As a little background, I didn’t actively use Reddit for months following the blackout. I still barely stop in over there and if I do I’m never logged in our contributing to the communities there (where I was previously a daily poster/commenter).

Just bringing up a point that I’m not sure I’d seen anyone discussing directly over here; the general sentiment and quality of posted information on Reddit has become tangibly worse in multiple ways (I think coinciding with this group, us, leaving).

Now don’t get me wrong, Reddit sucked in many ways and for long before the migrations to Lemmy, but there is a noticeable difference in a few key areas:

  1. Less skepticism in replies

  2. Less sourcing of information in posts and replies

  3. Less counter positions expressed generally

  4. If there is a decent reply, you have to scroll much further down to find it

  5. Less plain labeling of obvious bullshit

Many of us used to introduce counter viewpoints or clarifying information into posts, with sources. That functionally worked as a roadblock to stall the quickly building momentum of disinformation/misinformation. Those roadblocks often feel absent over there now, IMO.

Not saying we hold a responsibility to go back there or that we were saving lives before, but the difference is very apparent to me - Have you seen it? Any examples?

  • Stovetop@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    I don’t know, the idea that users on Lemmy were the best part of Reddit is a bit egotistical, bordering on narcissism.

    I think what you’re looking at is simply differences in scale and variety of communities. The user migration to Lemmy was negligible, and I don’t really think content quality here is inherently better than it is there. Rather, I think Reddit has just become too big and mainstream.

    1. More Boomers are now using Reddit, which for me seems like the same downward spiral that ended up hitting Facebook.
    2. Corporations see people using Reddit for advice and so they spam it up to try to influence shopping habits and land on Google search results.

    If Lemmy ever becomes as popular as Reddit, the same thing will happen.

    • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social
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      6 months ago

      If Lemmy ever becomes as popular as Reddit, the same thing will happen.

      The Eternal September claims every social network eventually

    • SkyNTP@lemmy.ml
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      6 months ago

      Agreed. Some (mostly different) positions here are arguably more entrenched, or at least absolutist, with just as much reactionary down voting instead of nuanced debate.

    • Snapz@lemmy.worldOP
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      6 months ago

      I didn’t say the “best part” anywhere. I was implying the moral and rational part. You make some fine general points, but they aren’t in response to what I said.

      Migration being negligible is subjective when talking about the users that may have been powering a certain sentiment or tone. Tens of thousands of people leaving would be more than enough to feel that change.