There’s a strong fallacy at play when evolution unfolds before our eyes, yet people draw conclusions based on cherry-picked examples from the past. We do it all the time, but the noise of the internet provides the perfect habitat for this mindset to thrive and flourish. And since we’ve talked about wanting this space to be one where people can evolve into something more polite and kind, we’re happy to embrace evolution—when we believe its path leads toward something good.

Guns don’t kill people…

When envisioning our platform, one of the first features we wanted to include was a well-categorized forum—a space where people could freely discuss whatever subjects matter to them, whether in the moment or throughout their lives. We know poets strive to express everything through their poetry, but we also recognize that interpretation plays a crucial role in communication. That’s why we imagined countless forum posts where meaningful debates would flow under well-crafted theses shared by our members.

We also know that this kind of online utopia is almost nonexistent. Good intentions tend to crumble when people feel less responsibility and unleash their criticism—if not pure anger, envy, or outright hate. This can’t be entirely avoided, and we’re not claiming to have solved the problem, but we’d like to at least dilute it, making it more manageable (it’s not divide et impera, but close).

If “old-school” forums created a “free-for-all” environment where insults could be passed off as fine critique, then the internet had to go through a 4chan phase before arriving at Reddit. Now, we hope this next phase will help people unlearn bad habits and use the tools we provide in a more constructive way. With that in mind, we’re happy to introduce Lemmy!

It is, but it’s not

“So you’re just cloning Reddit?” …ehm… yeah… but no.

Explaining the difference between a forum and Reddit isn’t easy without understanding the evolution of online discussion spaces. In a traditional forum, you navigate a structured “grid” where people explore categories, threads, and subthreads in a rabbit-hole style. You logically enter sections, click on intriguing titles, search for answers among existing discussions, or start a new thread with a question.

This format usually led to two common outcomes:

• Experts in a subject tended to “own the place,” and in a static grid, focusing on one or two sections created a sense of territoriality and “jealousy” that ruined the experience for others.
• Newcomers either felt intimidated by their lack of knowledge or challenged the “establishment” just for the sake of stirring chaos.

Reddit introduced categories, a voting system, and a dynamic comment structure that countered these issues by ensuring a continuous flow of content, making it harder for users to claim dominance over a particular space.

So why are we talking about Reddit if we’re using Lemmy? Because Lemmy is the open-source, federated “version” of Reddit (you know our kink). While we’re keeping the forum section for those who prefer a more traditional format, we’re also excited to offer this new way of engaging with the community.

Quiet, please!

We know that online arguments can ignite on any platform. We also know that efforts to mitigate negativity can sometimes lead to new bad habits. But we want to emphasize something we’ve mentioned before: think of a silent disco—where everyone is having fun (hopefully), but the neighbors have no reason to complain about noise.

This isn’t about enforcing silence as if this were a holy place. It’s about eliminating unnecessary, meaningless noise for noise’s sake. It’s about respect, as always.

We’re not immune to the thrill of a juicy debate; we love seeing people bring new ideas to the table and fight to be heard. But we also know—and we’ve said this before—education is key. Keeping things civil shouldn’t feel like an imposed rule from above, because that could come off as oppressive or authoritarian. Instead, we see excessive volume as a lack of solid arguments. If someone has to resort to rage to make their point, people should always feel empowered to tell them to calm down and take their words with a grain of salt.

“Slide”

Like your penguin spirit animal would tell you, or like our ever-inspiring Lemmy Kilmister would say: go with the flow, take action, participate, be curious, have fun…

Lemmy will serve as the only stream where outside content flows through SLAM IN. We hope this sparks your curiosity and provides a space where you feel free to share memes, comment on poetry, and engage with a community of peers—where respect and enjoyment drive people toward something constructive.

It’s not a war; it’s more of a ride… isn’t it, Bill?!

Published: Feb 05 – 2025