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Reddit Founder Alexis Ohanian Resigns from the Board of Reddit

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Re: Reddit Founder Alexis Ohanian Resigns from the Board of Reddit

#421

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anecdotally, and interestingly, I've only ever seen the phrase "virtue signal" from the alt-right/white supremacist/Trump supporter group. I think I understand what it's trying to convey, but it seems to be used anytime someone sides with something with which that group disagrees. It's like a "dog whistle" for white supremacists and personally when I see it used, it makes me question everything else that person said.

I don't know. The minorities I talk to tend to be quite aware that some people are engaging in point-scoring for ultimately self-serving purposes. However, they are not usually loud about this observation, so the sentiment might get lost in the noise.

I am a hispanic and this is exactly how I feel. We are not pawns that need to be manipulated for social points.

Re: Reddit Founder Alexis Ohanian Resigns from the Board of Reddit

#422
post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here we are on HN, one of the most censored and moderated forums on the internet. Personally, I find it quite refreshing.

I agree that HN is heavily moderated, but from what I've seen the comment moderation is more focused on maintaining civility and tone. I think dang and friends will let you say controversial things as long as they're framed in a productive way and you aren't a jerk about it (and as long as you don't commit the sin of editorializing a post title!) I think that's a stark contrast with reddit, where being a dick is ofte…

This is a great way of putting it. HN is heavily moderated for tone and respectfulness but not for ideology (within reason). Reddit is heavily moderated for ideology but not for tone or respectfulness.

I believe this policy is actually responsible for political subreddits there being so consistently toxic. The site’s moderation encourages extreme ideological echo chambers to form in which members can be almost arbitrarily uncivil as long as they exist within that community’s ideology.

Re: Reddit Founder Alexis Ohanian Resigns from the Board of Reddit

#423

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, yes, in that way nothing that happens today can be in any way, shape or form similar to something that happened 50 years ago. After all, they didn't have cell phones and Twitch back then.

Was I making a comparison? Was I shutting the door to one? Did I make a statement that in any way, shape, or form suggests that nothing today is similar to something that happened 50 years ago? I was stating what I still believe is a factual observation. I didn't claim or imply that other generations could not or were not radicalized throughout history. I wasn't suggesting that only young males can be radicalized, th…

> Would you would like to argue that the groups associated with "gamergate" weren't on reddit, weren't radicalized, weren't radicalized by right-wing entities, weren't young, and/or weren't generally male?

Lots of people that cared about gamergate weren't "radicalized", they were pissed off. But mostly I'd argue that they are no different than their fathers or grandfathers. Those generations wouldn't have identified as gamers because that wasn't a thing back then, much like they wouldn't shout obscenities in Twitch chat, because that too didn't exist. They'd shout pretty much the same obscenities elsewhere though.

Re: Reddit Founder Alexis Ohanian Resigns from the Board of Reddit

#424

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have no idea what the skin color or gender or sexual preferences of other users on HN are and you don't know mine. That's how I prefer it. The other day I unsubscribed from a popular Javascript mailing list, after the writer switched from writing about Javascript to writing about how white people and black people should interact. Or rather I didn't unsubscribe right away: I emailed the writer politely and mentioned…

In such a polarized emotionally charged environment, some people are unable to emotionally segregate world news from their personal and professional lives. These people have become paralyzed and unable to function normally. They allow world events to bleed into every conversation, and feel obligated to support their side and ostracizing anyone that disagrees - further isolating them in their bubble. I think that soci…

Quite right! In this case, the mailing list writer has built a dichotomy into all their communications: either you say black lives matter or you say "all lives matter" and therefore you are his enemy.

Whereas the third option, "I'm just here for Javascript tips", wasn't even under consideration.

So unless you engage with and echo their politics, you fall into the enemy camp by default.

Re: Reddit Founder Alexis Ohanian Resigns from the Board of Reddit

#426

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My original point was that Reddit is nothing but a toxic echo chamber. So I think you are agreeing with me?

I think in the big political (and even many of the non-political) subreddits, there is tolerance only for a very narrow band of centrist Dem opinions, and anything outside that band to the left or the right is heavily downvoted.

Is that the way that centrist democrats express themselves because the language and attitude comes across as extremely caustic. I considered myself a democrat for the vast majority of my life but now I no longer know what I am if that is the bar that is being set.

Re: Reddit Founder Alexis Ohanian Resigns from the Board of Reddit

#428

Reddit got too mainstream for its own good. The company desperately wants to become the new social media (think Facebook or Twitter), but many users are standing in the way, making the change from a discussion website to a social media website slow. What made me and many others use Reddit in the first place is that it didn't really matter who you are and what's your political and religious background, the only thing…

I have no idea what the skin color or gender or sexual preferences of other users on HN are and you don't know mine. That's how I prefer it. The other day I unsubscribed from a popular Javascript mailing list, after the writer switched from writing about Javascript to writing about how white people and black people should interact. Or rather I didn't unsubscribe right away: I emailed the writer politely and mentioned…

Andreas Antonopoulos does this on twitter all the time, drives me crazy - https://twitter.com/aantonop/status/1268576565912363008

Re: Reddit Founder Alexis Ohanian Resigns from the Board of Reddit

#429
post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But that's why she was ousted: https://www.wired.com/2015/07/reddit-ceo-ellen-pao-steps-dow... Turns out only allowing speech that you deem acceptable makes for a pretty boring internet forum.

Here we are on HN, one of the most censored and moderated forums on the internet. Personally, I find it quite refreshing.

Moderated in scope, not in opinion. Except the downvotes of course, which are easily the worst part of HN.

I too miss the old forums you had dedicated to one thing and set up by volunteers who liked that one thing and weren't interested in growth above all.

Re: Reddit Founder Alexis Ohanian Resigns from the Board of Reddit

#430

Reddit mods wantonly abuse their power and I'm not even talking about politics. Ever been to r/science? 8/10 comments are deleted and those posts can't be read ever again (I'm understating that number, if anything). Honestly, half the reason I come here is because you can still view dead comments - censorship is a surefire way to get me to leave your community.

> Ever been to r/science? 8/10 comments are deleted and those posts can't be read ever again Note that this is clearly spelled out in the subreddit rules, and is by design. 8/10 comments on reddit as a whole are jokes, anecdotes, off topic, or simply low quality. /r/science tries to promote high-quality discussion of actual science, does so by heavy moderation, and doesn't pretend they're not deleting most comments.…

I personally think they should rename the sub. /r/science is way too generic of a name, and unless folks study the sidebar as they are coming in from /r/popular or /r/all, they have no indication that their questions and anecdotes are completely unwelcome and will be deleted. It's an incredibly frustrating experience and I think it just damages the perception of 'science' by those that are trying to wade into it.
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