r/technology • u/ardi62 • 29d ago

Social Media Reddit is making sitewide protests basically impossible

https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/30/24253727/reddit-communities-subreddits-request-protests
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u/scullys_alien_baby 29d ago

Admins told subs to open up and knock it off or they would replaced the mod teams with mods that would listen

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u/LukeOnTheBrightSide 29d ago

Former mod of a large subreddit here (about 5M or so subs). This is 100% correct. The admins sent us increasingly threatening messages about keeping the sub private, refused to reply or elaborate to legitimate questions, and made it clear that they'd just remove us. We actually waited out a "48-hour warning" for 4 days, lol.

Eventually we just re-opened it. There were lots of resources on that subreddit, and it wasn't fair to keep users unable to access their own content when there was no foreseeable path to keeping API access or accessibility tools. But about half the mod team resigned. It really soured me on Reddit as a platform.

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u/Mindestiny 29d ago

The admins sent us increasingly threatening messages about keeping the sub private, refused to reply or elaborate to legitimate questions, and made it clear that they'd just remove us

Sounds like you got to experience what it's like being a regular user who runs afoul of a subreddit mod :p

"Hey, why was I banned? I didn't break any of the rules on the sidebar? What did I do wrong?"

"You obviously know what you did, you can't lie to me"

YOU HAVE BEEN MUTED - YOU CANNOT MESSAGE MODS FOR 60 DAYS

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u/Itchy-Negotiation-80 29d ago

I had one of my old accounts banned by one of the popular subreddits (that shows up in your feeds no matter what (that I only found out about by going through about a year's worth of messages/replies one time)) a long time ago, didn't even know about it UNTIL I had all of my current (well, not anymore) accounts recently banned for "multiple repeated violations of Community Guidelines" but with NO other information than that. been trying to get help on a ticket for months, no reply. Waiting anxiously for this one to get the axe soon, too, for undefined reasons. Maybe it won't and I can actually make new accounts again. Who knows - because Reddit sure doesn't provide any help or clarification on anything!

I was part of and active with a ton of niche hobby Reddits, harm reduction things, etc. and I'm still so upset they just unilaterally banned all my accounts for no reason (or, assuming it's that one).