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Comment by gwd | Hacker News Reader

Sure, just make something that has a barrier to entry that will filter out non-nerds. From what I can tell Ham radio is basically just a chatroom with an entrance exam, for instance. Anything done in a constructed language like Esperanto would be another filter.

There's nothing stopping anyone from making a website duplicating the original OKCupid method. It's just that it requires someone willing to say "no" to the Marginal User and stay niche.

And from what I can tell, Mastodon is duplicating the original, pre-value-extraction Twitter experience. But the main filter it has at the moment is the network effects from Twitter and Facebook; as it grows that filter effect will be reduced.

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Can we use separate root DNS server as technical barrier to entry? Or NNTP protocol. Or client side SSL certificate, which must be won in a complex game.

There are plenty of options to separate smart people from regular crowd. IMHO, a separate DNS server, which unlocks alternative Internet, is the easiest way to move away from regular people, because it's a bit complicated to switch DNS on a mobile device.

The thing is, that won't duplicate the original Internet, because the Internet exists. This new filtered internet won't contain all the smart tech people; it will contain all the smart tech people who wanted to join an alternate internet of smart tech people. Those are different sets of people.

Early Internet was place for people with similar background, which were small part of all smart people.

IMHO, we need a bait. Something, that will bring in smart people, and only smart people. HN detracts regular people, because it looks boring and doesn't help to continue discussions. This is good for HN, but bad for discussions (and spamers).

I'm thinking about mix of a court and wikipedia. Something, where we can play our game (who is right? who is the smarter?) on steroids, something where we can layout our arguments, facts, ideas, and then discuss them (flame all night long), until someone else, an arbiter, will read all that and declare a winner. IMHO, a topic and number of win/lost/unfinished discussions will be a good indication of smartiness and expertise in a domain.

Even if it becomes successful there will be someone that will decide to make something that gives it easy access to the luddites.

> I'm thinking about mix of a court and wikipedia. Something, where we can play our game (who is right? who is the smarter?) on steroids, something where we can layout our arguments, facts, ideas, and then discuss them (flame all night long), until someone else, an arbiter, will read all that and declare a winner. IMHO, a topic and number of win/lost/unfinished discussions will be a good indication of smartiness and expertise in a domain.

Any system based on voting will be overwhelmed by clueless people upvoting "wrong" thing, just look at reddit.

Only moderation works but that brings all kinds of problems with who is moderator and who chooses them, and what they are allowed to do etc.

MensaNet :(

Someone will quickly monetize the idiots with a simple ad-ridden subscription based app that "Unlocks the Alternet!"

I doubt the non-nerds will want to join.

They will want to join once it reaches a certain size/notoriety. Same with reddit, gmail and twitter, and same with open source in general.

What is Ham radio?

A hobby some people pig up when they’re boar-ed and go hog-wild on spending for equipment.

Something that someone who didn't get filtered would be able to look up on their own.

I did look it up, but the way the OP was formed I thought that is some secret underground forum I just am not able to find.

Amateur radio, public (by law - unencrypted, anyone can listen) long-distance communications over certain bands where people are allowed to transmit after a certain barrier of entry of licensing and equipment.

A place to talk about what radio you own.

Welp, you're out of the club now.

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