[cdrini]

> Invitation-only is the future of online communities.

This feels antithetical/dystopian/elitist compared to what online communities are, for me. I think it's ok for some communities to be like this, but I don't think it's the future of online communities.

[qsera]

I think it is better to have some elitist communities, than to drag everyone down to some least common denomination...

I think that was one of the big mistakes/oversight that came with the Internet..

[cdrini]

I think some are fine, but if I had to choose one I'd choose open access, so I think it's the more important of the two. And in fact it's because the web is open, "no permission needed" by default that allows elitist groups to exist on the web. So I don't think I see it as a mistake. The alternative would be... You can only create a website if you're invited to the internet by someone who already has access? You have to get approval for your website from some authority before it goes public? Those were all potential futures we imo thankfully and carefully avoided!

[inigyou]

That's actually how it already works, but there are large commercial access providers known as "ISPs". Before there were ISPs, you literally could only get on the internet with a direct connection to someone on the internet, usually a large university.

[qsera]

>Those were all potential futures we imo thankfully and carefully avoided!

I am not so thankful. But it is coming from my view of the current world.

I think open Internet for business is good. But open Internet for communication was bad. I cannot think of one good thing that have resulted from an open internet for communication/discussions. It has turned out to result in a collective, perpetual state of seizure for all humanity.

I am someone who had to learn stuff from random encounters with books in the 90s. Even then, I would not have it any other way...

[inigyou]

This is called the Eternal September problem, after the influx of fresh users to Usenet at the start of every school year, being extended indefinitely as AOL brought new users continually to Usenet.

[tayo42]

Isn't this how alot of discord works? maybe the communities are leniant with inviting but it still happens. A group chat is basically invite only too and that's pretty popular for communication.

[Barrin92]

I think we need to remove dystopian and elitist from the dictionary because at this point you can't breathe without being accused of it.

Deciding who is in or out is the fundamental basis of any community, that's freedom of association. That's what defines a community. A place anyone can enter is a train station bathroom and that's what the logical terminus of the open internet seems to be.

[cdrini]

I think scopes/criteria/boundaries on communities are fine, I disagree that invite-only (as one implementation of community boundaries) is the future of online communities.

Although the statement "invite-only only is the future of online communities" isn't super well defined (what does it mean to "be the future"?), so I think the comments are debating past each other.

[veqq]

Elitism and hierarchy are good. Drowning everything in slop and darkness is bad. Giving everyone something to strive for is good.