> I disagree with the premise here. I think the core mechanics of social media, ie instant communication between random strangers about random topics, creates toxic interactions regardless of whether it's manipulated by engagement algorithms.
Larry Wall said, way back in the 1990ies,
"The social dynamics of the net are a direct consequence of the fact that
nobody has yet developed a Remote Strangulation Protocol."
Which is kind of correlated to the fact that being behind a keyboard feels different to people than being face to face.
I think that Larry's mostly kidding and it's not really some implied threat of violence in person. Just that we're better at politeness and restraint in person because we see a real human in front of us instead of something abstract on a screen.
We can either use our real names (bad plan IMHO) or deal with the fact that without the consequences of our actions, there are a lot of arseholes around.
Moderation is the answer, I think there's no way around that. HN show's that it can be done well, reddit show's that it can be done badly. Twitter show's what happens when it's not done (yes I'm being a little extreme there).
Real names didn't stop people from being arseholes on Facebook. They did lose a lot of friends, but they also found like minded friends, so kind of a wash.
Larry Wall said, way back in the 1990ies,
"The social dynamics of the net are a direct consequence of the fact that nobody has yet developed a Remote Strangulation Protocol."
Which is kind of correlated to the fact that being behind a keyboard feels different to people than being face to face.