> The ability to push out opposing viewpoints is rather new.
I don't think that's true. I saw cases of it back in the 1990s.
It might be true that the online forums today have evolved in terms of their typical norms to make it more acceptable to do this. Which could be part of the Internet evolving in general to be less permissive and more controlled. That would be similar to the way previous communication technologies have evolved, although the evolution is no doubt faster with the Internet.
> When I say things are worse today than say 10 years ago. I'm not necessarily focusing on HN.
My comments weren't intended to be restricted to HN either; I just used it as one example.
> echo chambers are just trying to push other viewpoints out in order to strengthen their friendship with the others
If this is indeed a factor, I think it's part of human nature and certainly not something that just came into being with the Internet or social media. If anything, social media should make this problem, if it is a problem, more visible and therefore more amenable to some kind of counter action.
I don't think that's true. I saw cases of it back in the 1990s.
It might be true that the online forums today have evolved in terms of their typical norms to make it more acceptable to do this. Which could be part of the Internet evolving in general to be less permissive and more controlled. That would be similar to the way previous communication technologies have evolved, although the evolution is no doubt faster with the Internet.
> When I say things are worse today than say 10 years ago. I'm not necessarily focusing on HN.
My comments weren't intended to be restricted to HN either; I just used it as one example.
> echo chambers are just trying to push other viewpoints out in order to strengthen their friendship with the others
If this is indeed a factor, I think it's part of human nature and certainly not something that just came into being with the Internet or social media. If anything, social media should make this problem, if it is a problem, more visible and therefore more amenable to some kind of counter action.