Where have all the conversations gone?

Question

I'm starting to feel as though the web has become 'emptier' over the past few years. Blogs are still about but comment sections don't (imo) really make for good conversation. HN is one of my staples but it's similar in that often there are some good threads but there's not a lot of actual conversation flow - most comments are one-offs.Reddit feels hollowed out, even subs I used to follow with 500,000+ members aren't vibrant anymore. Twitter is just people yelling at each other (or into the void).There are invite only Slacks & Discords, I'm a member of a few but they often feel very haphazard.Where are you finding rich, rewarding conversations on the web these days? Has everything moved to Zoom rooms? I feel I might have missed the memo ** I am aware there is real life, but obviously this year has put a bit of a dampener on that. I've also been working remote for virtually the whole year.

lucideer · Accepted Answer

All I can say is, I can highly recommend https://www.scuttlebutt.nz/ &mdash; in my experience, conversation is very much still alive there.In the age of FAANG's dominance on the web, it's perhaps the case that the trend is to seek alternative (non-web-based) spaces.

Gravityloss · Answer

Twitter is too aggressive. The same happened with newsgroups back in the day.I think moderated forums are the future.

newyorker2 · Answer

Selective moderation and any kind of "leanings" at the level of the medium-provider tends to inhibit people from talking. I know, shocker. Once about a time, the web was about people and connections. Now, it's inching towards being about ideologies.

Where have all the conversations gone?

All I can say is, I can highly recommend https://www.scuttlebutt.nz/ — in my experience, conversation is very much still alive there.
In the age of FAANG's dominance on the web, it's perhaps the case that the trend is to seek alternative (non-web-based) spaces.

Twitter is too aggressive. The same happened with newsgroups back in the day.
I think moderated forums are the future.

Selective moderation and any kind of "leanings" at the level of the medium-provider tends to inhibit people from talking. I know, shocker. Once about a time, the web was about people and connections. Now, it's inching towards being about ideologies.