Sez Us, a social app founded by Democratic strategist Joe Trippi, is on a mission to revolutionize the way we interact online. The platform is designed to promote civil discourse and discourage the spread of inflammatory content, often referred to as "rage-bait."

Rage-bait, which includes intentionally provocative posts or fabricated scenarios, has become a pervasive issue on social media platforms. The current incentive structures on popular platforms like Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube, which reward creators with views and engagement, have inadvertently fueled the proliferation of rage-bait. This has led to a toxic online environment, where users are often more focused on sparking controversy than engaging in meaningful conversations.

Sez Us is attempting to break this cycle by introducing a novel approach to moderation. The platform allows users to rate each other's posts based on five criteria: approval, influence, insightfulness, relevance, and politeness. By doing so, Sez Us hopes to create an environment where users think twice before posting inflammatory content, and instead, focus on fostering constructive discussions.

The concept of community-driven moderation is not new, but Sez Us's approach is unique in its emphasis on promoting civil discourse. By incentivizing users to engage in respectful conversations, the platform aims to create a more positive and productive online community. While it remains to be seen whether Sez Us can achieve its ambitious goals, the experiment is certainly worth watching, and other social media platforms can learn from its innovative approach.

Changing the fundamental nature of the social internet is a daunting task, and Sez Us may ultimately prove to be more of a feature than a standalone product. However, its impact could be significant, even if it inspires other platforms to adopt similar community-driven moderation strategies. As the online landscape continues to evolve, Sez Us's experiment serves as a timely reminder of the importance of promoting respectful online interactions.

While Sez Us's approach is not without its challenges, the platform's commitment to fostering civil discourse is a welcome respite from the toxic online environment that has become all too familiar. As the social media landscape continues to shift, it will be interesting to see how Sez Us's innovative approach fares, and whether other platforms will follow suit.

In a world where social media platforms have become increasingly influential in shaping our online interactions, Sez Us's bold experiment is a timely reminder of the importance of promoting respectful online discourse. Whether or not Sez Us succeeds in its mission, its impact on the social media landscape is likely to be felt for years to come.