Some (few) humans are just bad. They either are intentionally destructive, or can’t into a healthy discussion, which includes ignoring bad actors. The key feature that HN community has managed to retain somehow, as far as I see, is its ability to avoid being provoked too much. Old school mailing lists I was subscribed to sometimes had people who were apparently mentally ill, and still no ban was required to deal with their messages. You see it, you move on.
Screwed communities are screwed not by few bad actors (which live everywhere), but by the attention that users gift to them for free. By normal people you live or work with. Forum literacy is the key, and it’s not built into everyone by default.
Imagine a forum for doctors to discuss new treatments and everyone can join in, soon it'd be r/AskDoc and of almost no value to actual doctors
It wouldn’t, if every doctor there knows that they have to react with “Sorry, this forum is not for this kind of advice. But you can try these reputable sites: … to ask this question”. And similarly to attempts of other users to answer right there. Or, if not sure, to just stay silent.
Iow, community gets ruined when it effectively stops being a community and turns into a no-one-concerned bazaar.
Screwed communities are screwed not by few bad actors (which live everywhere), but by the attention that users gift to them for free. By normal people you live or work with. Forum literacy is the key, and it’s not built into everyone by default.
Imagine a forum for doctors to discuss new treatments and everyone can join in, soon it'd be r/AskDoc and of almost no value to actual doctors
It wouldn’t, if every doctor there knows that they have to react with “Sorry, this forum is not for this kind of advice. But you can try these reputable sites: … to ask this question”. And similarly to attempts of other users to answer right there. Or, if not sure, to just stay silent.
Iow, community gets ruined when it effectively stops being a community and turns into a no-one-concerned bazaar.