I don’t read any social news sites (i.e. sites dominated by user-submitted and user-moderated content). I don’t read Reddit, Digg, or their ilk. That fact isn’t all that interesting, but I’d like to talk a little about why I don’t read them.
Groupthink
It seems that all social news sites become echo chambers sooner or later. A certain type of story or comment, or a certain attitude, or a certain viewpoint begins to appear more and more on the site, attracting those who appreciate it, and driving away those who do not. This change in the population is ultimately self-reinforcing.
I don’t like consensus all that much. An individual’s point of view is one thing, but a mob’s shared assumptions are something else. This, I should make clear, is primarily an aesthetic objection.
Idle Hands
Social news sites ultimately reflect the preferences of people who have the inclination to moderate stories and comments. That’s a perfectly fine hobby to have, but it’s not mine, and, ultimately, I think that difference in preference will have broader implications.
Trivialities
Social news sites seem to gravitate towards the trendy, trivial, and distracting. Even when they avoid the “LolCat” extremes, they tend to highlight alarmist or sensational news. I’m easily alarmed, and don’t need the Internet to wind me up over several dozen things a day.
It’s not anyone’s fault that what’s important isn’t always all that interesting, or that it’s easy to hype nonsense into news. Social news sites, however seem absolutely hopeless at dealing with these facts.
Alternatives
I prefer to read “traditional” news sites and blogs – anything edited by one or a few humans, with a distinctive voice. I’m not sure why, but there’s a lot more variety in one person’s voice than in the collective roar of a mob.
Hypocrisy Watch
I do provide the standard “share this post” links on my blog, because:
- I’m a blogger, and that’s the way the game is played
- Other people have other tastes, and God love them for it
I also have Hacker News on my sidebar, because that was the last social news site I gave up on, and I’m a sentimental fellow. Besides, you’ll probably like it, if that’s the kind of thing you like.
