I will attempt to sum up what’s actually bothering you here… This kind of behavior bothers me too. Censure-driven gatekeeper enforcement (prevalent in niche interest) of strict rules fosters an atmosphere of elitism and exclusion, where individuals are judged more on their ability to adhere to arbitrary criteria than on their genuine passion or potential contributions to it.
Communities that prioritize inclusivity and openness tend to be more dynamic and resilient. However, it is much easier to rally attention as a gatekeeper than an innovator.
Gatekeeping and promoting ideas like this on hacker news further expands the cult/clique and indoctrinates more patrons while expanding its leaders (or web masters) ring of influence.
Yes! That feels like what my silly bother is. But also it ends up pivoting where everyone is doing it, and the rules are now more cosmetic and hipster than they are really for everyones benefit.
Gatekeeping is a huge problem for communities that are always connected. See video game metas, reddit sub-reddits, etc. These places just feel stale after the first few innovators define the "best of all rules", where there are people who follow and very, very small amounts of people who experiment.
Communities that prioritize inclusivity and openness tend to be more dynamic and resilient. However, it is much easier to rally attention as a gatekeeper than an innovator.
Gatekeeping and promoting ideas like this on hacker news further expands the cult/clique and indoctrinates more patrons while expanding its leaders (or web masters) ring of influence.