I think your observations are accurate. I've also noticed the problem, and that private-ish group conversations like WhatsApp groups and small Discord servers are so much better than Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and co. The only problem is discoverability -- because groups like these are private, it's very hard to discover the ones you'd like to join.

I'm currently working on an early-stage startup on this space, and we're specifically trying to solve the discoverability problem while keeping the group chats themselves small and private (or at least private enough). Do you think you could see yourself using something like this?

Discoverability is an anti-feature. Small groups are good because they have a small number of long term users who you get to know. Everyone is less inclined to troll because they are emotionally invested in the group and being on good terms with other users.

How you end up in these groups is you either get invited by real life friends or you hang around in a big public group for a while, make friends with people who will then invite you to these smaller groups.

Because users have to be invited rather than just finding the group on a search page, the users are of higher quality and share similar interests.

> Do you think you could see yourself using something like this?

Myself personally, probably not. I mentioned I tend a bit towards grumpy isolationism, that's very much the truth.

I will participate in communities I stumble on, but can't see myself seeking them out.

That being said, if I were seeking a community, I could definitely see myself using a service like that.

We should start a new board for grumpy isolationists. You only get to join if you'd really rather not be bothered.