this post was submitted on 22 Feb 2024
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Showerthoughts
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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The best ones are thoughts that many people can relate to and they find something funny or interesting in regular stuff.
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Lemmy could definitely use a bit more comment activity on a lot of posts.
I think it’s because nobody really wants to be the first to comment and offer an opinion that might end up going against the grain when a thread develops. There’s no ‘reading the room’ as it were.
I’m doing my part by commenting on threads. Like this one.
That, and when switching from reddit to Lemmy I realized how toxic the relationship there was, and I just use all social media way less now.
Reddit for sure is toxic. Generally, it’s much easier to be toxic in a large, anonymous group with an endless amount of subreddits to retreat to. Here, it’s maybe 10-20 people talking, so there’s not much room to hide, as it were. You keep running into the same faces, so it’s a bit more important to stay polite.
Fuck you!
I would agree but then I see a lot of toxicity even in small Facebook groups where most people use their real names. It's just people I guess
It's not even just "the first" post. Lemmy is exactly like Reddit where any comments or posts, no matter how high quality, that can be interpreted as "against the grain" will be attacked. Lemmy has the same strong tendency towards group think that Reddit does, it's just lower volume and the bias runs even farther left. Shrug.
Unfortunate but true, I wonder if it's the upvote system on comment threads
Rationing downvotes could help break the groupthink while still providing a crowdsourced method of controlling spam and trolls. Other platforms have systems like this and it seems to work.
I think there have been some Lemmy instances that disable downvotes entirely also.
I still miss Slashdot's moderation (and meta-moderation) system.
For those who don't know, Slashdot comments are scored in a range of [-1, +5] and upvotes and downvotes have a reason attached (e.g. +1 insightful, +1 funny, -1 troll). Users are given a very limited pool of votes to hand out, which are allotted according to a secret formula based on karma and maybe meta-moderation. Meta-moderation is a volunteer task where you're given an anonymized list of comments and mod votes, and asked whether you agree with reach of them or not.
Interesting, thanks
Occasionally see something similar in real life, run a bar n grill. Just the other night had to tell that crew that I do have a menu, after the 6th order from the same table for dry ribs. Had the first guy ordered wings or a burger, same thing would have happened.
Most noticeable when you mention neutral and verified facts in partisan threads
I don't often feel like I have something to say that would contribute to the conversation.
I always tell people, hey, I'm not a bot here posting things, I'm trying to share things I feel you guys would enjoy. If nobody comments, it doesnt incentivize me to continue posting, it makes me feel like a crazy person talking to themselves. I encourage people to say something, even if it's just "I really enjoyed this, thanks for sharing!" or something. I do that from time to time on others' posts. If they're showing me something new, of course I don't know anything about it coming in, but I can let them know now I do know thanks to their contribution here.
All these posts pop up all the time, "dang, it's so dead here" but if instead of making, liking, or commenting on that post, you could thank someone that did post, or share something that you think others might like. I was never a poster on Reddit. I'm no expert on what I post on. I just find stuff I think people would like, and now after doing it for the last few months, now I do know a lot more and can give people better insight than I could in the beginning.
Comments have been feeling low on my posts, and I think when is the point where me making 2 or 3 posts a day isn't worth my time anymore, but then someone will say "oh this post really made my day" and so I come back the next day and post again.
This is why I comment so much, I want regular posters to feel they’re not shouting out into the void. Also, having conversation starter comments on most posts helps new people feel like Lemmy isn’t “dead”.
Thank you for your service! 😉
This comment is sweet. I already try to comment but I'll definitely be doing it more now.
It's true! I know I thanked all my readers on new year and the other holidays and all, because it takes both sides, the posters and the commenters, if we're going to make this thing work. People focus on the posters, and that is the main draw, but the comments are what adds the life and color.
Oh hey, I love your owl posts. I always read the comments too because I know there will be more pictures and info. I've been meaning to comment there, but work got super busy and I forgot to stop by.
No worries! As long as you're enjoying it, that is what counts!
Anyone not clicking through and seeing the bonus stuff in the comments is really missing out.
I never let that stop me!
Well, comment anyway. You never know what’ll happen.
And even if you have a boring, vanilla opinion on that topic, post it anyway. Because it’ll lower the bar for others to comment as well. (As this entire thread demonstrates)
I mean, if anything it does serve as an icebreaker and gets the convo going. Or you can do like me and realize that you don't actually know what the article is about or have the ability to understand it so you just try to make a joke and hope it lands and you can feel clever for a few minutes.
There’s also good fun in derailing a thread :D
The other day I commented on a post that used an ‘internet pirate’ stock image. Mentioned how I’d seen a guy with an eyepatch on the street that day and how rare that was.
Someone ended up sharing a neat little story about getting poked in the eye with a sword and how a kid called him a pirate. That all added fuck-all to the topic at hand, but it sure was collectively entertaining.
And those moments are what keep me coming back to this type of platform.
I remember that post! Best thing I've read on Lemmy all week :D
Well now I wanna read that story
Here you go :D
https://programming.dev/comment/7612443
Thanks!
Same...
The fact you possess self awareness puts you above a great deal of people so please comment more often
Unrelated to anything here, I love your username.
I have also noticed that once a few people "break the ice" it really helps (like you did here). Comments beget comments.
Shit just open the post and wait 10-20 minutes and refresh and there will be a butt ton of comments ready.
Exactly. This thread is a perfect example. There’s literally no real topic to discuss, and yet people are talking. And that’s a great thing to encourage if we want to grow this platform 👍
This has been one of the biggest things I've taken away from my time here too. Especially when I first joined and it was even more barren. I was probably the first comment on over half the posts I viewed for the first few months. Often nothing substantial but it would lead to insightful comments from users who may have never even opened it if they saw zero comments.
Here's me doing my part:
...
Penis
...
How was that?
Kinda short.
I've written so many comments that I've just deleted before submitting thinking "no one wants to read this garbage anyway."
This. I make it a point to comment on all posts I find interesting, especially if they aren’t any. It almost always spurs discussion.
The last couple years on some other site really reduced the amount I commented. I'm not yet out of that initial instinct of just moving on without trying to engage, it just wasn't worth it a lot of the time over there, had mostly positive experiences here though, experience wise.
It's all the botposting
I've noticed that this effect is much more positive on my reception and well being.
The same comments on Reddit often feel like a coin toss, between positive reception and getting voted into oblivion and hated at. I welcome this change.
I dont know why not. This is not a group of people who knows eachother. We are all strangers.
Are we? I keep seeing the same usernames again and again, feels like we almost know each other by now
You and me yeah... :)
I guess I should change my username but it's nice to be known by the same name actually.
Why offer an opinion when one can ask something about the post instead?
Meh, I expect 90% of what I say to be downvoted and to get called antiemetic too
You are antiemetic though. I feel quite comfortable deepthroating you.