The current reddit purge confirms the inordinate amount of worry free speech causes large institutions.

submitted by Freeman from self.MeanwhileOnReddit

I was initially a bit disheartened when I saw the purge actually happened, with it's spread bigger than most feared. But perhaps it's not that bad at all, a minor setback, at worst. For me, that was the last straw as I won't be using that website any longer. But those who stay will eventually come together creating new subs similar to those banned today. Because that's the thing about free speech (especially for an open forum website) it's impossible to extinguish without completely revealing the twisted power freak idealogy behind the smiling corporate faces. Doing so would be suicide in today's pc culture, so they have to veil it behind easily agreed upon ideas like "removing hate" and "free speech doesn't include hate speech." Which, by the way, of course it fucking does. I hope this type of bullshit opens people's eyes to the gnarled intentions of these lifeless suits. I'm glad they did, now I know exactly what they think of us. Fuck. Them. Hopefully this site doesn't go down the same path, who knows. Either way, this is a fight they can not win. Use their fear against them, congregate, say what you really think and call them on their bullshit. They're a business at the end of the day, we can simply stop using their product, like I and I'm sure thousands of others have/will. Solidarity. Freeman

all 12 comments
sorted by:
top
newinsightfulfun

[–][deleted] 14 insightful - 1 fun14 insightful - 0 fun15 insightful - 1 fun -  (8 children)

I'm new here too. Just signed up today after the ban hammer came down hard on reddit. I'm not here to be a racist or a sexist or a homophobe. I've come here because I'm just so sick of how Reddit is being run.

On the old internet, if you didn't like the way someone said something, you either ignored it or called them a fag or a douche or some other word. And people didn't really care. Nothing was ever meant by it. And because of the culture at the time, that was just how the internet was. Now, you can't say anything without being warned, banned, shadowbanned, witch-hunted, or whatever else.

These people probably weren't using the internet back then, and now that they are using it and seeing "bad words", they feel offended and report you or try to ruin your life. They don't understand internet culture. Plain and simple.

[–]Girlwiththeraventat 11 insightful - 1 fun11 insightful - 0 fun12 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

I signed up today too and I never even had an account on reddit. I just lurked there for years and years. I left because on the front page there was a post on blackpeopletwitter comparing people not wearing masks to wearing a KKK hood. The post said something to the effect of "Yall weren't complaining when yall were wearing those". Like every white person was a KKK member. Honestly fuck off. Black people just want to be so oppressed. I will never feel guilty for the color of my skin and if that's the shit reddit wants to peddle now they can have it.

[–]Wahwah 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

blackpeopletwitter comparing people not wearing masks to wearing a KKK hood. The post said something to the effect of "Yall weren't complaining when yall were wearing those".

I heard on some conservative subreddits that they are pretty openly racist. Something like they have to identify their race by flair or their cover photo says 'serving crackers' etc. I haven't checked personally though.

[–]Girlwiththeraventat 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Last year, maybe 2018, they locked the sub and the only people who could post were people who send a picture of their forearm to the mods to prove they were black. It was "just a joke". At some point they added flair for those black people that had "proven" themselves to the mods but I dont remember what they said. Now they routinely lock threads calling it country club members only. So yeah their pretty openly racist. But only white people can be racist remember.

[–]Wahwah 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Now alleged accounts of the current state of South Africa makes more sense. 🤔

[–][deleted] 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

I'm not here to be a racist or a sexist or a homophobe.

I don't think you should hate anyone you don't know based on skin color, people don't choose to be born. You should however; question whether "Diversity is our greatest strength", and whether it's wholesome to push ideologies like LGBTQ on children.

[–]Wahwah 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

whether it's wholesome to push ideologies like LGBTQ on children.

Well, the problem with LGBTQ is the part where it is exploited and weaponsied as an ideology like few other humanitarian causes, beyond that I personally see it as a pragmatic issue of a minority who also did not choose to be born that way wanting some realistic rights and live their lives peacefully.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I absolutely don't agree with anything regarding sexuality being pushed on children.

[–]BobQuixote 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Diversity is a strength, although 'greatest' begs the question.

...Do people attempt to convince kids that they (the kids) are gay? I'm not sure what else you could mean by this 'pushing'.

[–]magnora7 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

The larger an organization gets, the more their focus shifts to minimizing liability.

Small organizations take risks, because they don't have a lot to lose. Huge organizations like reddit can only fall and have little room to grow, so the entire game then becomes minimizing any liabilities that could harm future profits.

So "free speech" means literally nothing to reddit. Any speech that creates a liability for them, is something they want to remove. And that's all they care about anymore.

[–]Wahwah 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Also, at the end of the day are a for-profit private company. They say they support free speech, but that's not technically possible for any such corporation I feel.

[–]Jesus 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

They have the money to buy cunning corporate lawyers.

Now I wonder why Reddit banned a sub making fun of mass consumerism.

Maybe, they feel if more people rely on utilitarianism, our economy, largely fueled by the retail sector and consumerism will destroy itself.