Arguments against auto-subscribing all new users to all subs

submitted by Stoner from (self.SaidIt)

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[–]Stoner[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (7 children)

Good points. IMO the best way to go about this is to reset all subscriptions. It's the only way to truly reflect saidits community and be fair towards newly created subs.

The sooner the better before /s/ gets a ton of users and subcreators to complain about the reset.

/u/d3rr /u/magnora7

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

What is your proposal? Turn off the auto subscribe feature and change everyone's subscriptions to the default subs?

On our roadmap right now is new configuration that will let you switch back to the default Reddit experience- set subscribed as the home page, unsubscribe from all subs.

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

Turn off the auto subscribe feature and change everyone's subscriptions to the default subs?

Either that or make all current users subscribed to all subs again and let us re-unsubcribe as usual. If I understand it correctly, currently we only subscribe to the subs at the account creation, not new ones as they're created. The goal is to make the subscriber count reflect the community, now it's more of a list of the oldest or not-annoying-enough-to-unsubscribe subs and it will take a long time before it balances out and reflects the community's active preferences, if ever.

An example would be /s/Archeology. It's currently inactive (1 post last 3 monts), yet it's one of the top 3 subs and will continue to be so until you change the mechanics of auto-subscribe and current subscrictions OR somebody starts shitposting to the point where people unsub en masse.

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

Thank you for clarifying and for your input on these critical issues.

Either that or make all current users subscribed to all subs again and let us re-unsubcribe as usual.

For now, this is the plan. There will be a new checkbox for this that is checked by default, "subscribe to newly created subs".

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

There will be a new checkbox for this that is checked by default, "subscribe to newly created subs".

Works for me! Thank you for your replies.

[–]magnora7 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

It's just an artifact that the oldest subs have the most subscribers, that's all it is. We have no plans to change people's existing subscriptions, but we might make new users not be subscribed to everything.

[–]Stoner[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

EDIT: D3rr have offered a possible technical solution I'm very happy about. Thank you for your time.

It's just an artifact

No doubt, but not doing anything will:

An example would be /s/Archeology. It's currently inactive (1 post last 3 monts), yet it's one of the top 3 subs and will continue to be so until you change the mechanics of auto-subscribe and current subscrictions OR somebody starts shitposting to the point where people unsub en masse.

might make new users not be subscribed to everything.

considerthefollowing.jpg:

If you stop auto-subscribing for new users, there will a 5270 subscriber difference between a new sub and the oldest, inactive sub. I believe a common way new users from reddit-like site finds new subs is to sort by subscriber count and pick as you go down until you reach a personal threshold size.

This is unfortunate in two ways, it stifles the growth of small subs and users who subscribe (or alternatively 'don't unsub from') /r/Archeology will find a ghost town with 5000+ inhabitants.

We have no plans to change people's existing subscriptions

If it's possible from database info, how about autosubscribe all users to subs created after account creation and keep auto-subscribe then? It won't have to change the current system, yet will reflect the actual community posting grounds?

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

If it's possible from database info, how about autosubscribe all users to subs created after account creation and keep auto-subscribe then?

This is a feature we plan on developing, it's in the pipeline. So I guess we're in agreement now :)