I remember reading a pattern that describes the loss of contributors by platforms. Early users play a crucial role in establishing the primary level of quality and norms. ~

Once a platform scales, new levels of moderation, metrics, and various types of abstractions are added. Thereafter, the platform prioritizes safety and growth at the cost of craft.

One simple framework I use is the separation of: Value creation: the signal producer Value protection: the one who manages the risk and optics Value capture: the one whose interests the decisions serve These three domains represent the asymmetry that occurs in aol the platform contributors. The complex part of the problem is that from the outside, the platforms seems successful, and is growing.

Therefore the complaints that are almost always prevalent are considered “edge cases.” Unfortunately, those who were part of the ecosystem, and were most passionate contributors are the ones that are leaving.

Final thought for the builders of any community: pay attention to those who are not posting, instead of the new users who are signing up. In your experience, are there examples of the phenomenon described above? Can the platforms be salvaged after the loss of trust? What are the dead ends that are a given in these situations?