[pooloo]

That was pretty much any IRC community

[beardedwizard]

For sure, and still is in many cases. I'm used to it tbh, but the HN community has plenty of folks who don't understand and have no need to tolerate or adapt to that kind of stimulus.

[psychphysic]

There were always elitist channels but they'd be invite only.

The rest you could lurk in however much you wanted.

[stevehawk]

lol, been in #linux in the last.. say.. twenty years?