How to have online discussions in 2021?

Question

It used to be that online discussions were civil, you could ask questions and get them answered without snark, or hate. Online forums were for learning and making friends. Nowadays, Hacker News is one of the few places left where speech is somewhat non-partisan, thanks to moderators putting unthinkable hours into it.Is there a way to maintain online discussions going forward in such a way that one does not get flamed, or canceled, or forever blacklisted for having opinions that don&rsquo;t fall in line with main stream?It feels like the only way left is to maintain complete anonymity. To VPN, and rotate user names etc. and so forth.Is there better, less nuclear way to have a discussion without the fear of it backfiring in the worst ways?

jim-jim-jim · Accepted Answer

I don't know if that degree of paranoia necessary, but using a pseudo-anonymous screen name is still the way to go imo. This has the obvious benefit of protecting you against professional retaliation, but it also stops you from approaching every discussion with a careerist, clout-building mindset.
I think the transactional approach to discourse is the root of a lot of psychopathic behavior on social media. Desperate people saying the most absurd shit possible, under their real names, to put themselves on the map in a zero-sum attention game. And then actually being rewarded for it with media appearances, Patreon paypigs, whatever.
Anonymity keeps you humble.