Seeking a Curated General News Community: Alternatives and Insights

A Hacker News user sparked a discussion by asking for recommendations for a general news site that mirrors HN's positive attributes: a small, curated community, thoughtful posts across diverse topics (politics, arts, gaming – not just tech), and robust commenting features. The user expressed dissatisfaction with existing options like RSS feeds, Google News (due to a desire to de-Google and lack of comments), Apple News (paywalls and unwanted curation), Reddit (too mainstream and noisy), and TikTok (distracting).

The Quest for a Non-Tech HN

The central theme was the difficulty in finding such a platform. Many users resonated with the desire for a high-signal, low-noise environment for general news consumption. The original poster even mused about creating such a site and whether it could succeed without succumbing to the common pitfalls of public internet forums.

Is HN Itself a Good General News Filter?

Interestingly, opinions diverged on HN's own utility for non-tech news. User loveparade found HN effective precisely because its tech bias means only the most significant general news makes it to the front page, acting as a great filter for quantity. However, OtherShrezzing and jaynetics pointed out HN's own political, economic, geographical, and social biases. This led to a sub-discussion about whether filtering for quantity, even with some bias, is preferable to news outlets focused on emotional engagement.

Tackling Bias and Information Overload

The challenge of news bias was a prominent topic. User balanced2 recommended Allsides.com for its approach of presenting news on a topic from left, center, and right perspectives, fostering a fuller understanding. This sparked a debate with rickydroll about situations where there aren't valid "multiple sides," especially in science reporting where one side might be fact-based and the other misinformation. The consensus leaned towards the value of understanding different viewpoints, even flawed ones, to better communicate, while acknowledging the risks of echo chambers and the complexities of science reporting which often suffers from sensationalism.

The Reddit Dilemma and Political Leanings

Reddit was frequently mentioned, often critically. bufferoverflow described it as generally too mainstream, politically very far left (a characterization debated by others who saw HN as left-of-center or even center-right by US standards), and prone to aggressive moderation. The discussion highlighted the relativity of political labels (e.g., US left vs. European center-right) and the difficulty of fostering nuanced political discussion online. Some users suggested that careful subreddit curation is key to making Reddit useful, with /r/anime_titties being an unexpectedly good source for news and politics due to its incognito name.

Suggested Alternatives and Tools

Numerous alternatives and tools were suggested by commenters, each with its own characteristics:

• Community-focused:

  • Metafilter: A long-standing community blog praised for its eclectic mix and high-quality (though often liberal-leaning) discussions.
  • Tildes: Described as small, laid-back, conversation-focused, and good for general news, with a culture that values thoughtful engagement.
  • Lobste.rs: Often compared to HN but strictly focused on technology and programming. Some find its threads less active.
  • Fark: One of the older news aggregators, known for a mix of serious and quirky news.
  • The Fediverse (e.g., Lemmy instances): Decentralized alternatives to Reddit.

• Aggregators & Curated Lists:

  • NewsMinimalist.com: Ranks news articles by significance using AI.
  • Progscrape.com: A mix of tech and non-tech news, curated for thought-provoking content.
  • Aldaily.com (Arts & Letters Daily): Curated links to articles, essays, and reviews from a liberal arts perspective (no commenting).
  • CleanNews.fyi: Filters for news articles without hyperbolic headlines.
  • Brutalist.report: A minimalist news aggregator.
  • Lite.cnn.com: For straightforward, comments-free news.
  • The upcoming Reboot.digg.com was mentioned with cautious optimism.

• Niche & Specific:

  • Some users shared their RSS feed sources, like Phoronix.com or Neowin.net, though these are often tech-focused.

The Challenge of Staying On-Topic and Maintaining Quality

A counterpoint was raised by user ofalkaed, who humorously wished for an HN with less non-tech news, highlighting the universal challenge of platforms staying true to their intended focus. This user also made insightful meta-comments about the purpose of upvotes (curation and moderation, not just agreement) to maintain discussion quality.

Ultimately, the discussion underscored a shared desire for a better way to consume general news with thoughtful community interaction, while also acknowledging the immense challenges in creating and sustaining such a space. No single perfect solution emerged, but a wealth of options and perspectives were shared, reflecting the ongoing search for an ideal news community.