I don’t disagree.

There is one forum I still participate in:

https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/

It’s mostly tech-focussed and Australia-centric, but it does have other topics like sport, TV etc…

I wish there were more like this.

I hate that the bulk of online discussion is now owned/monopolised by a couple of huge corporations.

You receive a penalty notice in the mail and have to pay a fine. Similar to a traffic infringement or parking fine.

All elections are held on a weekend and voting booths are everywhere, to make it a little easier for everyone to vote.

You can choose to not mark the ballot, no one would know. As long as you turn up to a booth and get your name marked off, then you are considered to have voted.

As a result, voter turnout is generally over 90%.

It’s a good point/observation.

Makes me wonder how different things might be if the mainstream media were more neutral and less prone to sensationalising everything and stirring outrage.

Social media just adds another layer on top of this.

Thanks for sharing.

All too often the free and open alternatives (or these days even just the non-subscription alternatives!) involve compromising some features or convenience.

But not always.