We’ve reached the point where the amount of outrage, false info, and bots is too much to handle. We actually need networks like Lemmy or Urbit which are closed off from the public internet, and invite only. Give people an invite code like Gmail did when it was new and coveted. When everyone comes to one place it will naturally degenerate into garbage. That’s why we need a variety of different groups, made by different people. With some more open than others, so there can be actual debates instead of downvote mobs.

Being able to downvote without contributing any thoughts is just childish and stupid. I hate websites with a downvote feature because it ruins the authenticity of the website. People begin to act cautiously and don’t say what they think, and don’t challenge anyone on a touchy subject. The word “troll” has also lost meaning. It used to mean someone being intentionally disruptive, but now anyone with a different view is just a “troll”. I could go on Reddit and use my real name and I’d be a “troll” for having my own opinion, while anonymous cowards chuck insults from the safety of their keyboards behind a VPN.

There are ways to handle dissenting views, like having a debating board on a website that’s separate from the main topics. Of course nobody does this on the big websites.