[kethinov]

The comments section on Ars is particularly depressing. I've been posting there for two decades and watched it slowly devolve from a place where thoughtful discussions happened to now just being one of the worst echo chambers on the internet, like a bad subreddit. I've made suggestions over the years in their public feedback surveys to alter their forum software to discourage mob behavior, but they don't seem to be doing anything about it.

[the_biot]

They don't actually publish the comments under the article, only a link. I've long suspected sites doing that are fully aware of how shit the comment section is, and try to hide it from casual viewers while keeping the nutjob gallery happy.

Phoronix comes to mind.

[mbreese]

This goes back a lot farther with Ars. They done this for years because their comments section is driven by forum software. The main conversations happen in the forums. They are then reformatted for a the comment view.

So, their main goal wasn’t to hide the comments, but push people to forums where there is a better format for conversation.

At least that’s how it used to work.

[Sharlin]

Most mainstream news sites around here have by now hidden the comment section somehow, either making it folded by default or just moving it to the bottom of the page below "related news" sections and the like.

[g947o]

Hard agree. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2023/06/meta-debuts-playstati... is an example I remember. The subject matter of the is not controversial (just another Game Pass like subscription), but the comment section is full of -- yes you've guessed it -- Meta BAD! There is absolutely no meaningful discussion of the service itself.

I mostly stopped paying attention to the comment section after that, and Ars in general.

[murderfs]

You see the same sort of thing around here with people complaining about the death of Google Reader on anything that even vaguely mentions Google.

[acdha]

Philosophically I want to agree with you more but Meta is the informational equivalent of RJ Reynolds. They’ve facilitated crime waves (remember all of the hand-wringing about shoplifting which died down when the government went after Facebook marketplace and Amazon?), supported genocide, and elevated some of the worst voices in the world. Giving them more money and social control is a risk which should be discussed.

[raddan]

The switch to their newest forum software seems to discourage any kind of actual conversation. If I recall correctly, the last iteration was also unthreaded, but somehow it was easier for a back-and-forth to develop. Now it is basically just reactions-- like YouTube comments (which, ironically, is actually threaded).

Is HN really the last remaining forum for science and technology conversations? If so... very depressing.

[badgersnake]

> Is HN really the last remaining forum for science and technology conversations?

Honestly, HN isn’t very good anymore either. The internet is basically all trolling, bots and advertising. Often all at once.

Oh and scams, there’s also scams.

[JohnnyMarcone]

lobste.rs is smaller but can have good discussion.

[bsimpson]

I can say that to a certain degree about Hacker News too.

Still often good comments here, but certain topics devolve into a bad subreddit quickly. The ethos of the rules hasn't scaled with the site.

[kotaKat]

They should get rid of the fairly extremely prominent badges of years-on-the-forum and number-of-comments. Maybe that'd help quell some of the echo down, because every comment section on Ars articles is 10+ year old accounts all arguing with each other.

[hed]

I can only conclude it’s what they want at this point

[NetMageSCW]

It is certainly how they moderate.

[mikkupikku]

Try reading Slashdot these days and it's the same story. I stopped reading regularly when cmdrtaco left but still check in occasionally out of misplaced nostalgia or something.. The comment section is like a time capsule from the 00s, the same ideas and arguments have been echoing back and forth there for years, seemingly losing soul and nuance with each echo. Bizarre, and sad.

[dotancohen]

I'd like to subscribe to your newsletter, you insensitive clod.

[archerx]

Yea but doing that would decrease engagement and engagement is the only metric that matters! /s

[ifwinterco]

Yeah it's like a rogues' gallery of terminally online midwits over there