Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Lobsters VS Pointer Pointer

Compare Lobsters VS Pointer Pointer and see what are their differences

Lobsters logo Lobsters

Lobsters is a technology-focused link-aggregation site.

Pointer Pointer logo Pointer Pointer

Pointer Pointer is an entertainment and fun site that allows users to have fun with their cursor.
  • Lobsters Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-30
  • Pointer Pointer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2025-03-18

Lobsters features and specs

  • High-Quality Content
    Lobste.rs has a reputation for hosting high-quality content, primarily focused on technology, programming, and related topics, which attracts knowledgeable users.
  • Community Moderation
    The site employs a community moderation system where users can vote on submissions and comments, helping to maintain a high standard of discussion.
  • Invitation-Only Membership
    New users can only join through an invitation from an existing member, which helps to preserve the quality of the community and reduce spam.
  • Open-Source Platform
    The Lobste.rs codebase is open-source, allowing for community contributions and transparency in how the site operates.
  • Minimalist Design
    The website features a clean and minimalist design that focuses on content without distractions, making it easy to navigate and read.

Possible disadvantages of Lobsters

  • Limited Audience
    Due to its niche focus on technology and programming, Lobste.rs may not offer as broad a range of topics as other forums, limiting its appeal to a wider audience.
  • Invitation Barrier
    The invitation-only system, while maintaining quality, can make it challenging for new users to join unless they know someone already in the community.
  • Smaller Community
    The site has a relatively smaller user base compared to larger platforms like Reddit or Hacker News, which can result in fewer discussions and slower content generation.
  • Bias Towards Technical Topics
    Given its focus, there is often a bias towards highly technical discussions, which might be off-putting to those with a casual interest in technology or programming.
  • Less Mainstream Content
    Mainstream tech news and trends might be underrepresented compared to more niche, highly technical content, which could limit its usefulness for staying current with broader industry trends.

Pointer Pointer features and specs

  • Entertainment
    Pointer Pointer offers a unique and entertaining experience by finding a photo with a person pointing at the cursor location, which can be amusing to users.
  • Simplicity
    The website features a simple and intuitive interface, making it easy to interact with and enjoy without requiring any technical skills.
  • Novelty
    The concept of finding and displaying a corresponding pointing image at different cursor positions is a novel idea that captures users' curiosity.
  • User Engagement
    The website encourages users to move their cursor around, increasing interaction and engagement as users test different positions to see new images.

Possible disadvantages of Pointer Pointer

  • Limited Functionality
    Pointer Pointer offers a single-function experience, which may lead to limited user engagement over time as there are no additional features to explore.
  • Novelty Wears Off
    While the concept is initially intriguing, the novelty can wear off quickly, leading to a decrease in repeat visits from users.
  • Lack of Practical Use
    The site does not serve a practical purpose or provide any useful information, which might not appeal to users seeking productivity or educational content.
  • Slow Performance
    Depending on the speed of the internet connection, loading new images might take time, potentially leading to a less satisfying user experience.

Analysis of Lobsters

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Lobsters (lobste.rs) is generally considered to be a good platform.

Why this product is good

  • Lobsters is a well-regarded technology-focused community that offers high-quality discussions and articles. It is designed to cater to software developers, tech enthusiasts, and industry professionals, providing a platform for sharing links and engaging in discussions without the noise and distractions common in larger forums. The community is smaller and more curated, which often results in more informative and meaningful interactions.

Recommended for

  • Software developers
  • Technology enthusiasts
  • Start-up founders
  • People interested in programming and tech discussions
  • Individuals looking for a moderated and respectful community

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Lobsters and Pointer Pointer)
Social Networks
85 85%
15% 15
Entertainment
0 0%
100% 100
Social News
100 100%
0% 0
Startups
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Lobsters and Pointer Pointer

Lobsters Reviews

15 Best Reddit Alternatives in 2024: Find Your New Online Community
Lobsters is a technology-focused link aggregation site with a strong community emphasis.

Pointer Pointer Reviews

We have no reviews of Pointer Pointer yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Lobsters should be more popular than Pointer Pointer. It has been mentiond 151 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Lobsters mentions (151)

  • The dead Internet is not a theory anymore
    There's a third option: web-of-trust. https://lobste.rs/ has some problems but not bot spam. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Israel Strikes Oil Facilities in Iran
    For those frustrated on incessant political news on here, check out https://lobste.rs (and don't forget to flag this). - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • New accounts on HN 10x more likely to use EM-dashes
    Looks like http://lobste.rs is it. I haven't been invited, and I don't really think I should be, but I'm having a very nice time just reading. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • You Can't Trust the Internet Anymore
    HN with invites is basically https://lobste.rs/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • GPT-5.2 derives a new result in theoretical physics
    Https://simonwillison.net/ is a pretty loud and moderate voice in the community. Also active on Lobste.rs: https://lobste.rs/~simonw But agree that there's an irrational level of tribalism on both sides. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
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Pointer Pointer mentions (43)

  • Show HN: See what country you would hit if you went straight (1 BC โ†’ Present)
    This seems to be from the same universe as the excellent https://pointerpointer.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Issue with mouse hover
    I've just installed Sonoma and it works mostly ok. Though I've ran into this issue where the OS doesn't seem to know where my mouse is until I click. The cursor itself is displayed where it should be and all, but if I right click something on the dock then I can't really click anything in the menu. If I hold the right click and then hover to what I want to do in the menu then it works. I also went to the website... Source: over 2 years ago
  • Show HN: I made a really silly personal landing page
    Very neat! Reminds me of this: https://pointerpointer.com I'll say, I'm very disappointed in what happens when I put the cursor between your eyes. :). - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • What are some amazing websites that are flying under the radar?
    This website where people point at your pointer. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Clock
    This reminds me of https://pointerpointer.com/ which finds pictures with the right pointer instead of quotes with the right time. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Lobsters and Pointer Pointer, you can also consider the following products

Hacker News - Hacker News is a social news website focusing on computer science and entrepreneurship. It is run by Paul Graham's investment fund and startup incubator, Y Combinator.

The Useless Web - The Useless Web is a massive collection of some of the worldโ€™s most pointless websites.

Tildes - A non-profit community site driven by its users' interests

Archive.org - Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library offering free universal access to books, movies...

Reddit - Reddit gives you the best of the internet in one place. Get a constantly updating feed of breaking news, fun stories, pics, memes, and videos just for you.

Lemmy - Federated link aggregator and Reddit alternative built with Rust