Like I said, exceptions. I don't think tDA and SC do that much worldbuilding, speaking as someone who doesn't usually care for it. Those who ape the Tolkien high-fantasy school lean on it more, meandering descriptions. Anathem is actually my favorite.
I had trouble with the Baroque Cycle and did not bother to finish, but stuck with Cryptonomicon and it was completely worth it. Otherwise agree with your picks.
On Seveneves, no two people seem to agree on which half of the book is "bad", but I will say in general that the first half is more popular among the base. I thought the latter was fine.
He's detailed (maximalist as he likes to say), but I wouldn't call it worldbuilding (with exceptions). A fantasy author does that. He just gets into the nitty gritty about tech or ideas.
Sure, though no reason a Corporation could not also have a duty to all stakeholders. Back when Corporations were a new thing, you had to prove they would be a benefit to the crown to form them. That's not to say it's necessarily ideal in all cases.
You claim T_D was brigaded, yet claim ignorance as to whether such a thing has sprouted from the conservative base which needn't explicitly come from T_D. That's more than strange unless you haven't really explored much else on the site.
> Forums like 8chan and 4chan effectively incubate hate speech by providing a safe space
The simplest view is that these safe spaces mostly exist because some larger platforms have been turned into safe spaces. However, even on larger platforms, these types form insular groups that are effectively walled gardens within a larger ecosystem (see T_D). The mode of operation appears to be to rally behind safe spaces, then brigade larger platforms when something catches their attention. No real discussion, just bombarding text.
It's exceedingly difficult to have honest discussion with those of opposing views because people reward themselves with safe spaces and tend to expect them. Ideally, we could rely on rational discourse to assuage the extremism issue and inoculate. If we shout them down in a given arena, they'll scurry away but never disappear.
As I see it, it's a problem of scale. On smaller vbulletin forums you'll more likely see heated, but honest, debate there without any brigades nor bans (depending on modship). A rainbow of opinions. With platforms as large as reddit, censorship is holding all out shit shows at bay.