Tell HN: The issues of Twitter are not a technical problem to solve

All the problems you listed can be solved though. In fact, HN is a good demonstration of it. Its policy decisions have largely led to one of the last bastions on the internet that still seem sane.

The issue is how a social media product can solve the problems above and be a growing, profitable company. HN does not have a direct profit motive nor does it need to grow exponentially to satisfy investors.

Personally I don’t believe it’s possible because as long as engagement is optimized, extremity will always be preferred.

I disagree. Your points aren't necessarily wrong, but they ignore one big factor. Twitter chooses what content to promote to people.

I could use Twitter quite happily not knowing about the latest "scandal" in, say, the knitting world. But Twitter actively promotes that content to me - either with the "trending" sidebar or by showing me content that it thinks will increase my engagement.

That is a technical problem. How do you surface engaging content without also surfacing harmful / polarising / abusive content?

If a specific Tweet got a million likes, a "neutral" algorithm might choose to promote it. But unless that algorithm knows that the Tweet is deliberately inflammatory, it can't choose to de-prioritise it.

So, yes, there is a problem with human nature. But it is being exacerbated by deliberate technical and policy choices.

> No amount of algorithms can improve human behavior on any platform

Humans aren't yet computers, so algorithms are (obviously) not directly relevant to them.

But in the general sense, that clam is wrong. Human behavior is amenable to rules, incentives and social pressure, and technical tools have found a role in shaping that since the dawn of civilization. From simple technology such as voting down to the most oppressive algorithmic surveillance state, algorithms can be used to influence and control human behavior or enforce rules.

> It's more of a personal, interpersonal and a social problem which needs extensive research, surveys to find the "why" and how we might be able to fix it or avoid it from happening again.

You are right about it not being a technology problem, but what you are describing there is how you approach a technical problem.

You are never going to solve it that way. In fact it might never be solved, because the issue is politics, it’s people intentionally wanting to game the systems to influence masses and get their way.

No amount of research and surveys to “find the why” will allow you to “fix” it or “avoid it from happening again”.

Certain parts of non-US twitter were "polarized" enough to start the Arab Spring, the Orange Revolution in Ukraine (leading to its current situation), and it seems that through social media of some sort Iran is currently undergoing a revolt against its own morality police. A huge part of Twitter's popularity and success is linked to its role in coordinating anti-authoritarian action.