Header says it all. I’m seeking sites that are similar in spirit to these sites. Unfortunately, disinfo.com was stripped down and sold off for parts. DangerousMinds is still there, but new content has dropped way off.
Boing Boing seems to still have good content, but also a lot of sales pitches for stuff they sell (they have to make a living, so it’s understandable), but many have left and, even worse, their commenting section seems to be completely dominated by a set of mods and their friends that will quickly delete any comment that dissents ever so slightly with any of the groupthink that is everpresent in the forum and it’s quite cloying. They even seem to take issue with founders like Mark F in the most annoying way possible - I don’t know if the owners/founders even are aware of how toxic it’s become, or if they simply figure the comments are something separate.
Content on these sites that I especially liked in the past - things dealing with Robert Anton Wilson, Leary, RU Sirius, Douglas Rushkoff, Crowley, Church of the Subgenius, playful conspiracy theorizing, transhumanism, the occult, futurism, Bucky Fuller, Whole Earth Catalog, cob houses, Burning Man, etc…
I miss it as well. They are still in my RSS feed. I took a big time out from reading or trying to engage in comments (not for any particular reason but laziness) - I’m not sure for how many years - and a some point, I tried to engage again, and…WOW. The comments are moderated, so at least there is that. But absolutely no deviation from the groupthink is permitted. None. Your comment will be gone so fast if you disagree - especially if you make one of the regulars look stupid by puncturing their logic. There seem to be a handful of people that have deep personal trauma and seem to be working it out by destroying the commenting system on a once-great site. I’m sure they think it’s great - they have a little in-group, along with moderation powers, and they can trade giphys with each other as they dunk on anyone hapless enough to disagree with them. I think more than a few times I saw them bashing Mark F. (one of the owners/founders) because of his identity/age.