>do you typically feel better or worse after browsing the internet?
I know it's common to say the "internet sucks" but I'll go against the grain and honestly say it's the best resource in my life. I like learning new things and the internet has been #1 tool for that for many decades. I'm speaking as someone who grew up with public libraries with paper card catalogs and looking at archives of microfiche for old newspapers.
Learning anything like coding, how to repair cars and random things around the house. Learning about places to travel to. Basically learning about any topic. The vastness of the internet is superior to the physical books I used to buy from Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
I think one of the reasons I don't have a negative opinion overall about the internet is that I've never sought friendships or "connection" on the web. Therefore, it's not an aspect that let me down. Maybe an analogy would be the perspective traders would have about the Bloomberg Terminal. It's just an information tool. They don't seek any "social connection" on the Bloomberg Terminal so there's no disappointment that makes the users conclude "Bloomberg Terminals suck". That's what The Internet is to me -- a general all-purpose "Bloomberg Terminal".
It may surprise some to hear that the biggest source of negativity I'm exposed to on the internet is actually here on HN. I'm not joking. I don't read news websites so my daily dose of negativity comes from HN comments.
mapotofu · 35s ago
In the authors plan the internet is still intricately tied to media consumption.
> use Amazon to buy books (vs Google to query words) when i get curious
Go to the library?
rglover · 26m ago
> some may argue it’s worth bifurcating the internet into “digitized content” and “bad ideas by people full of sh*t.” but these days they overlap so much i wonder if that’s a distinction without a difference. and labels aside: do you typically feel better or worse after browsing the internet?
This is the key realization: "do I need to feel this bad right now?" Over the last say...5-10 years, the negativity has grown to a point where interacting with anyone via the internet has become a net negative ROI.
That's really sad because I remember the "before" internet. It was much better, far more supportive/encouraging, and the majority of the people were genuinely interested in the topic your circles focused on. That led to real relationships forming both on and off the internet and having some form of support system that actually gives a shit.
Now? It's a lot of antagonistic, empty, directionless noise. The only way to survive psychologically is to avoid it, more or less, and only engage on occasion.
Atlas667 · 15m ago
Ah, this is what i come to Hacker News for: out-of-touch rich people figuring out how to escape the influence created by out-of-touch rich people.
I agree in general tho. There are billions of us subject to this private facade of public platforms. This is by design, the Internets possibilities are engineered into place.
Barrin92 · 8m ago
>my first child is due in a couple months and it’s difficult to imagine tweeting as a parent. why would i argue with a childless blue haired atheist about Islam’s (in)compatibility with Western values? why would i tolerate The Algorithm showing me prostitutes on my social media feed? have we lost our mind? [...] i’m bringing back the 90s.
Bringing up this example of all cases made me a bit curious so I found this piece from a month ago[1] and it gives some context. Ryan, you will never guess who hung out with prostitutes!
There's certainly a lot of malicious stuff on the internet but the desire for an internet full of like-minded people out of a gated community strikes me a bit odd. If you hate weird argumentative people the 90s internet wouldn't have been for you.
If all you want is be around people who think the same thoughts, with an oddly elitist and judgemental touch to boot, I think leaving the internet is the only option.
I know it's common to say the "internet sucks" but I'll go against the grain and honestly say it's the best resource in my life. I like learning new things and the internet has been #1 tool for that for many decades. I'm speaking as someone who grew up with public libraries with paper card catalogs and looking at archives of microfiche for old newspapers.
Learning anything like coding, how to repair cars and random things around the house. Learning about places to travel to. Basically learning about any topic. The vastness of the internet is superior to the physical books I used to buy from Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
I think one of the reasons I don't have a negative opinion overall about the internet is that I've never sought friendships or "connection" on the web. Therefore, it's not an aspect that let me down. Maybe an analogy would be the perspective traders would have about the Bloomberg Terminal. It's just an information tool. They don't seek any "social connection" on the Bloomberg Terminal so there's no disappointment that makes the users conclude "Bloomberg Terminals suck". That's what The Internet is to me -- a general all-purpose "Bloomberg Terminal".
It may surprise some to hear that the biggest source of negativity I'm exposed to on the internet is actually here on HN. I'm not joking. I don't read news websites so my daily dose of negativity comes from HN comments.
> use Amazon to buy books (vs Google to query words) when i get curious
Go to the library?
This is the key realization: "do I need to feel this bad right now?" Over the last say...5-10 years, the negativity has grown to a point where interacting with anyone via the internet has become a net negative ROI.
That's really sad because I remember the "before" internet. It was much better, far more supportive/encouraging, and the majority of the people were genuinely interested in the topic your circles focused on. That led to real relationships forming both on and off the internet and having some form of support system that actually gives a shit.
Now? It's a lot of antagonistic, empty, directionless noise. The only way to survive psychologically is to avoid it, more or less, and only engage on occasion.
I agree in general tho. There are billions of us subject to this private facade of public platforms. This is by design, the Internets possibilities are engineered into place.
Bringing up this example of all cases made me a bit curious so I found this piece from a month ago[1] and it gives some context. Ryan, you will never guess who hung out with prostitutes!
There's certainly a lot of malicious stuff on the internet but the desire for an internet full of like-minded people out of a gated community strikes me a bit odd. If you hate weird argumentative people the 90s internet wouldn't have been for you.
If all you want is be around people who think the same thoughts, with an oddly elitist and judgemental touch to boot, I think leaving the internet is the only option.
[1] https://www.ryanckulp.com/are-you-my-people/