LokiTalk

LokiTalk has two types of posts:

• Comment. These are the everyday posts—just like on other social media.
  • Great for casual chats
  • Can be liked.
  • Replies are listed in the order they're posted.
  • Can be muted everywhere.
  • Can not be reused.
• Argument. An argument post is a statement of truth, supported by other arguments. Together, they form a map that covers the discussion of a subject.
  • Great for stating facts and inviting others to debate you.
  • Can be voted True (green checkmark) or False (red cross), and has a summary of how people have voted.
  • Can be reused as a reply multiple times.
  • Replies are listed by usefulness; the best at the top.
  • Replies are in three sections. For, against and neutral.
  • Can't be muted (except in the feed).
  • Arguments get extra attention.
  • See the Argument Post Tutorial to learn how to make good argument posts.

To make a new post, use the text box at the top of the feed or click the pen icon in the top menu bar. Your new post will show up in the feed for others to see.

Replies to a post are initially hidden, but you can view them by clicking the arrow icon at the bottom of the post. Replies are shown in a tree format, starting with direct replies. You can expand to see more replies, and as you go deeper, they will shift to the right so you can keep track of where you are. Click on the left margin to close the replies and go back to the main post.

Replies to comments are shown in a simple, single list.

Replies to arguments are split into three sections:

• Arguments for. These support the main argument and have a green left margin.
• Arguments against. These reject the main argument and have a red left margin.
• Comments. General comments about the main argument.

To make a new reply, simply click on the reply button under a post.

To start a new discussion, use the text box at the top of the feed or click the pen icon in the top bar. Your post will appear in the feed for your followers to see.

To reply to a post click on the reply icon at the bottom of a post. If you are replying to an argument, click the button in the top right corner to select if your post is a comment or argument, and select if it is on the pro or con side of the debate.

• Add an Image. Press the image icon below the text box. If the image is too large, it'll be resized automatically.
• Mention a User. Type @ followed by their username (no space) to mention someone. They'll get a notification. You have have max 5 mentions in a post.
• Use Hashtags. Add hashtags like #Chess to categorize your post. This will place your post in relevant spaces (see the Spaces section below). You can have max 5 hashtags in a post.
• Add Links. Paste links to other posts or other websites. If it's from a popular video site like YouTube, Rumble, Vimeo, BitChute and DailyMotion, the video will show up below your text. You can have max 3 links in a post.
• Max 500 characters. Split up your text in multiple posts if it is too long.
• Insert emojis. Optionally spice up the text with emojis. Press the Windows key and . (the period key) at the same time if you are on Windows. Press Control + Command + Space if you are on a Mac.

An argument post is a truth claim that can be answered with True or False, for example "AI is a threat to humanity". Below the argument is a button that allows users to vote True (green checkmark) or False (red cross). A summary of the votes is displayed at the top right.

Argument posts are a powerful way to collect the strongest arguments on both sides of an issue, helping people find the truth faster. They are a form of knowledge base.

"The subway should be free" is not a good argument. It's a suggestion, not a truth claim. The vote is Agree/Disagree not True/False. "Is liberalism better than conservatism?" is also not a good argument. It's a question, not a truth claim.

A good argument post is clear and short, so it is quick and easy for people to understand it.

Quote a reliable source to give your argument extra credibility. Also add a link so people can verify the quote.

The replies to an argument are also argument posts, and they in turn can have argument replies. Together they form a structure that maps out the discussion of a topic, also called an argument map. Here is an example:

If we pick the first reply and make it the topic instead, we get a similar list. The argument map is like a tree that branches off in many directions.

To make up your mind about "AI is a threat to humanity", you look at the argument replies on both sides, then vote True or False. If you are not clear how you feel about a specific reply, you open up its replies and look at them, and so on. You drill down into the structure until you feel that you are convinced.

To help users make up their minds this way you should try to write every argument as if it is a topic of its own, even if it is a reply to a main argument. Not only will it fit into the structure better, but it can also be reused across many topics. There is a special reuse function where you insert an existing argument as a reply to the main argument (learn how below). If you have found a great reply elsewhere, you don't have to type it in again, simply reuse it as a reply.

The more generic you write an argument, the more reusable it will be. Consider this argument and its two replies:

The first reply is generic and fits into many other topics too. The second reply only makes sense for this specific topic, so it will not be reused as much. However, the first reply might feel slightly out of place. Some people might ask, "Yes, but what does that have to do with threats to humanity?" Some context is missing. You can tie the two arguments together by adding a few words: "High intelligence can be a threat". You do this with the Adjust function. This is the result:

If you change your mind about a post, click its menu and select "Note/edit". Select one of the prepared notes to go with your post, for example "My mistake, this is false", to let readers know.

To fix typos or make small clarity adjustments, select "Fix typos." Just remember: the meaning must stay exactly the same! Misusing this to change the meaning will get your account banned.

Changing "She went home befr calling back." to "She went home before calling back." is totally fine. Changing it to "She went home after calling back." will get you banned. Use a note instead.

Posts with notes and edits have an extra row at the top to inform readers about it.

You can quote a post inside your post. Find the post you want to quote. Press the recycle icon at the bottom, and select "Quote". This places a link to that post on the clipboard. Then go to where you want to write your post and the link is inserted automatically.

To repost, find the post, click on its recycle menu and select "Repost". Reposting means that this post will appear in the feed of people who follow you. Reposting does not make the same post appear again for people who have already seen it.

Reuse means to add an existing argument as a reply to an argument. Find the argument, click on the recycle menu and select "Quote/Reuse". Then find the argument you want to reply to and press its reply button. This opens a form where you can select if the reply is on the pro or con side before you post it. Alternatively, you can press the button "Quote instead", which switches to a different view where you can write a comment that quotes the argument instead. Quoting an argument does not count as a pro or con reply. It can for example be used for a general discussion about the argument.

Select "Custom" in the follow menu to fine tune the number of votes, and to also make someone your influencer.

When someone is your influencer, all the users they trust with votes automatically become your trusted users too. This is a quick way to align with someone you trust, like an authority figure with great judgment. You can have up to five influencers.

When you make someone your influencer it doesn't mean you automatically follow all of their trusted users—you just give them voting rights. Only the users your influencer directly follows count, not those they got through their own influencers.

Your relationship with other users always takes priority. For example, if you trust a user with 5 votes, that won't change even if your influencer only trusts them with 1 vote. This lets you override your influencer's choices, also when it comes to muting.

Trust details

You can vote an argument as True or False by clicking the checkmark icon at the bottom of the post. Ask yourself: "Is this factually true?"

If you want to explain your vote, click the "Reasons" button and choose a reason like "Evidence Based" or "Appeal to Authority." This helps the post author understand your perspective.

At the top right of an argument post, you'll see the voting summary: the percent of votes for True vs. False. For example, "67% true" means 67% of votes were True and 33% were False. "Undecided" means it is very even between True and False; 45% to 55%. You'll only see the summary if at least three people have voted. If you don't want to see it, you can hide it in the settings. There you can also choose if the summary is for all LokiTalk users or only for users you trust.

You can vote on how useful an argument is as a reply to the main argument using the Up and Down arrows below the post. The more Up votes a reply gets, the higher it will appear under the main argument.

Remember, you're not voting on if you agree with the reply (there's a separate vote for that). You're voting on how useful the reply is to the main argument. For example, you might fully agree with the reply, but it could have nothing to do with the current discussion.

Make sure to click the Up arrow if you think a reply strengthens the main argument—it helps keep the best replies at the top. Similarly, click the Down arrow if a good argument is off-topic.

Usefulness details

Attention is a measure of how much users have engaged with a specific post. Each type of action gives a certain number of points and the points are summed up:

• Like, 1 point. Someone liked the post (comments only).
• Vote, 5 points. Someone voted on the post, no matter what they voted (arguments only).
• Repost, 2 points. Someone reposted the post.
• Quote, 5 points. Someone quoted the post.
• Reply (comment), 5 points. Someone made a comment reply to the post.
• Reply (argument), 20 points. Someone made an argument reply to the post.
• Useful, 5 points. Someone voted this argument as useful as a reply to the main argument.

The attention points are also summed up as a total for all posts by each user. This is a way to measure each user's popularity on LokiTalk.

On the user profile page you can see the total attention a user has, and how much attention he got the last week. You can also see how much attention he has given specifically to your posts, and how much you have given him.

Attention is a measure of the ability to create engagement, and not necessarily a measure of wisdom, trust or standing.

The attention points fade over time, so that after one year only a half of the total points are left.

Attention details

Mute a post when you don't want to see it again, and mute a user when you don't want to see any of his posts again.

When enough people in your community have muted a post it will be muted for you too. The same is the case for muting users. It is a collaborative effort. If you mute the posts and users that lower the standard on LokiTalk, you will help the people who trust you.

Influencers are especially important when it comes to moderation, since they so strongly influence what gets muted for other users. Different influencers have different standards, for example if they accept profanity or not, and if they accept critique of certain subjects or not.

You mute and unmute posts in the post menu.

When you interact with a muted post (like, vote, reply to it, quote it, repost/reuse it) it automatically gets unmuted.

Muting details

Argument posts can be muted just like comments. However muting is ignored when arguments are shown as replies to other arguments. Argument replies are sorted by usefulness, so poor arguments will be at the bottom, effectively muting them anyway by placing them out of view.

If your feed mixes in "Best arguments" posts, then those arguments are not muted either. They are the best arguments on LokiTalk and most likely worth to see.

Ideological bubbles

When you mute a user, only his posts will be muted. He will still show up in lists, for example what users have liked a specific post.

If a user is writing posts that break the Terms of Service, please report each post to us by opening the post menu and click on "Report" so we have a chance to find them and delete them.

You can't block users on LokiTalk.

Posts on LokiTalk can't be deleted by any user, only by administrators. They will only be deleted if they break the Terms of Service. However, you can add a short note to a post explaining that you have changed your mind, similar to what you would do in real life. And you can edit the text to fix typos, as long as the meaning is identical and none of the facts have changed.

Posts deleted by an admin are always hidden. They can be seen by pressing the "Show hidden posts" button at the end of the list they are in. Similar to muted posts, the deleted posts have a text that explains the reason, for example "Deleted (Illegal content)". A few deleted posts have content that can be revealed with a "Show" button, but the majority don't and are permanently blanked out.

Deleted posts are still included is because they might have replies that are valuable to keep the discussion intact. If you are the author of the deleted post, you can still see the content to have a chance to understand why it was deleted. But it is blanked out for everyone else.

Why not allow deletes?

Writing hashtags in a post, for example "#Chess", is a way to put it in one or more categories so it is easy to understand what the post is about, and to also make it easy to find in a search. LokiTalk takes this idea one step further with Spaces.

A space is a sub forum within LokiTalk, much like a subreddit on Reddit, but where no one is in control of the posts and no one can ban you from participating. Only posts with the space's hashtag are shown in the feed.

Enter a space by opening the menu of the feed page, then select "Spaces". This takes you to a list of the most popular hashtags, where you also can search for a specific one. Click on a space in the list and you will return to the feed for that space. The black top bar now has the name of the space to make it clear where you are. If it is an offical space it will also have a short introduction text. Leave the space by clicking on its name or the introduction.

Official spaces have a profile picture and an introduction text, shown at the top of the feed. They are also listed higher on the list of spaces, and are automatically suggested when you start typing a hashtag in your posts.

A regular space can become official when someone promotes it. You do this by writing a new post in that space. It should include a profile picture and an introduction text. At the end of the text include "@Promote" so the purpose of the post is clear. LokiTalk staff will do a quick review and then make the space official.

When you are in a space and start writing a new post, the hashtag of the space is automatically included in your text. Only the first post in a thread needs to have this hashtag; the replies are included by default.

Follow a space by first entering it, then click on the name or introduction. This opens a menu where you can choose "Follow". It is now suggested every time you open this menu for quick access.

This tab shows posts made by the user, sorted into different categories. Change category with the button at the top. All posts are listed in date order.

• Featured. These are especially important posts that the user has selected manually. First is a list of pinned posts, which is the highest priority posts, and usually something that is important at the current moment. Then follows a list of featured posts. After that follows "Popular posts", which is all the posts the user has made to the feed in attention order. Open a post's menu to pin it or select it as featured on your own profile page.
• Bookmarks (your own page only) Here are your bookmarks. Open a post's menu to bookmark it.
• Followed threads. (your own page only) Open a post's menu to follow it. This is only available for comments, not arguments. Following a post means that you will be notified about any new reply to the post or further down the chain of replies. This is a good way to keep track of interesting conversations. Keep in mind that only replies below the followed post will trigger notifications. If you want to follow the entire conversation be sure to follow the very first post.
• Liked/voted posts (your own page only) Comments that you have liked or arguments you have voted on.
• Feed. Comment posts created on the feed by this user.
• Replies. All the comment replies this user has written.
• Arguments. All the argument posts this user has written, both as replies and on the feed. Listed in attention order.
• Muted posts. Lists all posts that have been muted by this user or his community. This an important list to look at from time to time on your own profile page. It might happen that users or posts that you find valuable get muted by your community, and here is the place you can find them and correct the mistake. Simply click on the post's user and unmute him, or do the same for the post itself.
• Mentions. These are posts where the user is mentioned in the text, by typing "@username".

This tab lists the people that follow the user, and the trust status between them.

The list starts with following users. Below are users that do not follow the profile user, but still trust him with votes through an influencer. This means that the listed user has an influencer who in turn trust the profile user, so the listed users trust him too but without following him.

Important: The follow status on each of the users in the list is between them and the profile user. If it says "Follower" it means that the listed user is a follower of the profile user, not a follower of you. The only case when he is a follower of you is if you are looking at your own profile.

This tab lists the people the user follows, and the trust status between them.

The list starts with followed users. Below are users that are not followed, but the user still trusts with votes through an influencer. This means that the profile user has an influencer who in turn trust these users, so he trusts them too but without following them.

Important: The follow status on each of the users in the list is between the profile user and the listed user. If it says "Following" it means that the profile user is following the listed user, not that he is following you. The only case when he is following you is if you are looking at your own profile. Then the status is also a button so you can change the relation.

Each user also has an alignment value, for example "75% aligned". This means that the listed user and the profile user have voted the same on 75% of all arguments where both have voted, and that there are at least 3 such posts. This is especially useful to look at on your own profile page to see whether the people you follow think the same way you do.

This tab shows the people the user has muted, either directly or through the users in his community. This a useful list to look at on your own profile page, to make sure that valuable people aren't unintentionally muted by you or your community.

This part shows the post and its replies. This view is also available everywhere else you see a post, for example in the feed. Just click on the Open arrow to read the replies. But the discussion page gives a cleaner view.

One or two rows are sometimes shown before the post to give context to the post, separated with a dashed line. For example it can show what main post this post is a reply to, or if it is posted to the feed, or who did a repost of this post.

The top of each post shows the user's name, username, post date and their profile picture. Arguments have a voting summary button which shows what other users think of the post (select who these users are in the settings). If the post is muted or deleted a black label shows the reason.

At the bottom are tool buttons:

• Open. Opens and closes the replies to the post. Arguments show the replies in three sections: "Arguments for", "Arguments against" and "Comments". When you open a post it initially shows five replies, and you can load 20 more at a time by pressing the "Show more" button.
• Reply. Opens a form where you can reply to the post.
• Recycle. Opens a menu with:
  • Repost. Puts this post on your own feed.
  • Quote. Puts a link to this post on the clipboard. See above for more details.
• Views. Number of users who have seen this post. Each user is only counted once, no matter how many times he has seen the post. Seen means that the post has been on the screen for a short time.
• Like. (comments only) A heart icon you can click to show that you like this post. You can also like your own posts, although it is not counted in the post's attention score.
• Vote. (arguments only) A checkmark icon you can click to give your opinion on the post. Green checkmark means "True", red cross means "False".
• Usefulness. (arguments replies to a main argument only) An arrow icon you can click to give your opinion on how useful the post is as a reply to the main argument. Up arrow means "Useful", down arrow means "Misplaced".

Replies to a post are sorted by date for comments and sorted by usefulness for arguments. You change this by clicking on the order icon at the top right corner of the first reply. For the comments section it can be "Likes" (most liked post at the top), "Trust" (the author you trust the most at the top), "Date" (in written order), and "Latest" (newest post at the top). For the arguments sections it can be "Most useful" (highest usefulness value, which is your own choice or your community's choices), "Date" (in written order), "Latest" (newest post at the top).

At the right end of the tool buttons is the post menu:

• Mute post. Mutes the post.
• Share post. Opens the share function of your phone to share a link to the post through other social media or email. If you are on a computer the link is instead put on the clipboard.
• Original post. Opens a new page with the first post of the thread.
• Report post. Reports a post that has violated the Terms of Service.
• Pin to profile. Places the post at the top of the "Featured" list on your user profile page.
• Add to featured. Places the post on the "Featured" list on your user profile page, below the pinned posts.
• Follow thread. Ensures that you get notifications when someone replies to this post, or anywhere in the thread below it.
• Add to bookmarks. Places the post in the bookmarks list on your user profile page.
• Adjust. (arguments only) Allows you to write a few words to tie this argument together with the main argument. This is especially useful when you have reused a great argument as a reply, and you want to explain why it makes sense. You can update this text any time you want, but you can only write it for posts that you placed under this main argument yourself -- you either wrote the post yourself, or you reused an existing post.
• Note/edit. Allows you to add a note to a post you made earlier but now regret. See Notes and edits for more details.

The Places Tab

This tab shows the places this post can be found:

• The posts it is a reply to. For comments this can be only one place. Arguments can be reused, so for them it can be several places.
• The posts that have quoted it.

The Reposts Tab

Shows a list of users that have reposted this post to their feed.

The Likes Tab

For comments only. Shows a list of users that have liked this post and when they liked it. If you trust them then it also shows how many votes they have.

The True/False Tab

For arguments only. Shows a list of users that have given their opinion on this post, what their opinions are (True or False), and when they gave them. If you trust the user, it also shows how many votes you trust them with and how many percent of the total number of votes that is.

Click the button at the top to sort the list by trust (number of votes), date or opinion.

At the top is a summary of how your community voted and how all LokiTalk users voted.

The Useful tab

Works just like the True/false tab, but here you see how users have voted on this post as a reply. Do they think it is a useful reply or not?

• Language. Language for buttons and texts.
• Style. Pick between Bright, Dark and Blue for the look of the app.
• Text size. Adjust the size of text, buttons and icons.
• Pool selection order (Best/Mix/Recent). Pick the best posts from each feed pool, or the most recent posts or a mix. Read more at Feed details.
• Vote summary (Hide/All users/Trusted users). Show the average of true/false votes for either all LokiTalk users or only users you trust.
• Posts muted by you (Show blanked/Show normal/Hide). What to do with posts that have been muted by you.
  • Show blanked. This will show muted posts but with the content blanked out and replaced with a text that explains why it is muted. It also has a "Show" button that reveals the content.
  • Show normal. This shows the muted post as a normal post, but with a black label that shows the reason for muting.
  • Hidden. The post is hidden. If you are looking at a list of posts, for example the feed or the replies to a post, then at the end of the list you have a chance to see these hidden posts by clicking on the "Show hidden posts" button.
• Posts muted by your community (Show blanked/Show normal/Hide). Works just like "Posts muted by you" but for posts that have been muted by your community (people you trust).
• Agreement level, 1-100% (normally 50). Controls how strict the community muting is. How many percent of the votes among community users must have selected to mute the post or its author to make it muted.
• Number of opinions (normally 5). The minimum number of users that must have interacted with the post to calculate an agreement level. Interacted means muted, liked, replied to it, quoted it or reposted/reused it.
• Argument authors (Show/Hide). To show or hide the author of argument posts. Hiding the author can be a good way to counter your own bias. You will judge the post on the idea, not on who wrote it.
• Text clipping (normally 5 rows). How many lines of text to show for a post initially. The rest can be shown by pressing the "Show more" label.
• Image clipping (normally 17 rows). How much of a post image to show initially. The rest can be seen by clicking on the image.
• Allow messages from (Everyone/Trusted users/No one). Who can send private messages to you. If you select "Trusted users" you can also enter how many votes you must trust them with before they can message you. Both parties must enable messaging for a message to be sent either way. If you have muted a user, he can't send messages to you.

Close your account by opening your user profile page, then click on the Settings button. At the account tab, click on the "Close account" button.

If you close your account your posts will still remain. Only write what you really mean. Use the note function to inform readers about posts you regret.