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by meco 1305 days ago
I feel like a lot of the comments here are focused on HN part of the problem, but I would imagine if you didn’t have HN you’d have something else to distract yourself with.

I don’t have an answer, but I know of a small minority of SWEs that suffer deeply from this.

You may find this blog post relatable https://medium.com/@jimmypostwick_90910/a-day-in-the-life-of...
1 comments
CrypticShift 1305 days ago
> I feel like a lot of the comments here are focused on HN

And I've been downvoted for it. Yes, it is not the problem. But why not accept the design could be healthier? aren't this what hackers do, design better systems? what is better that healthier?

HN is not helping alleviate this "mental-health" related issue because:

- The high throughput of "anything goes" (i.e. no categories) posts may push some to try and be always watchful to catch that "needle in the haystack"

- The very-short half-life of threads will draw people to want to always be on, to "hop on that fast discussions train" in time.

- That Karma system will trigger, for some hardcore users, an unconscious continuous urge to get more of it.

People with "issues" are very vulnerable to these kinds of "games". But it is not a binary thing : IMHO We are all to a variable degree affected.

There I said it.

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stevenhuang 1305 days ago
I think you've been downvoted because HN is already among the most "healthy" designed social sites out there, if not the top, so pointing out it could be "healthier" still is a bit of an eye roll.

I mean yeah sure but really? It's already as deliberately spartan as it can get. You don't even get notified of comment replies.

If someone's degree of self control is so poor they are addicted to HN it's not HN that should change, it's the user that needs to develop some modicum of self control and discipline.

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CrypticShift 1305 days ago
> if not the top

> It's already as deliberately spartan as it can get.

I don't agree. Minimalism (feature-wise) does not equal a better design (or a healthier one for that matter)

This is not a "Chair" (more like a flood...). By definition, People with "issues" (like in this thread) lack that "self-control" to deal with it. I was just pointing to where IMO the weak spots could be.

I guess all this just does not make any sense for users who are accustomed to this HN system for years : As well adjusted (themselves) AND well-adjusted to it (not the same thing), they can afford to roll their eyes.

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