News on most platforms is broadcast. A publisher posts a headline; readers either click through or don't. WeSearch is structured around the inverse: every headline opens into a discussion, and the discussion is the artifact you came back for. This page is what the discussion layer actually is and how it works.
What's on every story page
- Reactions. Tap a reaction on the headline or the body. Counts persist across the hub feed and the dedicated story page.
- Threaded comments. Reply to specific comments. Threads indent up to a few levels; deeper replies still work but flatten visually.
- GIFs in comments. The GIF picker proxies a public library and renders inline.
- Comment likes. Anonymous likes on individual comments.
- Sort order. Newest, most-liked, most-replied. Your call, not an algorithm's.
- Anonymous handles. Two people commenting on the same story have no way to tell whether they know each other.
- Follow voices. Tap a handle to view their public history and follow them. Their activity rolls into your Friends tab.
What's on every Pulse tab
The Pulse tab aggregates across the platform: top reactions in the past 24 hours, hottest discussions, latest chatter (a real-time stream of comments), most-engaged anonymous voices this week. It's a window into the room, not a personalized feed.
How discussion finds you back
If you opt in to push notifications, you can configure pings for replies to your comments, likes on your comments, new followers, breaking news, daily digest, or saved-story updates. The push system uses VAPID Web Push and respects your quiet hours. You don't have to camp on the site to know when someone replied.
Why the discussion stays substantive
Anonymous handles + no algorithmic boost + cross-source feed + small audience = a discussion environment where the loudest takes don't win by default. Most threads stabilize on substance because there's no follower-count incentive for outrage. More on the structural design.
How to start your first thread
- Open the homepage and pick a story that interests you.
- Tap the comment icon on the card or the headline of the story page.
- Write your comment in the box at the bottom. (Your handle generates automatically the first time.)
- Drop in a GIF if you want. Drop in a reply to someone else's comment. Like the takes you appreciate.
- Come back when you want. Use push notifications to get pinged on replies.