I assumed that since someone muted a user, they'd rather the user's previous comments be less featured. Maybe that was a poor assumption.

Considering the screams of unholy terror when I deleted a couple days' worth of comments in a fit of pique, I'd say it was a poor assumption. And that was 2011, when we still sorta had a community. It was also before everybody under the sun started using Hubski to link to their blog. What we have now is bloggers who can not only censor comments on their blog, they can censor comments on links to their blog. Which would be fine, except we've got so many users who are happy to share pseudointellectual blogs that in the end you're left with a circlejerk self-reinforcement of the unexamined life.

I recall a comment recently where you basically told people that they needed to be the change they want to see. Do you feel that's not possible? Serious question, no snark.

Serious answer, no snark:

You reach a point where it isn't worth the trouble.

Y'all oughtta see what the discussions in /mods50k or /defaultmods look like. It's the redditors who were most of the content in 2008, 2009, 2010, who aren't really mixing it up on Reddit anymore but are still keeping the lights on. So there we are, all the old, big, "power user" names, who have become literal power users because it's the only thing worth bothering with anymore.

The discussions elswhere have become repetitive, meaningless and tedious. The arguments become facile. Everyone around you is busily being outraged over stuff you worked through ten years ago. The content is stuff that dates back to PHPBB days. So you farmville it up - you kill spam in the queue and you ban reported links and you move on with your day, your "reddit fix" satisfied without having to interact with a single person. You might as well be playing Bingo.

My experience here - "huh. A question. I shared my answer six months ago." "Huh. An erroneous conclusion. I could chime in, but that would be breaking the circlejerk." "Huh. A link that's been resoundingly disproven on three other online communities already. I'd link to those discussions but why bother?"

In order to "be the change" you have to beat a dead horse. Nobody likes that, least of all the horse. The last three "discussions" I've had on Hubski were

them) I have an opinion that I like enough for it to be fact.

me) But it's opinion, not fact. Here's a bunch of facts that disprove your opinion.

them) I disagree. My opinion is very compelling.

me) …but not factual.

them) but my opinion is popular. Also, you're not listening.

me) …because you keep repeating your opinion. I'm done here.

them) That's because you're a doodyhead. Fortunately I'm much too nice to call you one. Also, muted!

So even when you put forth the effort to "be the change" you're erased like an errant blog comment.

I see what you are saying about loss of global granularity. But I think there's a better solution to be had than what we had going.

And this is what frustrates the fuck out of me. This is why it gets harder and harder and harder for me to care. You don't ask anyone else, you try something and if it doesn't work, you go "oops."

I know you worship Paul Graham. I know you adore Jeff Atwood. But lemme tell ya - coders suck ass at people. There's this idea among them that "you wrote the code, therefore YOU ARE GOD." Fuck everything about that. Your code reinforces with every move it makes that the contribution of the user matters… and then you go and change shit because I AM GOD and it throws it all in the shitter. Message from website: "content matters." Message from website admins: "fuck the users."

Community sites are fragile, yo. They're chockablock with opinions. Yet CODERS DON'T GIVE A FUCK.

- How many people asked for lists?

- How many people helped puzzle out the implementation?

- How easy is it going to be to remember how to use it?

Vs.

- How many people know markup?

- How many problems does it solve?

- How seamless is it compared to your cobbled-together language?

Yet your solution for a common problem is to force me, the user, to learn your language, because YOU ARE GOD.

Eventually, it all boils down to the same problem: constant reminders that this ain't my playground. And when you're being pulled in five directions where you actually matter, it gets easier and easier to walk away.

Serious answer, no snark:

All the change I want to see can be erased at a whim with no discussion or explanation, so what the fuck is the point of even trying?