Has anyone else noticed Reddit being taken over by shills/bot/trolls

I think the quality of discussion on these sites has definitely gotten worse, but it's always been pretty bad. Digg people would post absolutely idiotic shit, even by today's standards. The thing that sticks out to me is something that I don't even think is appropriate to mention here, but I want to mention it because I think it illustrates how insanely poor the level of discussion was on these older forums -- there was an ASCII art meme that was reposted in seemingly every thread -- pedobear, a bear that wanted to molest children. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedobear. Hilarious (sarcasm)....

I switched to Reddit because it did not have people posting this crap in every thread. It was refreshing to have a forum where people weren't spamming idiotic ascii memes but actually discussing things.

But even so, it's all relative. At one point probably near 2009 or 2010, I was struck by the amount of unhinged comments where people called for outright revolution and violence against the US government / capitalistic systems. I stopped sometime after reaching 100 count in a week or two. I hope it goes without saying, but any violent overthrow of the current status quo is not going to be replaced with something better. It's going to have end up in an authoritarian dystopian nightmare.

At least back then though I felt like it was actual people being unhinged. Now I don't think you can use Reddit as a barometer for the public opinion on anything. I simply think the amount of fake shills and accounts are too high. Reddit got its start by faking comments, but there was definitely a peak in the ratio of genuine to fake comments, and we're in my estimation doing very very bad on that benchmark nowadays. This became evident on large subreddits like r/politics back in 2016, where on a dime it was like a button was pressed in a machine and the shape and color of comments all change in unison. The site is gamed to hell and back.

I like Discord nowadays because I can be sure I'm interacting with a real human, though how long this will stay true I don't know. The internet desperately needs a system in place which can distinguish between genuine human beings and bots. I think much of the social issues we have nowadays stems from how bad actors are manipulating what people see online, and confusing people on where the consensus actually is. Various actors are waging psychological warfare on the public, and the public does not even seem to acknowledge it, even when it is blatantly obvious (as in the example of something like Tik Tok).

    1. Lemmy (Lemmy.ml or other instances):
        ◦ Federated: Lemmy operates on a decentralized model, similar to Mastodon (in the Twitter alternative space). This means that there is no single governing body—each instance is moderated independently.
        ◦ Focus on Communities: It focuses on subcommunities where niche interests can thrive without corporate interference. Lemmy also has a strong commitment to free speech and critical thinking.
        ◦ Federation Across Servers: Even if you're waiting for Lemmy.ml approval, you could try other federated Lemmy instances, which all talk to each other. For example, Lemmygrad is another Lemmy instance with a large user base.

    2. Mastodon:
        ◦ While Mastodon is primarily a microblogging platform, many instances of Mastodon cater to users interested in thoughtful, critical discussions. Communities are tightly moderated to avoid trolls and toxic behavior. Mastodon is another federated platform like Lemmy, so you can choose an instance that aligns with your interests and values.
        ◦ Instance Focus: You can look for an instance dedicated to intellectual discussions or more niche interests that you care about, like critical thinking or philosophy.

    3. Discourse:
        ◦ Discourse is an open-source forum software that powers many community-based platforms. While it doesn’t have the same level of reach as Reddit, it offers features like:
            ▪ Better community management tools to handle bots and trolls.
            ▪ Topic categorization, which helps in organizing meaningful discussions.
        ◦ Many independent forums use Discourse, which allows you to find active and vibrant communities where civil discourse is encouraged.

    4. Hacker News:
        ◦ If you enjoy more tech-oriented or intellectual discussions, Hacker News (owned by Y Combinator) might be a good fit. It’s known for its focus on tech, business, and science discussions with a strong community of knowledgeable people.
        ◦ While it has its own challenges, like any online community, it has fewer issues with trolling compared to Reddit.

    5. Voat (now archived):
        ◦ Voat, which was a similar alternative to Reddit, was taken offline, but it had served as a niche community that didn’t adhere to Reddit's moderation policies. While it no longer exists, there may be alternatives that have sprouted in response to its closure, though they could have similar moderation issues.

    6. 4chan/8kun (Caution Required):
        ◦ 4chan or 8kun could be alternatives if you're looking for platforms with fewer restrictions. However, be aware that these platforms are infamous for being more chaotic, with unfiltered content that can range from meaningful conversations to highly offensive posts. If you're looking for critical thinking, proceed with caution—you might encounter a lot of noise as well.

    7. Tildes:
        ◦ Tildes is another Reddit-like platform designed for high-quality discussions. It's a non-profit that focuses on having meaningful conversations. It has a smaller user base than Reddit, but it is ad-free and focuses on user-curated content.
        ◦ Critical Thinking: Tildes encourages more thoughtful posts and discussions than the typical Reddit posts, which are sometimes filled with memes or low-effort content.