Re:Polis: Open-source platform for large-scale civic deliber...
by kipukun on Thursday February 12, 2026 @08:02PM
(#46997597)
I'd like to add to your point that private torrent trackers have had invite tree systems for awhile, and usually if your invitee breaks a rule, you get in trouble as well, so you are encouraged to only invite people you trust. The system has worked well for a long time, and some of these communities still thrive because of the trust that is built.
Re:Polis: Open-source platform for large-scale civic deliber...
by cosmic_cheese on Thursday February 12, 2026 @10:45PM
(#46998679)
It might be an unpopular idea, but I think being somewhat liberal with doling out timeouts and bans for inflammatory/reactionary/overemotional posting would do a lot of good, too. It strongly crystalizes community norms and sends a message that this is a space to engage with the higher functioning portions of your brain instead of letting your amygdala and dopamine pathways take the wheel.
Edit: Why is parent comment flagged/dead? Doesn’t seem that controversial?
Re:Polis: Open-source platform for large-scale civic deliber...
by em-bee on Friday February 13, 2026 @08:41PM
(#47010543)
the account was taken over by a bot. see the discussion here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46998432
what's interesting about polis's approach is that it surfaces agreement clusters instead of amplifying disagreement. most comment systems optimize for engagement, which in practice means conflict. if you optimize for "where do people actually agree despite appearing to disagree" you get a completely different dynamic.
the invite-tree idea someone mentioned below is interesting for the same reason: it's not just that it keeps bots out, it's that it creates social accountability. you're more thoughtful when your reputation is linked to the people you invited. same principle as why small communities tend to self-moderate better than large ones.