It'll largely be an echo chamber regardless of size. The fediverse tends to lean into tech, and is very left wing. If you don't fit the bill, you are either driven off, de-federated with, or realize the content posted here isn't what you're looking for, and you leave.

I don't mind the small knit community, as I agree with most stuff, but this simply isn't a place you can host competing ideas, or at least not feasibly. This isn't a place for open discussion. You get down voted for your opinion, even if it is a shitty one. This isn't the fediverse I want to see. I want to see people upvoted for their opinion, and enticed to engage with whatever discourse is present, regardless of views. Downvotes should be reserved for trolls, bots, and fascists. Everyone else should be welcome.

[–] Rincewindnz@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Is there somewhere online where you can have an "open discussion"? I've been struck a few times by how some ideas (even presented in a balanced way) just get downvoted hard.

[–] kariboka@bolha.forum 3 points 10 months ago

Lemmy.world choose to become an echo chamber like beehaw did.

[–] Blaze@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 10 months ago

Downvotes should be reserved for trolls, bots, and fascists. Everyone else should be welcome.

Definitely. Downvotes can be monitored by admins now, hopefully this can help

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 10 months ago (2 children)

why are "echo chambers" considered bad? i come to communities to chill and chat with like-minded people; not to argue and get into fights.

[–] DingoBilly@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

Well the simple reason is you can get stuck in certain world views or ideas which are wrong and hurt others.

In most cases you're fine, like talking about your favourite TV shows or whatever. But it's also easy to get stuck in a view like visiting your country's instance and it turns out it's a bit radicalised against immigrants, or certain places where you end up blaming everything on women and the "woke movement".

In a lesser way it can get you stuck in toxic ideas (e.g., PC/Playstation/Windows/Xbox/Linux is better than the other one and you are dumb if you disagree!).

Just depends on the community at end of day, but the more echoey chamber it is, the more likely you'll end up with those sorts of us VS them world views that are a bit blind and horribly biased.

[–] Blaze@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 10 months ago

But it’s also easy to get stuck in a view like visiting your country’s instance and it turns out it’s a bit radicalised against immigrants, or certain places where you end up blaming everything on women and the “woke movement”.

Hopefully there would be another community for the same country with other perspectives, and visiting both would allow to avoid the echo chamber effect

[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 0 points 10 months ago

It would be nice if lemmy.world mods followed that. I got my posted deleted for "supporting Imperialism" for arguing that focused attacks on Houthi terrorists is ok.

[–] Flax_vert@feddit.uk 1 points 10 months ago

It could also intimidate other groups out.

[–] BlanK0@lemmy.ml 1 points 10 months ago

Yup, diversity offers more point of views and less echo chambery environments

[–] Flax_vert@feddit.uk 1 points 10 months ago

I do admit, it is a bit of an echo chamber on here for some groups :(