Ask SN: What is SN and where is it heading? \ stacker news ~meta

Ask SN: What is SN and where is it heading?

110 sats \ 18 comments \ @phygit 30 Apr 2023 meta

What is Stacker News?

Question seems odd BUT, after a few months here, it's not so clear to me.

. The name "Stacker News" is vague. For a good 99% of people (including Bitcoin-aware people), "stacker" doesn't relate to Bitcoin. . Home page: no baseline, no Bitcoin logo, just a price in dollar (without any mention of what it means). . From FAQ (bottom of every page): "Stacker News is a forum (like Reddit or Hacker News) where you can earn real money for creating or curating content." No mention that the content is Bitcoin-related. . From Guide: "Stacker News is a place for Bitcoiners to connect and share interesting ideas." Considering that a "Bitcoiner" is simply someone owning/using bitcoins, pretty much any idea (including some innovative cooking recipes) could be posted here... . From Github: "t's like Hacker News but we pay you Bitcoin." Again, nothing about some specific thematic content or editorial choice.

From that, most people, especially newcomers landing here randomly, would understand that: SN uses Bitcoin as a technology to reward/incentivize activity, but it's never very clear (or explicit) that SN is about Bitcoin only (and even less that it is a den of close-minded BTC maxis).

Which leads to the next question.

Where is SN going?

As of now, SN sounds rather schizophrenic to me. Is the intent to become a kind of micro-community of BTC ultras debating Bitcoin-only topics, or a global forum just using LN/BTC as a tool for better engagement?

Is the goal to make a monetized version of Hacker News? Then the topics could be much wider (as it is on HN, where you can find links to subjects ranging from IT to education, bio-hacking to philosophy, and pretty much anything in between).

Is the goal to become an alternative to Reddit? But then we should be able to talk about anything, and we'd need sub-channels, like sn/ChatGPT, sn/Ethereum, or sn/Memes... BTW, it could be an interesting evolution, with a price to pay to create a thematic channel, and rewards based on its success.

Anyway, what do you want to do with SN? How do you imagine it in 2 years?

Bottom line

My point is that many people here seem to assume that's because SN uses Lightning, then it should only be about Bitcoin. And that loving Bitcoin and owning some bitcoins necessarily make you part of a "Bitcoin community". But both assumptions are totally wrong. Bitcoin is not a community, and as long as it is, it means it's failing, since the goal is for Bitcoin to become a global currency, used by billions of people.

Me personal take on this is that SN is very limited in its current form. I love Bitcoin and I've been advocating it for about 10 years, but I'm certainly not a "BTC maxi", and I feel very tired of listening to people shouting "shitcoin, shitcoin" like a mantra as soon as you dare to mention the word "crypto" in a sentence.

I also think that SN has a huge potential if it becomes a more open place to discuss any topics.

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123 sats \ 0 replies \ @02d769cb73 30 Apr 2023

more anti bitcoin slurs dressed up as 'advice'

126 sats \ 0 replies \ @ek 2 May 2023

The name "Stacker News" is vague. For a good 99% of people (including Bitcoin-aware people), "stacker" doesn't relate to Bitcoin.

I don't know how you got to this conclusion but I strongly disagree. I think the name is perfect. I also like how it's inspired by Hacker News.

SN uses Bitcoin as a technology to reward/incentivize activity, but it's never very clear (or explicit) that SN is about Bitcoin only

Maybe because it's not? You don't find any specific thematic content because there is no specific thematic content. We just post things we think is interesting to other people here.

Since bitcoin is what brought us here (common denominator), it's just natural that we discuss mostly bitcoin-related stuff here. However, nothing stops you to post something else. And in my opinion, there should not be anything. However, you sound like you are suggesting there should be.

You can already literally post anything here, nothing stops you. The question just is: Do you think it's worthwhile to pay for it?

Is the goal to make a monetized version of Hacker News? Then the topics could be much wider (as it is on HN, where you can find links to subjects ranging from IT to education, bio-hacking to philosophy, and pretty much anything in between).

I created @hn and it reposts top posts from HN and the posts get some attention.

I love Bitcoin and I've been advocating it for about 10 years

To be honest, I don't believe you. You have proof? For example, signing a message related to a transaction from 2013?

359 sats \ 0 replies \ @k00b 30 Apr 2023

It’s definitely my fault that you feel like you don’t understand where SN is going. I don’t really communicate it very clearly anywhere.

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @NothingNewUnderTheSun 30 Apr 2023

Nothing stopping you building your own shitcoin forum bud

45 sats \ 0 replies \ @SwearyDoctor 30 Apr 2023

"Bitcoin is not a community, and as long as it is, it means it's failing". Exactly. For hyperbitcoinization to work, bitcoin has to become the unseen base layer that people use without even knowing they use it. Doesn't mean there can't be a community that underpins and supports it, of course.

So then the question is, is this forum for those, or is it for everyone?

The fact that it IS lightning-enabled and doesn't even say it could mean one of two things: a) it knows that the people who are here know anyway, you don't have to tell them. Then it's for the community core. b) people can participate without even realizing what it is they're getting. That can on-ramp them and slowly get them to understand. Then it's still for the community, but a means to socialize new people into it. c) people can participate, never need to realize, and can use this forum for anything. Then it's a wider network.

If this forum is ever going to grow beyond just a handful of users, c) should be inevitable. You can't scale something like this all too well without having some sort of finer-order organization, like boards. You'd have a lot of people stacking sats without knowing they even have them, and they'd learn at some point that those can be exchanged. That would be a nice development to have.

22 sats \ 2 replies \ @DarthCoin 30 Apr 2023

I love Bitcoin and I've been advocating it for about 10 years, but I'm certainly not a "BTC maxi"

That means you learned nothing all these 10 years. You were just rambling around shitcoining.

You can't be a real bitcoiner if you are not a maxi. You can't be a maxi and not being a real bitcoiner.

https://dergigi.com/threads/maximalism

6 sats \ 1 reply \ @phygit OP 30 Apr 2023

Man, get a brain or something.

101 sats \ 0 replies \ @franzap 30 Apr 2023

He's right. sn/Ethereum? Why do you need another platform to promote scams?

40 sats \ 0 replies \ @kr 30 Apr 2023

you raise a lot of good questions and it’s interesting that you find the site branding to be unclear.

i believe ‘stacker’ is a widely understood term to mean someone who is ‘stacking sats’, but it might not have caught on to all the bitcoin community yet.

ps. a nostr sub is on its way!

#164252

40 sats \ 0 replies \ @gmd 30 Apr 2023

Voting for reddit alternative. Broader topics -> more people to orange pill via low sat investment voting. I get tired of bitcoin discussion after a while.

20 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby 30 Apr 2023

SN is growing into what it will become. The market will tell @k00b where to take it (hint: stacker sports fork).

Post whatever you want, if people like it they will tip if they don't they won't.

31 sats \ 0 replies \ @franzap 30 Apr 2023

Shitcoiner!

31 sats \ 0 replies \ @DarthCoin 30 Apr 2023

Seems that you suffer of Anti-Maxis syndrome. https://stacker.news/story

15 sats \ 2 replies \ @siggy47 30 Apr 2023

You are free to post any content here that you choose. If it is ignored, then the members have decided your post has no value.

Bitcoin is not a community, and as long as it is, it means it's failing, since the goal is for Bitcoin to become a global currency, used by billions of people.

In the same sentence, you say bitcoin is not a community, and you then say it is a community. However, I think I understand what you mean. The way I see the incentive structure of this site, there is theoretically nothing stopping it from becoming, say, a home improvement site, if those posts are rewarded. To that end, there is nothing preventing groups to develop here that support specific topics, based on the incentive system. SN is still young, and naturally bitcoin oriented.

Fiatjaf has expressed similar concerns regarding nostr.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @phygit OP 30 Apr 2023

You're right, my sentence was a bit approximative. Should have said: "as long as Bitcoiners see Bitcoin as a community, Bitcoin is failing".

The point being that "community" always implies "minority".

3 sats \ 0 replies \ @siggy47 30 Apr 2023

I know. I was being a little too nit picky there!

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @03d2338e4e 30 Apr 2023

Yes I agree it seems stacker news doesn't have much Bitcoin-related "branding", (except maybe the lightning animation on votes, it might remind you of the LN) but I disagree that "stacker" means nothing to most of us, I think stacking sats has been quite a common saying all over BTC-related forums for years.

However, for it being one of the few websites built on LN (meaning we can vote with absolutely miniscule amounts of the HARDEST money that will ever exist.

I don't propose we turn it into a BTC shrine but some recognition for this amazing tool that enables us (among many other things) to vote for content we really like, with actual meaning behind our votes.

Actual, real, genuine meaning behind our votes because even if it is 1 single sat, it's 1 single sat that you actually worked for, actually earned.

TLDR: SN, please add a damn Bitcoin logo somewhere, no matter how small it is, thanks!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @joda 30 Apr 2023

I love it as-is. There are other places for other things. You have to be at least somewhat serious and thoughtful here, and while you CAN post about anything, I'm not here for recipes.

Zaps here, to a non-futurist, zero-coin pleb, just look like upvotes.

When Nostr looks like Reddit then we can migrate there.