Hello, Hubski! Will you have me? Like some of the other users here, I too miss the older Reddit. I have been a user over there since about 2010 and have watched it change substantially over the years, mostly in negative ways that have stripped the site of its focus on useful content and discussion. I've witnessed its shift from a portal of communities to a portal built on community manipulation. With each passing year, the look, the feel, and the experience has shifted towards more easily digestible content and the interface towards memes and images rather than information -- a trend that has taken a major step forward in recent days. And don't get me started on the trolling and negativity that has experienced quite the surge in the last couple years. I've started feeling like most of the site is in a race to the bottom for some reason (with the exception of some very interesting and informative subreddits). And it looks like this is by design rather by accident. This combination of issues has left me wanting to find a better online community, a process that has been ongoing for quite some time. I tried to give Voat a go, but I'm guessing you can surmise how that went down :/ (I am apparently a "deep-state cuck nosed jew" according this very vocal gentleman and his dedicated team of like-minded friends -- whatever that means, lol). As far as Hubski, I have been tangentially aware of the site's existence since 2015 when I saw it mentioned on a forum, and in recent months I have been lurking around the fringes, stopping in on occasion to find a bit of news, or to read some comments, but, until now I hadn't taken the step of joining and learning the finer details of the site or how the community/system works. So far, Hubski, with its focus on quality and discussion seems to be the closest in terms of what I am looking for in an online community. I hope as I learn the mechanics of the site that this will prove to be true! I suspect it will! Anyhow, I am looking forward to our time together and hope that we are both bettered because of our interactions! Thank you, and does anyone happen to have any pointers for someone just starting out?
It's a relatively small site. This impacts conversations in a few ways. Two ways which you don't see in other sites are A) When you see heated arguments, it's not because we're all being anonymous jerks to each other. It's because we know each other well enough that two people can vehemently disagree in one thread and heartily agree in another thread. You'll still get some conversations that go too far from time to time, that might lead to hurt feelings, but they're very much a rarity around here. Because it's a small site and because of that dynamic, if you find that there's someone you just butt heads with often, it's best to exercise some self restraint and interact with them on the minimum. B) Don't be surprised if it takes days for a conversation to unfold. For example, I might make a comment, get a response from someone, and might not respond back for hours and sometimes even days. For that matter, thread necromancy and referring back to threads that are literally years old is a normal thing around here.Thank you, and does anyone happen to have any pointers for someone just starting out?
I just got blocked by a user for the first time. I found out because I was told I was silenced on another post by them that I encountered; a post which I found interesting, I still shared the post, it was worth sharing. All I did was try to point out their misunderstanding of an article. Can I ask if this is normal and if I have somehow violated a community rule? Sorry to take up your time, but you are my first encounter and a lifeline to the culture here. It wasn't my intention to drive the user off, nor insult them, it was quite an angry response I received. Any pointers?
Moderation is done by one's own hand on Hubski. The ability following, un-following, or muting tags extends to users alongside a couple more features. That said, I would hope others take agency into their own hands when it comes to curating their feed and what they want to get out of the site. Is it normal? It can happen. Did you violate any community rule? Nope, someone merely thought it wasn't worth the time for whatever the reason may be.Can I ask if this is normal and if I have somehow violated a community rule?
Okay. First of all, don't sweat it too much. It happens from time to time and some users are quicker to use block than others. Some use it liberally, while others rarely use it, if ever. Me personally, I only use it on overt, unashamed trolls (of which we get pretty much none of). Second, kantos and keifermiller both jumped in and commented in the time it took me to hunt down a single video. If anything, that should illustrate this place is pretty inviting, so don't let a single negative experience discourage you. If it helps, I personally think some of your comments are well thought out and I'm interested to see what you have to say down the road. Lastly, watch that video up there real when you're done reading this post. It's a pretty good metaphor for what you're experiencing right now. You're like that warthog. You're in a new environment, and not only are you getting used to your surroundings, you're also getting to know the residents and they're getting to know you. Know why it's such a great metaphor for this place? Because that Savannah exhibit is full of different animals and here, with the exception of a few common traits, we're actually really diverse. We have people from different countries, different classes, different ages, and different education levels all mixing it up. Even with such a small site where we know each other relatively well, with such a diverse user base sometimes signals get crossed. It's normal.
Sometimes, it just goes with the territory. rd95's point A is on point, but is probably skewed towards our experiences versus yours as a newcomer: - Emphasis on "know each other well enough": the communal give and take is built up over time as people get to know you. pubski is one main of the spaces on the site where that can happen. - Also, I'd place emphasis on "best to exercise some self restraint". Often, people will tell you when you are stepping on toes. Once you step on toes, everyone has different thresholds for how long they will let the situation go before using the moderation tools. One of the distinguishing features of the site versus reddit is that hubski is built around decentralized moderation (with an on-again-off-again exception for spam). Everyone is responsible for ensuring that the site remains enjoyable for their own use. The site won't run if no one has fun. What constitutes as "fun" varies. Sometimes you get blocked.
Thank you for the response, and I will keep these tips in mind! Have a good day!