Re:As internet forums die off, finding community can be hard...
by hinkley on Friday November 20, 2020 @02:49AM
(#25158189)
Like most things in life, not all growth is a good thing. But not only are the growth people in charge, a lot of the seed money comes from people who only care about explosive growth. So there we are.
It’s the low barriers to entry that cause a lot of problems. Some people solve that with money. It takes very little of it to dissuade spammers. But you can substitute other barriers too, like expertise. Criminals have the Dark Web to lurk about in. What would you call the equivalent but for white hats?
Re:As internet forums die off, finding community can be hard...
by ArcMex on Thursday November 19, 2020 @08:05PM
(#25156331)
I remember it took 8 months for NeoGAF to approve my account back in college. By the time I was a member, I was putting a lot more thought into my posts and replies.
One downside is that if you feel what you have to say isn't smart enough, you might miss out on an a conversation that could go interesting places.
I wonder if the problem is just that the barrier to entry is lower now than it once was? Eternal September, Sturgeon's Law, and all that.
I mean, there's plenty of "shiny (or rusty) new tool" posts on the machinery forum, but folks usually manage to turn any such thread into a nerd-fest regardless. That seems to promote a culture that dissuades shallow interaction. I'm going to contradict my previous point and wonder instead if part of the issue is growing a community at a rate that allows new users to take over the culture without understanding the existing norms.
But hey, I'm talking out my butt here. I'd love your take from the admin side.