Earlier quoted context omitted.
The fact that HN hasn't been overrun by marketing zombies is why I'm not too worried about its direction. If linkbait titles are the big complaint about submissions, it's a good sign.
But it's a slippery slope, right? It's easier to worry now BEFORE marketing zomboids etc. arrive and bombard us.
Solving The Hacker News Problem
121–130 of 284 posts
Re: Solving The Hacker News Problem
#122Earlier quoted context omitted.
Of that sampling, it hit the apex for me with Jan 2009 page. The Mar 2009 page is when there was an influx, and we started posting Erlang stories as a joke to stem the flow.
That Erlamg screenshot is hilarious. Only one story on the front page didn't have Erlang in the title, why HN had been slow...was it due to the amount of Erlang submissions?
And pg's appeal for sanity: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=512280
Re: Solving The Hacker News Problem
#123Earlier quoted context omitted.
It strikes me that a logical step to prevent #2 is "allow only new contributing members that have been vouched for by n old members". Yes, I'm that elitist. And yes, I'm well aware I probably wouldn't get voted in :) But here's the other part - keep the site open for reading . That means it (hopefully) self-selects for quality, and other people can observe a high-quality discussion.
Do you have any examples of a site where treehousing has improved things?
Then again, Something Awful is $10...
Re: Solving The Hacker News Problem
#124Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do you have any examples of a site where treehousing has improved things?
Metafilter is often cited. They have a $5 fee for accounts. Then again, Something Awful is $10...
These terms are 100% arbitrary and invented an hour ago, but these seem like good definitions.
Re: Solving The Hacker News Problem
#125IMO, a tag system like StackOverflow or Quora seems a good way to go.
Tags concede defeat, fragmenting one dysfunctional community into a whole spectrum of subcommunities. How will we handle the tag for "good enough for '08 Hacker News"?
Re: Solving The Hacker News Problem
#126Earlier quoted context omitted.
Metafilter is often cited. They have a $5 fee for accounts. Then again, Something Awful is $10...
That's clubhousing, not treehousing. Treehousing would be putting social barriers on entry. Clubhousing would be financial. These terms are 100% arbitrary and invented an hour ago, but these seem like good definitions.
Re: Solving The Hacker News Problem
#127I think if we could see random frontpages from days a few years ago, we'd find that the top stories weren't that different, and that there was the same "jack of all trades, master of none" aspect to the site that Alex complains about. It may be that a site whose design spec is to satisfy hackers' intellectual curiosity would necessarily feel that way. Maybe I'll write something to regenerate past front pages, so we c…
It may be that a site whose design spec is to satisfy hackers' intellectual curiosity would necessarily feel that way. As the infamous "How to Become A Hacker" states "The world is full of fascinating problems waiting to be solved"[1]. There is no mention of those problems having to be "deeply technical". I certainly see the tremendous variety of topics that make the homepage of HN as an asset in keeping with the tru…
Bottom line: sure, hackers care about many problems. But that doesn't make up for the poor discussion quality surrounding many non-tech articles here.
Re: Solving The Hacker News Problem
#128Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's clubhousing, not treehousing. Treehousing would be putting social barriers on entry. Clubhousing would be financial. These terms are 100% arbitrary and invented an hour ago, but these seem like good definitions.
Dribbble, then.
It was harder to get rid of them because they knew someone who knew someone, and trying to push them out had a network effect. It might be obvious to someone removed by 3+ levels that a bad element is bad, but the person who invited them might not see it.
Re: Solving The Hacker News Problem
#129Earlier quoted context omitted.
A diff of past front pages would be interesting. Some historical front page entries: 2007AUG15 ~ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/1119991071/ 2008FEB08 ~ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/2250089864/ 2009JAN18 ~ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/3205568708/ 2009MAR12 ~ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/3347109733/ 2010JUN24 ~ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/4728476663
Of that sampling, it hit the apex for me with Jan 2009 page. The Mar 2009 page is when there was an influx, and we started posting Erlang stories as a joke to stem the flow.
Re: Solving The Hacker News Problem
#130The solutions offered are top-down culture modification and just plain don't work. Adapt, and wait for the next HN to come along. You can't stop the train.