[narski]

Yeah, the death of comments sections really signified the end of Web 2.0 as something people eagerly believed in, rather than just a stagnant reality we're all trapped in. And they didn't die quietly - the real "Aslan slays the White Witch moment" happened when both major browsers removed the Dissenter extension, which allowed users to read and write comments on websites. These comments were shared among all users, and of course, sites couldn't censor them. Oh no! Luckily, now we're all safe from having the option to read uncensored comments, phew.

I don't endorse Dissenter, however, I do think it's death coincided with a vibe shift. Before that, there was kind of a left-libertarian vibe on the internet. Even banning obviously horrendous content would be met with hordes of "muh freeze peach" outrage from greasy web bois. It feels like the state and media managed to collaborate against big tech to reign them in as a competing power.

I say "feels like" because I have no idea what I'm talking about. Take everything I've said as seriously as you'd take "What if we are just really advanced NPCs and the whole universe is a video game for aliens" lol.

My point is, I miss comments sections (and I guess, that I project my nostalgia onto weakly evidenced conspiracy theories about the machinations of the state)

[kjellsbells]

One could also argue that the unification of "commenting" under a small number of giant frameworks (reddit, disqus, facebook etc) contributed.

Back in the day you'd go on to a bulletin board for, oh I dont know, Volkswagens, and talk with a few thousand people. And your tone and style would be reflective of the culture of that specific site.

Now when people go to comment, they are using mass tools like FB or Reddit that bring their own culture to how commenters should act. For example, Facebook's comment culture, which injects politics into every conceivable discussion, now infects any site that allows comments using Facebook.

[rustcleaner]

I find many of the problems with online social organization are isomorphic to real life social organization. It is cathartic as a libertarian to watch the centralized internet structures play out exactly like the current and historical real life organizational structures do, but at a much accelerated rate!

[rustcleaner]

Dissenter must be revived somehow. Narratives are the 21st century theater of war and right now infrastructure is winning.