Exactly, the one big issue with the modern world is the algorithms pushing for engagement as the only important metric.

Reddit certainly had its problems but was actually pretty good for the ~15 years before it started getting enshittified more and more to try to extract value.

Facebook was pretty boring before they tried to make money. Still ick, but mostly just people posting pictures of activities with family or friends.

I’d prefer an approach that requires some input about what’s wrong with a post in order to reduce its prominence

A lot of the time, I downvote troll content that should not be engaged with. Like, not technically against the rules, but definitely someone who is not posting in good faith. If I responded to the post, I'd be contributing to the problem.

I don't mean replying, but selecting from a menu of possible reasons to downrank a post. Slashdot's moderation system that I mentioned earlier has (or had - haven't looked there in a while) "troll" as one of the categories.

I think just going back to internet forums circa early 2000s is probably a better way to engage honestly. They're still around, just not as "smartphone friendly" and doomscroll-enabled, due to the format.

I'm talking stuff like SomethingAwful, GaiaOnline, Fark, Newgrounds forum, GlockTalk, Slashdot, vBulletin etc.

These types of forums allowed you to discuss timely issues and news if you wanted. You could go a thousand miles deep on some bizarre subculture or stick to general discussion. They also had protomeme culture before that was a thing - aka "embedded image macros".

Anything that is topic focussed rather than following individuals is a big difference, and then take away the engagement algorithm and it’s much better.

Hi it's still broken on my machine. I've tried turning it off and on again

Because how to use it is baked into what it is. Like many big tech products, it’s not just a tool but also a philosophy. To use it is also to see the world through its (digital) eyes.

That's what I've been hoping for with Reddit and now Lemmy. I don't care about individuals, I care about topic based discussion.

My problem with forums is they are more like a club, where you get loss of off-topic discussion by people who happen to share an interest. I don't care what tech nerds think about medicine on a tech nerd forum, and joining dozens of forums to get the right discussion is a huge pain.

Forums are cool, and I use a few, but I really want a place that connects different subjects.

Although I love Lemmy, I find it will be hard to recommend a normal young person to hop on Lemmy, Mastodon, Kbin, Misskey, Iceshrimp, etc. Most people on here talk about tech and politics. If you scroll through the main feed, you won't get stuff from other communities unless you seek it out.

Not diverse enough, but once it gets diverse, it will probably enshitify and make the community mainstream garbage. Then we're back to square one with people making clickbait posts and attention seeking people.

social media is what it's made to be. social media as we use it is flawed.

all of the platforms just do different colors of the same damn thing.

Neat.

Release the epstein files then burn it all down.

Hi it's still broken on my machine.

Sounds like it's time to delete it, then.

Ofcourse not. The issue with social media are the people. Algorithms just bring out the worst in us but it didn't make us like that, we already were.

Getting banned from Facebook. After a decade of clapping back against racists. Has been the best thing in my life. So glad to be out of there. Just wish I could have saved my pics first.

just not as “smartphone friendly” and doomscroll-enabled, due to the format.

Boowahahahahaha, I've used those with PSP default web browser. With Nintendo Wii web browser. With Java phone web browser (admittedly that was only to read, and very slowly).

Anyway, have clumsy sweaty big fingers (unfortunately due to my behavior girls don't extrapolate that feature anywhere anymore), strongly prefer anything with physical keys.

They also had protomeme culture before that was a thing - aka “embedded image macros”.

Images, links, enormous smilies' sets, colored text.

As long as people worship themselves (but also, paradoxically, require everyone's attention and approval all the time just to make it to the next day), it will continue being that way. For those who see it for what it is and are disgusted by it, we have Lemmy/discussion boards.

It has. Discussions here are mostly, just like elsewhere, people throwing arrogant smartass-looking text at each other and refusing to elaborate or explain or reason. Due to the experience of getting into such, people who'd actually discuss something instead "money-first" post with a set of markers hinting at their opinions and possible arguments, and masquerade discussion as agreement. It's only a little less exhausting than going into a shit-throwing contest, even if more rewarding.