As far as I know, it is the only "social network" that allows you to grow intellectually through participation.
This describes Wikipedia more than HN.
This describes Wikipedia more than HN.
I am not a weightlifter, but I'd occasionally visit that sub just because of how welcoming and supportive it was.
HN actually is a social network.
You upvote stories on Hacker News and Reddit, as opposed to following people
Maybe we should all stop trying to narrowly class what's allowed to be a social network?
https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/industry-regulation/soci...
"Services including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube meet many of the conditions the legislation uses to define an ‘age-restricted social media platform’.
[snip...blah blah]
Over the coming weeks, eSafety will have more to say about the platforms it considers must comply with the minimum age obligations."
So they are going to start with the big obvious ones and then keep trying to follow the trail of where teens flee to online.
'Tis a silly thing.
Its not an age-restricted social media platform, under the legislation, because its introducing age restrictions on its social media platform.
I just...
"Earlier" could be anything from Usenet to forums etc that were based around topics. Your view of content was based around the topics you selected. You followed topics.
A social network was where you connected with other people, and your view of content was based around who those people were and their activity. You followed people not topics.
That's definition I'm sticking to, and why I don't regard reddit or HN as a social network. Although on HN doesn't really have topic following functionality, you just select topics on the fly.
Like, its not following exactly per se but it was a discussion outside of the post itself which was about python. And it was great.
I feel like this could be an example for the parent comment as well as how I personally feel like HN is more social networky than say wikipedia but not at twitter or trad social media level I guess.
Does it? Modern Wikipedia is OK, I suppose, but I feel its glory days are far behind it. It's so gated. And any time I try to participate, it's like walking through waist deep mud. I almost feel it forces you to shrink to participate.
Maybe I keep trying to edit long-standing articles, which have custodians that feel ownership over the content? And you're editing articles with less gatekeeping?
I frankly don't even try any more. I've heard the same from others.
Facebook was a social network even when the barrier to entry was “must have gotten in to an elite school”.
I was specifically addressing the conjoined "intellectual growth + participation" claim, by saying the 'growth' wasn't there. I even joked that it feels you're shrinking intellectually, to participate.