude fuck reddit. They ban/suspendel accounts for seriously petty shit and then give no recourse and you can't make new accounts. It's absolutely bs. Yes I am bitter but I am glad to have lemmy because it does feel like reddit but I don't feel so gauged by edge lord mods..... Well yet any ways.. got into an argument with a mod they reported me for harassment and I got banned.. I have tried to make new accounts and the get suspended. I tried VPN and then making the accounts and it worked for a bit, but then they suspended me again cause I commented on the sub I got in a fight with the mod on... Such bs
Lemmy feels way more neckbeardy... because it is.
Even if lemmy goes mainstream. I am sure there will be several instances that only federate with each other and not be federated with the rest of the lemmyverse, keeping the vibe lemmy has now and the early reddit vibe. Just have to find these instances and join them.
Yep, Lemmy feels a lot like reddit used to. A couple dozen larger subs, niche stuff in its infancy (but growing), general nerd interests, slows down to a crawl at night until users wake up in the morning.
I love it.
I've encountered more trolls, assholes, and general dickheads here on lemmy than I ever have anywhere else on the Internet, and I've been around for a long time now so that's really saying something.
Idk what's more frustrating: the idiots and assholes themselves or the fact I see threads like this every day talking about how awesome lemmy and everyone around here is (are?).
No...not really. It's just as polarized here as the rest of the internet.
The internet overall is a much more mature place, and basic literacy of using online spaces has grown immensely. I don’t think there is a good way to build new platforms that avoid including everyone these days. No more intrinsic filters due to necessary domain knowledge or access to the internet.
Asynchronous spaces will always be like this moving forward. It seems.
In my opinion, synchronous spaces will continue to grow in popularity due to many factors.
Lemmy can still be useful, federated online spaces are still worth sorting out and building.
Nope, Reddit was very different back then. Lemmy feels no different than Reddit does now.
There are a lot more delicious beans here.
Not. At. All.
My brother, this is exactly what Reddit felt like in the beginning.
So far I share your opinion. So far..
A little bit easier than using the wayback machine:
It's an aggregated increase in technical debt. It's not a rule by any means but it seems to rhyme in the web space, think Digg ,/dot, geocities ,yuku, ezboards.
Nope. Reddit in the early days was a place for free speech. I had a 15 year old account till I left. After about 2016 Reddit went full-Orwellian. And Lemmy.world has carried that tyranny forwards very faithfully. Just try and speak out against the narratives and you'll be silenced quickly. That's not what early Reddit was like AT ALL.