I wasn't active online for the end of MySpace or Digg, but just given their nature and a general idea of how things went, it seems pretty different from reddit. For reddit, there hasn't been a better option come forward, like happened with Facebook. A main component of reddit is the sheer number of users, which means that places like us here or voat will need to really swell in ranks before they offer a real alternative. Reddit's uniqueness, I think, also means what it's going through is unlikely to happen to Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter. Those all, like Hubski, rely largely pans direct consumer interaction, through focusing on individuals and rely mainly on sharing on an individual level to 'move' content. Reddit, on the other hand, is grouped up by common interests, and has relatively limited social interaction due to it's voting process. One can vote on a reddit post without commenting, without sharing that you did, and without any interaction with the poster. If we take Hubski for example, since I'm most familiar with it, 'voting' for a post actually shares it (like Facebook or Tumblr), meaning it is visible to your followers and potential followers. When compared to other social media sites, reddit is built in just such a way that a sudden mass exodus is possible, just as a user protest against the administration is also possible. Also, I doubt it would happen because reddit serves a very different function than Facebook or Twitter. Not only is it anonymous, but it also isn't focused on direct social interaction with real world friends. The focus is so much more on the content, it is, after all, 'the front page of the internet,' that people can leave and find other sources quite easily, while places like Hubski can provide a similar interaction for those who desire that, though generally on a smaller scale. Finally, I hope the Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, &c... execs are watching Pap and what is going on for a good idea of what not to do.
One of the things I love about Hubski's "voting" system is that your vote history is literally shown. That means you can't anonymously share things, which will discourage discussions like you see on Reddit such as Fat People Hate. No one with a good head and a good heart would participate in such discussions. Those who at least want to appear to have a good head and a good heart will be hesitant to share something that will put them in a poor light. It's this second effect that will further help to facilitate healthy, thoughtful conversations.
Having just come here I'm impressed with the way it handles anonymity whilst maintaining the elements of personal interaction common in everyday life. To be respected on a community like Hubski you have to wisely choose how to state and voice your opinions because if you start spouting pointless or ruthless words people will mute you. This is common in everyday life. Frequently I'll avoid discussions with people because the things they say are pointless, annoying, illogical etc.... To be respected on Hubski as in real life you have to be an active communicator. Responding to the individuals around you with intelligent and thought out points. I'm glad to be here. This is the type of community I've always wanted. Quick question... Is there any post, besides the short tutorial, which could give me the essential basics of Hubski? Thanks,
Shefster
Welcome Shefster! Check out the primer page: https://hubski.com/primer Beyond that just let me know if you have any questions
But isn't this pretty much how Tumblr works now (vote=repost on your tumblr)? There doesn't seem anything implicit in this scheme that will directly lead to thoughtful conversations... It seems more like a function of the community rather than the vote system (/r/AskHistorians is a good example)
The site you are seeing now is the result of nearly 5 years of effort. We have implemented new features and retracted some too along the way all I service of building a site and a community that could foster thoughtful discussion. That said, we are not a static site, meaning that if we find there is a better way to facilitate our goals, we will employ them. More often than not these "better ways" come directly from the community. My suggestion is to check out our primer use the site for a while and then let us know what you think. The sharing mechanism here is more akin to Twitter than it is reddit. For sure. Welcome!
It's like a mix of Reddit and Twitter and I love it :) I get the discussion of Reddit (small sub discussion at least) while having the connected feeling of twitter without having to reveal any personal information. Love what you're doing here!
Thank you Pete, that's really nice to hear. I hope you stick around and do let us know if you have any questions or suggestions. Cheers!
Well the thing is, it's not really "voting." You're actually sharing. When you share a post, it brings it to light on the feed of any person that is following you. That way, people of like minds and like passions can discover things together. So it's not really re-posting per se, but spreading the word.
Yes, and AFAIK, sharing-on-your-feed is exactly what Tumblr's system is, and that hasn't exactly turned out to be a bastion of... anything, really. If Hubski seems good so far, it seems more likely because of the community than any underlying system. I like the community, but things like the prevention of insular groups(and the resulting brigading) is legitimately hard... How is hubski's system equipped to handle these problems? (Edit: just to be clear, I don't intend this to be snarky, I'm legitimately curious about this problem. Reading through the primer now.)
I think it's mostly a function of the looseness of the "groups" of Hubski. Since there aren't subreddits, posts get grouped by poster/sharer, tags, and badged. Basically instead of walling off groups from one another Hubski lets each person define their own content groupings. You're sort of your own mod on Hubski, deciding what and who you want to see more or less of. Things that most people don't care for can/will be filtered and trolls/spambots just end up talking to each other, if anyone. Even though you don't necessarily see the same posts as everyone else Hubski gives more of a feeling of a singular community rather than many fragmented ones IMO.