1904 upvotes, 26 direct replies (showing 25)
View submission: Removing harassing subreddits
"Reddit's general manager Erik Martin noted that 'having to stomach occasional troll reddits like /r/picsofdeadkids or morally questionable reddits like /r/jailbait are part of the price of free speech on a site like this,' and that it is not Reddit's place to censor its users"
Comment by Miguelito-Loveless at 11/06/2015 at 14:47 UTC*
10 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Given the sheer nastiness of some subreddits, there is never going to be a decision that makes everyone happy. That being said, I am sympathetic the Erik Martin approach. But though I think that banning subreddits should be a very rare thing, I can understand that the Reddit admins don't want offensive content on the front page. They want to grow the Reddit user base to make money (obviously) and having subs with offensive content regularly show up on the front page is going to cause potential new redditors to turn around and never return.
So why can't the administrators keep offensive subs around, but make it so that the content never shows up on the front page or when browsing /r/all? That way a person has to choose to visit /r/CuteFemaleCorpses, /r/spacedicks, /r/fatpeoplehate, etc. if they want to see that content. The content is still there for anyone who wants to track it down, but casuals, newbies and those not interested in that stuff can blissfully go about their lives as if it doesn't exist.
Any thoughts on the positive/negative aspects of that approach?
Comment by 45534545 at 11/06/2015 at 13:19 UTC*
24 upvotes, 1 direct replies
You see they're banning BEHAVIOR not an IDEA. Even though all other subreddits that FPH is trying to make are being banned. Even though SRS who brigades much harder or r/cringe who "bullies" much harder are not being banned. Even though FPH was one of the strictest subreddits in terms of linking to other parts of reddit (deleted post and bannable offense) and all types of doxxing or brigading. The STRICTEST. Just so reddit would have no reason to ban them for "breaking rules".
So to reddit admins: Stop fucking lying. It's your website. You are ENTITLED to ban whatever you want. For whatever reason. But you CANNOT say you support a free open forum and are against censorship and all of that. You cannot. You did this because you didn't like the content.
Tell the fucking truth. FPH followed reddit rules to a T. Other subreddits do not. They were not taken down. You claim it was the behavior but not the idea. You are cowards and liars and censoring reddit. This is the end. All hail Ellen Pao
Comment by dakta at 11/06/2015 at 00:10 UTC
902 upvotes, 16 direct replies
Erik has moved on from Reddit.
Comment by IndecisionToCallYou at 11/06/2015 at 16:23 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Ellen Pao got called out on /r/gasthekikes on NPR a month ago and pretty much said this was coming, whether she made the decision on the spot or if she had been considering it for awhile is hard to know.
**Are you thinking of harassment in terms of targeting a specific individual as opposed to an individual who's part of a group that would feel targeted by a whole thread of discussion?**
That's a good question. We are currently focused on addressing harassment perpetrated by individual users. We know we do have a problem of group harassment as well, but we're trying to address one problem at a time and we will get to group harassment next. It's not something that's going to be very easy so we're taking it one step at a time. We are building tools and hiring more people so we'll have enough resources to do it right when we do continue to look at how our site is being used and the types of content and behavior on our site.
Comment by Diabeetush at 11/06/2015 at 05:30 UTC
53 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Praise glorious dear leader Ellen Pao.
Comment by [deleted] at 11/06/2015 at 04:40 UTC
43 upvotes, 1 direct replies
[deleted]
Comment by whiskeytango55 at 11/06/2015 at 07:21 UTC
15 upvotes, 1 direct replies
pretty sure it has something to do with someone whose life is a wreck, who lost a trumped up sexual harassment lawsuit and is currently appealing (for no particular reason) unless they get paid off.
it seems like it has to do a lot with this person
Comment by Bjoernzor at 11/06/2015 at 09:39 UTC
8 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Because, if you'd read the OP, they were banned for organised harassement (which is not allowed, say what you will about that) not for their content.
Comment by therealjew at 11/06/2015 at 19:41 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Free speech does not defend harassment/ hate speech. While I may have found myself going to /r/fatpeoplehate for a chuckle now and again, but that doesn't stop it from being harassment. They targeted specific individuals who were not already in the public light. While I support the decision to ban it, it really is just adding fuel to their fat hating fire, which will now burn its way across every other subreddit because their no longer contained. It remains to be seen whether this was a good call, eliminating a hateful corner of their site, or a massive mistake, spreading hate across everyone's computer screens.
Comment by idontcareaboutthenam at 11/06/2015 at 10:26 UTC*
-1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
They did n't ban the subreddit for hate speech. They banned it because the mods organized witch hunting against imgur's staff and went so far as to post personal information in the sidebar. This started because imgur wanted to stop fatpeoplehate posts from reaching their front page.
edit: note this[1] thread from /r/outoftheloop and this[2] specific comment
Comment by memeirou at 11/06/2015 at 15:28 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Troll reddit aren't harassing people which, to my understanding, is the reason those subreddits got banned.
Comment by da1geek at 11/06/2015 at 18:20 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I think people are missing the fact that fatpeoplehate was here for a LONG time until they blatantly went out of their way to antagonize the admins.
Comment by [deleted] at 12/06/2015 at 05:11 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Well, you see, that previous goal now conflicts with Chairman Pao's new goal of turning the website into a hugbox, ripe for selling to Facebook.
Comment by OneTripleZero at 11/06/2015 at 08:58 UTC
-5 upvotes, 0 direct replies
There's a lot of Pao hate in these comments, which while (imo) is justified, it's not the reason. These specific subs were shut down due to them interfering both with other subs and with other sites external to reddit. It says right in the OP it was due to harassment, not due to content.
We’re banning behavior, not ideas.
So as long as the people of /r/picsofdeadkids keep their shit within their own walls, they're allowed to stay. If they made a habit of x-posting to /r/parenting though, they'd have a serious problem on their hands.
Comment by MidnightHue at 11/06/2015 at 13:07 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Dear god, why the fuck did I click the link to /r/picsofdeadkids? I have no idea what i was expecting. I need /r/eyebleach now
Comment by BilgeXA at 11/06/2015 at 12:53 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
The latter has already been banned prior to this announcement?
Comment by Daymanahaaah at 11/06/2015 at 15:36 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
So /r/Jailbait and is a no go, but Reddit is okay with people getting off to dead kids? How fucked is that.
Comment by YallAreElliotRodger at 11/06/2015 at 13:07 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
erik should be in prison. contributing to child sexual abuse is not speech.
Comment by dakta at 11/06/2015 at 00:10 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Erik has moved on from Reddit.
Comment by Liz_zarro at 11/06/2015 at 08:42 UTC*
0 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I clicked the link...r/picsofdeadkids http://i.imgur.com/YEMNIyd.gif
Comment by yumenohikari at 11/06/2015 at 17:42 UTC
0 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Wiser folk prevail at Reddit these days, people who actually understand that freedom of speech doesn't mean you have a god-given right to shit all over everything.
Comment by icallshenannigans at 11/06/2015 at 12:41 UTC
0 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Simple: those circumstances have changed.
Voat with your feet and your wallet.
Comment by ohstylo at 11/06/2015 at 17:21 UTC
0 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Mods aren't dead kids or jailbait. They are, apparently, fat people
Comment by ButterHufferHater at 11/06/2015 at 10:46 UTC
-2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
"oops I lied" Erik Martin.
On a side note, he can suck all the fat dicks he wants (as small as they are under all those fupas), we'll still be here.
Comment by [deleted] at 11/06/2015 at 17:34 UTC
0 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Only applies if you're an SJW. Sorry
