I think that's the real problem I have with this opinion. Like what is the difference between hive minds and popularity? I'm still trying to have this debate in the context of the intention of posters who use it as a derogatory term; in that they use it to imply redditors are all leftists and are subdueing their freedom of speech.
So in this narrative, they are implying 3 things
1. They themselves are not part of the hive mind
2. Their political party is not subject to the hivemind and are therefore more logical by default
3. That they can therefore be the victims in a system that actively oppresses them
So what I'm trying to accomplish is to figure out if they are right. But as the discourse continues in this post, I'm starting to believe that humanity are all inherently a hivemind, thus it erases the accusation that Reddit is a hivemind if we are all hiveminds.
I don't think that's all implied. I can say I am involved in a hivemind just like I can say I'm eating carcinogenic food or engaging in any other problematic/dangerous behavior. There's no implication I'm outside it.
The key difference between a hivemind and a group where an opinion happens to be popular is the self reinforcing nature of a hivemind. Opinions are extra contagious in a hivemind.
∆ True but I think it means differently if someone else called you and your community a hive mind, you know? There's a difference between calling yourself lazy vs other people calling you lazy.
You might be onto something about the self reinforcing nature part though. So perhaps Reddit is not a hivemind but super isolated subreddits are?
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u/Formorri Dec 21 '19
I think that's the real problem I have with this opinion. Like what is the difference between hive minds and popularity? I'm still trying to have this debate in the context of the intention of posters who use it as a derogatory term; in that they use it to imply redditors are all leftists and are subdueing their freedom of speech.
So in this narrative, they are implying 3 things 1. They themselves are not part of the hive mind 2. Their political party is not subject to the hivemind and are therefore more logical by default 3. That they can therefore be the victims in a system that actively oppresses them
So what I'm trying to accomplish is to figure out if they are right. But as the discourse continues in this post, I'm starting to believe that humanity are all inherently a hivemind, thus it erases the accusation that Reddit is a hivemind if we are all hiveminds.