Does the reddit style format breed toxicity? - eviltoast

Does the reddit style format inherently make for a toxic environment? Or is it a culture of toxicity from the influx of reditors? For lack of a beter example, on stackoverflow, when someone down votes you, it comes with a comment saying how to improve. On mastodon, people can’t downvote you. These platforms are a joy to use, lemmy is depressing if you post. Its depressing because every post or comment, no mater the quality comes with downvotes, and usually no criticism to accompany it, you are left not knowing if youve made a mistake, or if its just trolls, bots, or idiots. At the end you feel insulted not improved. What do you think?

  • rm_dash_r_star@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    I don’t think it’s the format. Forums generally get toxic when they’re too big. The negative influence of a toxic user is much greater than the positive influence of a non-toxic user. The bigger the user base the more toxic users. Eventually it gets to a critical mass where you’re seeing enough toxic replies to make the whole platform seem toxic.

    Reddit is 18 years old. Lots of time to attract toxic users. I wasn’t on Reddit from the start, but people have said Reddit didn’t suffer toxicity until after it was around 10 years old. Lemmy is four years old now so it will be a while. Though Lemmy may attract a smaller less toxic crowd and avoid toxicity indefinitely.

    I don’t have a high opinion of community at Stack Overflow as it started out elitist by nature of its policies and rules. Yeah that’s going to breed toxicity right out of the gate. I have to admit Stack Overflow has been a really good resource for technical information at times, but its community is harsh. As much as I’ve used it to find good technical information, I’ve never made an account there or had any desire to post there.

  • SkyNTP@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    For lack of a beter example, on stackoverflow, when someone down votes you, it comes with a comment saying how to improve. … These platforms are a joy to use

    I don’t know what part of the internet you are from, but where I am from, Stackoverflow is looked down on as the quintessential example of toxic behaviour.

    I’ve found some of the most dismissive people in tiny stack exchange groups, and experienced similar unexplained downvotes.

    What SO, Reddit, and Lemmy maybe all have in common I think, is people tend to agree or disagree based on their convictions, as opposed to agreeing or disagreeing as a means of interaction.

    I guess this puts the conflict and disagreement front and center. But at least then I know where people stand.

    Perhaps it’s important to not take opinions too personally, and remember that incencere agreement has its own problems.

    • Joe_0237@lemmy.mlOP
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      1 year ago

      I disagree about SO, though I am not a fan of it for other reasons. Interesting thought about acting on convictions. Thanks.

  • Steve@compuverse.uk
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    1 year ago

    I’m thinking you care too much about the thoughtless reactions of anonymous strangers.
    Remember… In this game, the points don’t matter.

    • Joe_0237@lemmy.mlOP
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      1 year ago

      its strange because its not the disapproval that gets me, its not knowing why. I guess the lesson is that if someone did not even say why, its not really something anyone actually cared about.

      • Mutelogic@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        This is exactly it. They don’t care about your post or you or anyone really. For them, it just feels good to bring down others.

        • Joe_0237@lemmy.mlOP
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          1 year ago

          i hope/believe that the intent is rarely malicious, that its not really a significant thing at all on that side.

      • Chrisosaur@startrek.website
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        1 year ago

        I don’t think our points are mutually exclusive. Small sites can be shitty while the trend remains that sites get shittier as they get bigger.

      • Barbacamanitu@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        You think Lemmy is more toxic than reddit? I’ve seen the opposite so far. I wonder if this boils down to what communities we are a part of? It makes sense though, since most of lemmy is likely 30+ yrs old and have become jaded by reddit already.

        Also, yes, voat was awful. It was mostly alt right assholes from what I remember.

    • Ggtfmhy@lemmy.fmhy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Alternative way to think about it: 10% of people are insufferable assholes. Do you want them to be happy with what you say?

  • ∟⊔⊤∦∣≶@lemmy.nz
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    1 year ago

    Downvotes are not a reflection on you, they are a representation of how much everyone else agrees or disagrees.

    I don’t personally want the downvotes hidden or removed like how it is on Youtube.

      • Scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech
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        1 year ago

        This is why I’m in favor. I’m not the hugest fan, but if the alternative is YouTube or facebooks like system then I’ll take the downvotes. Otherwise you get the low quality like farms where minions memes are uploaded everywhere and there’s no way to say “we hate these, stop posting them”

  • Solgrund@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Personally core belief that people create and breed the toxicity. Use any system you want if people behave toxic it will become toxic.

  • Dudewitbow@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    Not necessarily toxicity, but echo chambers. Echo chambers could then be used to be toxic.

    • Joe_0237@lemmy.mlOP
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      1 year ago

      At least here in the free world we have to manually build echo chambers and “The Algorithm” does not build them around us without our consent.

  • Scooter411@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    I’m not trying to be negative here with you - but anyone complaining about downvoted will often get another downvote from me. Say what you want to say, stand by your convictions, and don’t worry about what the internet thinks about that.

    • Joe_0237@lemmy.mlOP
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      1 year ago

      I’m not upset of complaining, I’m observing and philosophizing, this has been an intellectual pursuit, thanks for the reply

  • scurzon@rammy.site
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    1 year ago

    “Toxicity” is just like “racism”, newspeak to censor and bully, if you need to mention it you are the one doing the harm