Thinking Aloud With LBRY — The Comment Section

The LBRY team responded swiftly at my pleas for help at installing the alpha version which seemed reluctant to tether itself to my mac. However, I am pleased to announce that the latest updates have run impeccably.

During our collaborative troubleshooting I asked about a comment section for the platform and @LBRYio responded that “One day we’ll add it. We’ve also toyed with the idea of requiring a little LBC, say 0.001 to the creator, to comment. Thoughts?”

This prompted @kkposts to tweet,

“Maybe comments/criticisms best left free? In d spirit of free and neutral internet? If I had to pay for this tweet- I may not have tweeted,”

“If at all, shouldn’t a commentator be paid - as they add value with their time, social inputs, making it more engaging for others?”

“Supporting the creators - simple and straightforward ‘Tip/Support’ button, as incorporated in the latest LBRY release works perfect

“Censorship resistance - Captcha + ‘Report spam’ button that downgrades the comment putting it at the bottom rather than deleting it?”

As @kkposts keenly pointed out, commentators are necessary to the healthy development and growth of a community. Commentators include analysts, correspondents, pundits, reviewers, sportscasters, shrinks and talking heads to name a few. The point is, commentating is an integral part of human nature and needs to be encouraged and protected.

@LBRYio argued that paying for comments was “less about tax, more a method to improve on low effort youtube comments/spam.” Perhaps @LBRYio is playing devil’s advocate but if LBC were to hit a billion dollars, a comment would cost a million. Doesn’t sound like a sustainable solution to me.

The act of commentating is so powerful that the authorities often find themselves having to station controlled opposition at various commentating locations e.g. radio, internet. It seems fairly obvious that a well written comment can destroy the whole premise of a well produced, professionally made video by a so-called “creator.”

It is a perfect storm of wolves in sheep’s clothing under cover of darkness, where false prophets can say what they please without fear of being contradicted or being proved wrong; a safe haven for liars, scammers, and propagandists; a one-way street to hell.

Hopefully, thinking will be allowed with LBRY.

Food for thought. Bon apathy.