I don’t think it is because I can’t follow people (can I??). At least my use of it is only hitting the homepage and the occasional search. More similar to a newspaper with better comments. I agree that HN is social as in community but “social media” has a very tainted definition in my mind that mostly involves following a predefined set of people, creating all kinds of positive and negative side effects. HN belongs more to forums in my mind. I wouldn’t consider forums or IRC social media, at the same time I understand other persons might see it differently.

I was expecting this comment, tbh :)

This is true to some extent.

Yet the scale and mechanics of HN are (vastly?) different from your typical social media.

Also, brands are mostly absent, except for the YC specific posts.

In my opinion, HN relates more to a good ol' forum rather than typical social media, as defined nowadays.

Old school forums were still social media, they just hadn’t been labeled as such yet.

Some of my most toxic moments as a teenager/young adult occurred on forums. I had to leave them entirely. Praise the lord I left them when I did because some of my old friends said some rather stupid stuff on forums and are paying for it now.

FWIW, I'm not objecting HN or forums are not social media.

Rather that nowadays, social media have more mechanics that are typical: * presence of brands * influencers * algorithmic bubble filters * attention hoarding

Of course, forums and HN are social media and can be toxic as well.

I may he wrong and I'm happy to read more, but I hope I clarified where I draw the line with what (I think) is typical and expected of social media, from a business/industry perspective.

old school forums were the single greatest thing that human kind has ever invented, including all medicine that has ever been invented. In fact, we should all be using old school forums.