HI've noticed on Threads, Bluesky, and even some apps here on Nostr that I’m shown a lot more content from people I’m not following. This is often due to reposts, quote posts, or just the algorithms at work. While this content can be engaging and spark conversations, it’s often not healthy.
I see people posting obviously or maybe obliviously wrong things, which then get corrected and boosted, creating a vicious cycle. For example, someone mentioned considering a hyphenated name for their kids. I shared how my hyphenated name caused issues with computers, especially with international travel. This led to many calling me a bigot because the original poster was a queer woman. It’s odd because I’m queer myself, but it seems they felt an amab queer shouldn’t share personal experiences directly related to the topic.
I also saw clickbait articles about triathletes vomiting at the end of an Olympic triathlon, blaming it on a polluted river. Yes, the river is polluted, but triathletes often throw up at the end of races, and the swim was two hours before the nausea hit.
These issues occurred on Twitter too, but I didn’t experience it the same way there. I used Twitter daily from the moment Jack invited me and our coworkers onto the service, and for me, the conversations were healthier. I understand that many others had negative experiences, though.
On Nostr, I see zaps often rewarding hot takes and posts that signal membership in one group or another. This seems to exacerbate the issue, as people are incentivized to make posts that cater to specific in-groups rather than fostering genuine dialogue.
My worry is that maybe we’re actually doing worse with the new platforms. Is this something other people are seeing? How do we navigate this and foster healthier online conversations?
