Why I am deeply alarmed by reddit censorship

submitted by Jizera from (self.MeanwhileOnReddit)

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[–]bagano1 15 insightful - 1 fun15 insightful - 0 fun16 insightful - 1 fun -  (10 children)

Overmoderation needs to be a thing of the past. Mods actually need to be punished for banning people for disagreeing with them, fighting with other users or punishing people for social criticism. I don't support racial supremacy of any kind. However, if you want to call people out for bad behavior, I think that should be allowed as long as you can provide some sort of evidence. I think suppressing it, or worse, as we've seen with African-Americans that is becoming a serious problem, siding with them every time something happens is just a bad road to take. Minorities are NOT always right! There are some dumb liberals out there trying to push that and I draw the line at that!

But back to my point, yeah, unless you are disrupting a board by spamming it or being an idiot, you should not be banned. Period. I've actually done some moderating. It's really not hard. Some sites are exemplary. Others don't seem to understand that overmoderation just makes people frustrated and drives great posters away.

[–]Fiyanggu 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

You're absolutely right, but how did we get here from the good old days when people would think for themselves? I blame the whole butthurt Millenial safespace culture. Somehow we have to cater to the lowest common denominator of butthurt and that keeps people from raising an alternative opinion for fear of offending someone.

[–]magnora7 9 insightful - 2 fun9 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

In terms of the internet specifically, I think part of it is that the barrier to access for things like internet forums has become so low that there's literally lots of 8 year olds talking on the forums, whereas 20 years ago, most people online were at least highschool or older and it was a little hard to figure out so you had to be somewhat smart and capable to get there in the first place. Whereas now they can give a baby a phone with a reddit app installed and they can post. The internet used to be filled with geeks, because those were the only people who cared enough to figure it out. Now it's so ubiquitous you can sneeze and accidentally post on the internet

[–]oneinchterror 5 insightful - 4 fun5 insightful - 3 fun6 insightful - 4 fun -  (1 child)

Cheap smartphones and their consequences have been a disaster for the human race.

[–]magnora7 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

There have been a lot of benefits to it as well. Just like every other tool, humanity is going to have to learn how to use it correctly and in a beneficial way. Right now we're all toddlers with cellphones, mesmerized by the shiny apps. Some day we will grow up and use it like the tool it is, but we're going to have to make the missteps first to learn what not to do

[–]lairacunda 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

No, you see. Subs, (and here too), are created with different intentions in mind. Why should people who want to discuss ideas or concepts with others who basically agree with them, have to contend with all the people who disagree with them, AND in all the ways they could possibly disagree with them? At the end of the day maybe you just want to have a conversation without having to justify and defend yourself constantly. Mods agree with the intention of the sub and help keep the space productive and enjoyable for the intended users. There are places that are created with a "debate", change-my-mind outlook. But there are others that are clearly for a particular group of people. They are not and shouldn't be all-inclusive. People with minority opinions should be able to find other like-minded people. Minority opinions can get drowned out by sheer force of numbers. This is known as "brigading". If people stayed in their own lanes, maybe banning would not be necessary. Banning is the only way to ensure QC. Though on Reddit it's a joke because the bans are by user name and not by computer address. Nothing prevents people from brigading under multiple accounts. Plus. depending on who you are, the admins don't give a shit.

EDIT: word

[–]thebonkest 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

And we've seen how completely and utterly destructive that kind of thinking leads, so maybe it's better that people put up with the mild inconvenience of having to defend their position whenever they express it, and actually learn how to connect with other people and debate properly -- or even worse, learning how to just ignore people who say such things and not respond to them at all.

Or we can all continue to get more and more violent and kill each other in a massive civil war that will collapse the country and allow other countries (Russia, China) to get ahold of our nukes. That would totally be the better option than having to defend our own opinoins

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

There are places and there should be places where we can all gather together. But then there are places where you really just want to be with "your own", whatever that may be. I'm someone with minority positions and outlooks, I'm also a minority many times over and belong to many fairly powerless subgroupings and demographics. I don't have "popular opinions" and don't wish to be homogenized into the greater whole. I disagree that I should have to continuously defend and justify myself in unproductive and often infuriating conversations, just so everyone feels "included". I should be able to find others who are like me and agree with me. Making everyone partake with everyone is what gets people killed or their cultures destroyed. What you describe as a "mild inconvenience" is not benign but rather closer to forced assimilation.

[–]thebonkest 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

I disagree that I should have to continuously defend and justify myself in unproductive and often infuriating conversations, just so everyone feels "included".

And we've all seen where that kind of frustration leads us. It might suck for you, but if you're finding you have to constantly defend yourself when talking to other people, the problem might not be them, the problem might be you and who you're hanging around with.

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

I think we're done here. Arguing this point is unproductive and we're not going to change the other's mind. Remember this conversation if you're ever in a situation where you just want some space or to be with your own but someone louder, richer, bigger and more powerful insists on joining you and being part of your group, insists on actually being you, and you're just a bigot if you don't agree, don't love them, don't want to have sex with them, be friends, etc. Remember this conversation when they get you fired from your job, stalked and doxxed for not agreeing that whoever and whatever you are, your identity, is up for grabs and that you owe them because they and their allies say so.

[–]bagano1 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Wow, you are a douchebag.