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Ask HN: Why doesn't HN have tags/filters?

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Re: Ask HN: Why doesn't HN have tags/filters?

#21

Post by Someone »

uuee wrote: post #18
Someone wrote: post #2

> Every post should have a set of tags: describing the subject. In the information overload age filtering is becoming essential. You state that as a fact, but it is an opinion. I think using a filter would prevent users from seeing posts and comments that they would find interesting. In a sense, it would create a bubble for each user. Also, HN isn’t that large that a quick visual scan of the home page doesn’t work. >…

Tags are hardly rocket science -- simple rules/standards could be setup. Why do you want to take the choice away from people to use tagging? Someone like me reads a lot (on other sites) and I skip 95% of the content here. Why should I have to scroll through posts about: C++ compilers, etc when I know I'm not going to read it? The tagging approach wouldn't effect you -- you could simply not use it.

Who talks about taking choice away? HN doesn’t offer it, just as it doesn’t offer all but the simplest layout, most emoji, gifs, embedded movies, etc.

Simplicity has its virtues, too.

Re: Ask HN: Why doesn't HN have tags/filters?

#22

Post by uuee »

Someone wrote: post #21
uuee wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tags are hardly rocket science -- simple rules/standards could be setup. Why do you want to take the choice away from people to use tagging? Someone like me reads a lot (on other sites) and I skip 95% of the content here. Why should I have to scroll through posts about: C++ compilers, etc when I know I'm not going to read it? The tagging approach wouldn't effect you -- you could simply not use it.

Who talks about taking choice away? HN doesn’t offer it, just as it doesn’t offer all but the simplest layout, most emoji, gifs, embedded movies, etc. Simplicity has its virtues, too.

Simplicity would be having tags to categories the posts. Just like a library has the Dewey Decimal Classification system -- if it were not for that it would be just a chaotic heap of books.

What if someone missed 3 months worth of posts and they want to catch up quickly... is that still a "small set of posts easy to scroll through"?

>Who talks about taking choice away? You are saying it shouldn't be implemented are you not?

Re: Ask HN: Why doesn't HN have tags/filters?

#24

Post by krapp »

turtledove wrote: post #7

Because HN is not Reddit? It's meant to be a cross section of interesting ephemera.

Why do you believe tags as a feature is at odd with the purpose being a "cross section of interesting ephemera?" That seems like an odd dichotomy to make. Or do you just have a general aversion to features that exist on Reddit?

Lobste.rs is basically Hacker News with tags and it seems to do alright.

Re: Ask HN: Why doesn't HN have tags/filters?

#25

Post by uuee »

krapp wrote: post #24
turtledove wrote: post #7

Because HN is not Reddit? It's meant to be a cross section of interesting ephemera.

Why do you believe tags as a feature is at odd with the purpose being a "cross section of interesting ephemera?" That seems like an odd dichotomy to make. Or do you just have a general aversion to features that exist on Reddit? Lobste.rs is basically Hacker News with tags and it seems to do alright.

He is one of those "the rule is the rule; repeat mantra" type of people. If libraries didn't have the Dewey tagging system he would be saying the same thing about them. Thanks for the lobster link.

Re: Ask HN: Why doesn't HN have tags/filters?

#26

Post by turtledove »

uuee wrote: post #25
krapp wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you believe tags as a feature is at odd with the purpose being a "cross section of interesting ephemera?" That seems like an odd dichotomy to make. Or do you just have a general aversion to features that exist on Reddit? Lobste.rs is basically Hacker News with tags and it seems to do alright.

He is one of those "the rule is the rule; repeat mantra" type of people. If libraries didn't have the Dewey tagging system he would be saying the same thing about them. Thanks for the lobster link.

Not he.

Also, because tags are functionally the same as subreddits. I come to HN because I want to be surprised and because I know we're all experiencing the same content.

If we let people subdivide into clades, HN changes its character, and becomes a place where posters show up only for a particular class of content and don't engage with other classes.

HN works, imo, because we're all sharing the space together.

Re: Ask HN: Why doesn't HN have tags/filters?

#27

Post by uuee »

turtledove wrote: post #26
uuee wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He is one of those "the rule is the rule; repeat mantra" type of people. If libraries didn't have the Dewey tagging system he would be saying the same thing about them. Thanks for the lobster link.

Not he. Also, because tags are functionally the same as subreddits. I come to HN because I want to be surprised and because I know we're all experiencing the same content. If we let people subdivide into clades, HN changes its character, and becomes a place where posters show up only for a particular class of content and don't engage with other classes. HN works, imo, because we're all sharing the space together.

>I come to HN because I want to be surprised and because I know we're all experiencing the same content.

That's great for you... many people don't share your view though. Why do you want to force them to share your views. Why not let people interact with HN how they want to? If you're not interested in debugging C compilers why should you be forced to read those posts?

>HN works, imo, because we're all sharing the space together.

This is an illusion. At least 80% of people here skip 80% of the posts.

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