# Time to reconsider infinite scroll?

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/time-to-reconsider-infinite-scroll/401984
**Category:** General
**Created:** [April 30, 2026, 1:48pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/time-to-reconsider-infinite-scroll/401984 "2026-04-30T13:48:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 12

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### Author: ![RGJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/rgj/32/523185_2.png) [@RGJ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/RGJ)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2026, 10:02am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/time-to-reconsider-infinite-scroll/401984/12 "2026-05-01T10:02:59Z")

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There is a more important nuance here. The scroll in Discourse replaces pagination. Just like pagination, it is **not infinite**.

You choose a category, filter or sort order and _then_ you get topics **within that scope** in the **requested sort order**.

**Infinite** scrolling means that there is a constant push of new content into the feed, outside of what you originally chose to view.

Now that bill is a bit sloppy since it defines “infinite scroll” as follows

> “INFINITE SCROLL” SHALL MEAN WHEN A FEED OR LANDING PAGE, WHETHER  
> OR NOT SUCH FEED IS ADDICTIVE AS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS  
> SECTION, AUTOMATICALLY LOADS AND DISPLAYS ADDITIONAL MEDIA AT THE BOTTOM  
> OF SUCH FEED OR LANDING PAGE WITHOUT ANY MANUAL INPUT FROM A COVERED  
> USER.

which could indeed apply to Discourse’s topic list - depending on whether you would qualify scrolling down as “manual input” or not.

Now there is another nuance in that bill. It only applies to “ **addictive** social media platforms” and those are defined as follows (emphasis mine):

> “ADDICTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM” SHALL MEAN A WEBSITE, ONLINE  
> SERVICE, ONLINE APPLICATION, OR MOBILE APPLICATION THAT PRIMARILY SERVES  
> AS A MEDIUM FOR COVERED USERS TO INTERACT WITH MEDIA GENERATED BY OTHER  
> USERS AND WHICH OFFERS OR PROVIDES COVERED USERS AN ADDICTIVE FEED, PUSH  
> NOTIFICATIONS, AUTOPLAY, INFINITE SCROLL, AND/OR LIKE COUNTS **AS A**  
> **SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE SERVICES** PROVIDED BY SUCH WEBSITE, ONLINE  
> SERVICE, ONLINE APPLICATION, OR MOBILE APPLICATION. “ADDICTIVE SOCIAL  
> MEDIA PLATFORM” **SHALL NOT INCLUDE** ANY SUCH SERVICE OR APPLICATION WHICH  
> THE ATTORNEY GENERAL DETERMINES OFFERS THE FEATURES DESCRIBED HEREIN FOR  
> **A VALID PURPOSE UNRELATED TO PROLONGING USE OF SUCH PLATFORM**.

In other words, just having a scroll feature does not make the website automatically qualify as addictive. It’s about the _purpose_ of the scroll feature.

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_[View the full topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/time-to-reconsider-infinite-scroll/401984)._