Why should I engage with a community that is owned by a for-profit company that treats it as a part of its product and will always prioritise it less than its profits?

To entertain yourself.

Basically, you should do just like the company, which treats you like a disposable resource: treat the network like a disposable resource too. Answering interesting questions is fun? Well, don't refrain: do it and have fun. You're doing it because you like to see your rep grow? Ok. You have a difficult problem that could be solved by asking here? Well, just take advantage of the network.

However, you probably shouldn't invest anything emotional here (or any place else on the internet, for that matter). Because you'll be bound to experience deception, whether it's right now or in ten years. Company's policy will change, community will change - or you will change - and at some point, you most likely won't find what you found fun anymore.

But it isn't really a problem, and there is no reason to avoid participating if you are just doing it for instantaneous benefits you gain from it.

So, enjoy the moment, but just don't expect anything long term, and don't expect anything in return. This way, you won't be disappointed.

Why should I engage with a community that is owned by a for-profit company that treats it as a part of its product and will always prioritise it less than its profits?

To entertain yourself.

Basically, you should do just like SE inc., which treats you like a disposable resource: treat the network like a disposable resource too. Answering interesting questions is fun? Well, don't refrain: do it and have fun. You're doing it because you like to see your rep grow? Ok. You have a difficult problem that could be solved by asking here? Well, just take advantage of the network.

However, you probably shouldn't invest anything emotional here (or on any place else on the internet, but that's my personal opinion). Because you'll be bound to experience deception, whether it's right now or in ten years. Company's policy will change, community will change - or you will change - and at some point, you most likely won't find what you found entertaining anymore.

But it isn't really a problem, and there is no reason to avoid participating if you are just doing it for instantaneous benefits you gain from it. Also, binding some emotional relationships with other individuals you came to know here isn't that much of a problem: you don't take more risks in doing so than by making friends in the real world (and you can still keep that relation in case SE is taken down, provided you have other means of contacting them). But binding an emotional relationship with the network as a whole, or with SE inc. is definitely something I wouldn't do.

So, enjoy the moment, but just don't expect anything long term, and don't expect anything from the network in return. This way, you won't be disappointed.

Why should I engage with a community that is owned by a for-profit company that treats it as a part of its product and will always prioritise it less than its profits?

To entertain yourself.

Basically, you should do just like the company, which treats you like a disposable resource: treat the network like a disposable resource too. Answering interesting questions is fun? Well, don't refrain: do it and have fun.

Now, you probably shouldn't invest anything emotional here (or any place else on the internet, for that matter), however. Because you'll be bound to experience deception, whether it's right now or in ten years. Company's policy will change, community will change - or you will change - and at some point, you most likely won't find what you found fun anymore.

But it isn't really a problem, and there is no reason to avoid participating if you are just doing it for instantaneous benefits you gain from it.

So, enjoy the moment, but just don't expect anything long term, and don't expect anything in return. This way, you won't be disappointed.

Why should I engage with a community that is owned by a for-profit company that treats it as a part of its product and will always prioritise it less than its profits?

To entertain yourself.

Basically, you should do just like the company, which treats you like a disposable resource: treat the network like a disposable resource too. Answering interesting questions is fun? Well, don't refrain: do it and have fun. You're doing it because you like to see your rep grow? Ok. You have a difficult problem that could be solved by asking here? Well, just take advantage of the network.

However, you probably shouldn't invest anything emotional here (or any place else on the internet, for that matter). Because you'll be bound to experience deception, whether it's right now or in ten years. Company's policy will change, community will change - or you will change - and at some point, you most likely won't find what you found fun anymore.

But it isn't really a problem, and there is no reason to avoid participating if you are just doing it for instantaneous benefits you gain from it.

So, enjoy the moment, but just don't expect anything long term, and don't expect anything in return. This way, you won't be disappointed.