Introducing 9takes: A Fresh Take on Online Conversations
A Q&A platform fostering diverse, built on anonymous perspectives inspired by the Enneagram.
Mon Apr 17 2023
Where are the good conversations happening online?
Is there any place left where you can get multiple perspectives?
Most of the forums have devolved into echo chambers. The platforms have chosen sides. We need to go back to the early days when conversations were unfiltered, real and where you could be happily surprised by what you stumbled upon online.
9takes is fixing the problem of echo chambers.
Why Social Media isn’t Social Anymore
Over time, the internet has become increasingly fragmented. The once vibrant platforms have lost their spark and have become filled with bots and inauthentic interactions. The exciting conversations that used to define these spaces have been replaced by a dull, lifeless atmosphere. How did we get here, and what can we do to fix online discussions?
There are two social media waves.
🤖 Old wave 🔄
The old social media was about being connected to your friends and finding cool stuff that was shareable.
- Users post to show off.
- Sharing turned into posting into the void.
- Viewing free content turned into lurking and mindlessly scrolling.
- Content converged, and the different viewpoints were pushed out.
🎭 New wave ❓
The new social media is about self-expression and finding friends.
- Users post to share and engage.
- Users talk in their community.
- Online and offline blend to stay connected yet healthy.
- Content diverged, and new viewpoints and ideas were spawned.
New social media is about novelty and engagement.
Users want to find their tribe and explore other tribes.
Belonging and exploring starts with asking questions.
Ask who am I? And who are you?
Why Questions Are The Key
At the core of 9takes is an emphasis on asking questions. Questions invite responses, while posts and tweets do not.
A question-centered approach can:
- Spark Curiosity: Questions have an innate ability to pique our interest and motivate us to explore new ideas and perspectives.
- Encourage Reflection: Questions prompt reflection. They unearth the stories and experiences that make us who we are.
- Create Meaningful Interactions: After a question is asked the conversation can start. The similarities and differences come out and seeds of connection are planted.
You are not shouting into the void with questions but are inviting people in.
The Problems with Answers to Questions:
There are a few problems with just asking a question online. You are not guaranteed to get good responses to a question for the following reasons.
- You want an original take/ answer to a question.
- You don’t want people answering to be biased by other people who have already answered.
- You want people to be honest and feel safe to share their real opinions.
- You want to be able to understand where people are coming from when they answer a question.
How 9takes Gets the Best Answers
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Comments are revealed after you comment, not before.
- This is how you get original comments that are unbiased. It is a new habit that is being formed and it may turn out to be the most important piece to redefining social media.
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Leverage personality theory (the Enneagram)
- There are many different ways to divide people and most of them turn out to not be helpful. However personality allows you to unlock insights across race, sex, age, and class.
- You are identified only by your personality type (which is optional).
- If you know your personality type you can share it. It lets others have some context to where you are coming from when you answer questions. If you don't know your personality type, the hope is that you will learn it over time.
- You can sort the comments by personality type.
- Learn from each personality type and worldview. Find out who is similar and different from you.
Questions Start the Conversation
In a world obsessed with absolutes and fact-checking, we often forget that many of the things we search for lack black-and-white answers. People are not math problems we can solve; they are universes we must explore. A kaleidoscope of different perspectives exists for every question, each one concealing hidden truths and untold stories waiting for us to uncover them. Take your offline questions and post them online—you might be surprised by what you discover.