Identity politics is a diversion for class politics. Can’t have class solidarity if your political position is a specialized configuration of all your various identity characteristics.

The last time I recall having engaging, thoughtful discussions on the internet was way back in the days of forums. And that was so long ago I’m skeptical of my own memory of it.

Lemmy comments may be different from Reddit comments, but they’re not better. I’ve concluded it’s structural. This format simply does not produce useful conversation.

None of the other social media formats produce it either. Perhaps it’s the result of optimizing for attention, which all social media does, whether by deliberate design or natural selection. Platforms that get attention grow. Those that don’t, languish. It may be that things which gather attention to themselves best are repellent of deeper, slower, more careful thinking.

Actually, maybe I can think of one example. I’m stretching the definition of social media, and I haven’t firsthand experience, but the way that Wikipedia operates may be a clue toward how to build a platform that produces useful dialogue.

I don’t know, and I even briefly tried looking it up.

Finally got my last PC switched off Windows. It feels good.

Unless text is removed to add the picture, nobody loses anything by adding additional tools that help some people.