I once emailed Steve with some questions about software technology choices and architecture for a new project I was on, in the early days of Reddit, and he replied with some advice.
Listen to Steve Huffman tell the story of how Reddit got started
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Re: Listen to Steve Huffman tell the story of how Reddit got started
#152Earlier quoted context omitted.
Digg changed the way comments were threaded meaning there could be no cogent discussion in threads. I am confident that was the mortal wound to Digg.
I don't think you're wrong. Digg did not understand the core features that users valued. They assumed users would stick around through every monetization abuse they threw at them. Users put up with the "power user" bullshit (paid influencers and astroturfing) because the comments tied to those submissions could be worthwhile. I think digg's fundamental problem was they viewed their user base like a passive audience.…
It seems that most social networks have experienced this, and for those that haven't, it's only a matter of time.
Re: Listen to Steve Huffman tell the story of how Reddit got started
#153I once emailed Steve with some questions about software technology choices and architecture for a new project I was on, in the early days of Reddit, and he replied with some advice.
This is not a obituary (I think?)
Re: Listen to Steve Huffman tell the story of how Reddit got started
#154Re: Listen to Steve Huffman tell the story of how Reddit got started
#155Earlier quoted context omitted.
The entire Internet at the 'fantastic' time of Reddit was very much tilted towards the elite class that could 1. Afford an expensive computer or phone (or have access from University) 2. Afford Internet (and for an added bump of exclusivity add mobile Internet) (or have access from University) 3. Have the time/inclination to put lots of energy into CREATING Internet content (via either a hobby site, or composing well…
> What everyone on Hacker News seems to long for is an Internet limited to 'that class' of people. Yep, that is exactly what I want. I want to be around and interact with other educated people who act in good faith and I don't want to be around uneducated people who act in bad faith or can't see or aren't open to the contradictions in their own ideas. Eternal September is the name of this idea: https://en.wikipedia.o…
Why are you phrasing things as if "educated" and "good faith" are related?
> I don't want to be around uneducated people who act in bad faith
Are you fine with being around educated people who act in bad faith? Those generally cause much more damage.
Re: Listen to Steve Huffman tell the story of how Reddit got started
#156Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes, Reddit is not even part of a publicly listed company that has investor pressure to meet quarterly numbers, it is privately owned by the Newhouse family. People just like having more money than less money. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_Publications
I think reddit is majority owned by Reddit employees.
As of Jul 2015, per Wired article:
https://www.wired.com/2015/07/wired-conde-nast-reddit/
>Advance Publications, is Reddit's majority shareholder
Re: Listen to Steve Huffman tell the story of how Reddit got started
#157Steve Huffman, aka 'spez'? Wasn't he the guy who got caught anonymously rewriting user comments? Secretly editing user comments, without a trace. As CEO. ... Seems weird that this hasn't been brought up yet - maybe it was covered in the podcast?
He did it in a pretty obvious way and said he did it basically but yah
Re: Listen to Steve Huffman tell the story of how Reddit got started
#158Most of social platforms are nothing but feature AOL back in the day. They got a different look and feel. Some are cross over of ICQ and AOL (WhatsApp) AOL messenger Chat rooms (discord, telegram) Twitter is nothing but public chat room.
Slack is just irc, Dropbox just nfs, Google just grep, Craigslist just newspaper classifieds, amazon just Walmart, Netflix just charter, hacker news just coffee shops and bars, and on and on, what's your point
> hacker news just coffee shops and bars
Ok, I really follow you on the rest and the overall point.
But this one … hacker news is how : delicio.us/Reddit/digg/slashdot used to be, before the network effect.
I rarely talk about BRNF at bars and I don’t use drugs while reading HN.
Re: Listen to Steve Huffman tell the story of how Reddit got started
#159Re: Listen to Steve Huffman tell the story of how Reddit got started
#160I don’t really want to listen to the podcast, but I do seem to recall that Reddit drew heavy inspiration from the delicious popular page. digg was talked about a bunch but much smaller… https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1389494
Interesting note to see that Paul Graham initially hated the name Reddit lol