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StumbleUpon closing after 16 years, accounts can be migrated to Mix

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Re: StumbleUpon closing after 16 years, accounts can be migrated to Mix

#121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a convenient attitude to have until you don't have the privilege of being so carefree about the potential consequences. That's exactly how Trump got elected - people who were politically apathetic or ill-informed took the bait of a loud 'charismatic' celeb with a message that was perfectly tailored to appeal to those who couldn't be bothered to learn the basic facts.

I totally agree. But where do I draw the line. How heavily invested do I have to get into politics to get over this line you're alluding to, but haven't defined. What about global warming? Space junk? Plant and Animal species becoming extinct etc. I expect you'll say those all tie back to politics and yes, they do to a degree. But having a strong political opinion doesn't suddenly change the world. We have limited ti…

Here are my suggestions for a line:

1. One should participate in representational political processes as a matter of self-interest and civic obligation, even if it's just the absolute bare minimum of voting

2. Pursuant to that obligation, one should take the time to develop at least a basic understanding of the differences between the major political factions so that one's vote is not a completely random choice. Every adult should be able to write 2 gradeschool-level paragraphs comparing and contrasting the general principles and policies thereof.

3. Even if one does neither of the above, one should recognize that normalizing and rationalizing political non-participation is damaging to society if it influences others to do the same, and should thus be avoided.

Sound fair?

Re: StumbleUpon closing after 16 years, accounts can be migrated to Mix

#122
I fondly remember this platform from my college days. At the time I had a girlfriend who was kind of a missmatch for my interests. She was much more focused on athletic pursuits than exploring new types of technology. That all changed when I showed her the StumbleUpon toolbar and site. After a few clicks she realized that it was a lot of fun exploring the Internet randomly.

Thanks for the great memories guys!

Re: StumbleUpon closing after 16 years, accounts can be migrated to Mix

#123
post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most online discussion sites (reddit and HN, for example) focus overwhelmingly on US politics. This is significantly less relevant for the billion-odd people who use the English language internet but do not live in the USA.

He didn't say anything about US politics - he specifically said anything 'slightly political'. Trump is an example of what happens when a critical mass of people adopt that attitude, and it could just as well happen in any other country under the right circumstances (and indeed has many times in the past).

tbh it's the anti-trump crowd who can't help themselves from turning everything to politics.

Re: StumbleUpon closing after 16 years, accounts can be migrated to Mix

#125
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was considering dropping Reddit and going back to StumbleUpon, because I realised that it is very hard to use reddit without making it another filter bubble, which defeats the purpose of information discovery. Plus, the fact that SU doesn't have a toxic comment section makes it better imho. I am sad that it is gone.

Urgh, Reddit is indeed an addictive, toxic timesink of a filter bubble. It reminds me of Slashdot, but on a much larger scale. I have been reflecting on ways to fix it lately. I was imagining something like reddit, but... 1) not completely anonymous / pseudonymous. Maybe a profile photo with you holding a sign with your username for verification (like certain subreddits do), first name, and SMS / phone number verific…

If users are required to show their faces, it would be rather difficult to stop people connecting their various subreddit-specific accounts.

Re: StumbleUpon closing after 16 years, accounts can be migrated to Mix

#126
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate to be that guy, but each subreddit is different. This is arguably the main selling point of reddit vs other link aggregators like facebook. Grouping all into the same toxic culture is throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Unless a subreddit is heavily moderated, I've yet to see one that's gained popularity outside of its core users that didn't turn into a meme/clickbait/karma-motivated cesspool.

There are also niche-topic subreddits, which don't face the overpopularity problem by definition.

But sure, the best subreddits tend to be heavily moderated and/or very niche. Is this really a problem?

Re: StumbleUpon closing after 16 years, accounts can be migrated to Mix

#127
post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Digg is actually pretty good now that it's 100% curated. Killing the community was one of the best moves they could have made.

If their goal was to go from a top 50 website to a top 3000 website they certainly succeeded.

I wouldn't want to confuse popularity with quality.

Reality shows and daytime television are popular, that doesn't make them the best version of the art form.

HN flies a little under the radar. I don't think that's a failing.

Re: StumbleUpon closing after 16 years, accounts can be migrated to Mix

#128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He didn't say anything about US politics - he specifically said anything 'slightly political'. Trump is an example of what happens when a critical mass of people adopt that attitude, and it could just as well happen in any other country under the right circumstances (and indeed has many times in the past).

tbh it's the anti-trump crowd who can't help themselves from turning everything to politics.

Yeah because the Tea Party didn't exist under Pres. Obama. The Birth Certificate truthers exist, Alex Jones, Rush Limbaugh, Anti-Bush, and the No Blood For Oil crowds have existed forever across the spectrum. The only thing that's happened is that the internet has made everyone willing to turn everything into politics louder, less willing to listen, and easier to find an echo chamber. People talk about politics because it's the only thing that's literally relevant to everyone.

Re: StumbleUpon closing after 16 years, accounts can be migrated to Mix

#129

People who have tried using Mix, how's your experience been so far? If you haven't added any friends, is the filter bubble prevented?

I can only view like 4 lists of 13 articles each right now. The website directs you to download an app, which seems to be nothing more than a shortcut to a webpage. When i open the app, there is a banner at the bottom that says, "Get it on Google play".

All in all, Mix seems to be a work in process to me, and not a smooth landing off Stumble

Re: StumbleUpon closing after 16 years, accounts can be migrated to Mix

#130

StumbleUpon was a key driver in traffic to some of my early blog posts. They didn't stay long (compared to search referrals) however the exposure was great.

IIRC, there was no "social" part of the media. It was just random links to other sites. Most of which also had zero social media factor. SU was just curiosity.

The "social" part was that the inventory of links/websites was provided, and voted upon by users.
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