[prepend]

I didn’t pay attention to karma for a while then started using it as a proxy for whether I have comment replies (like Reddit’s orangered mail icon).

I haven’t counted my comments, but I expect that I spend 20-60 minutes per day and maybe read 25 articles and comment on 10 a day.

I cut out next about 5 years ago and spend much less time on Reddit now that they got rid of their old mobile site. So this serves as my news substitute and “community” and market research for work (to learn about new data and tech software and companies to try out). And I don’t use any social media.

It does take mental energy to read and discuss, but that’s where I choose to focus and think it’s worthwhile. I find it better for mood and would just get angry after using social media or reading rage news, so this is a way to charge up and learn not only from the topics but from the thoughtful comments.

I first used the internet in 1994 and was a bit late for the well and early online communities, but I like the idea of people connected together working on a common good. HN isn’t that or anything but I feel like there are others with a similar mindset.