Thread

Does Reddit have an astroturfing problem? What the data suggests

312 points · 408 comments · p-s-v

nomilk · 1790655652 · focus · HN ↗
The biggest problem I have with reddit is mods can slowly but systematically ban users who express unfavourable opinions, and over time, anyone casually browsing could mistakenly believe those views are unpopular, whereas in reality everyone with that view (everyone who spoke it, anyway) was banned.
To give a simple example, one video game franchise subreddit bans any negative discussion on the most recent title. Over 5-10 years, this shielded them from negative feedback. But the franchise has tanked because core users weren't listened to, and they ended up making something nobody wanted.
1. aurareturn · 1790656841 · focus · HN ↗
  My biggest problem with Reddit is that trolls, memes, unintelligent posts have taken over the platform. Go to any semi-popular subreddit and most upvoted posts are just low effort memes. Posts that are long and well thought out don't win over memes and trolls. One of the reasons is that posting a few short words wins in upvotes because they get posted first while it takes much longer to write something thoughtful.
  Reddit's system rewards these low effort posts for some reason. Over time, the platform becomes less and less trustworthy until it becomes something like Quora.
  1. Teever · 1790664799 · focus · HN ↗
    One of my biggest criticisms of social media in general is that the algorithm that determines how things are scored and ranked is intentionally obfuscated under the auspices of preventing 3rd parties from gaming it in such way that results in an outcome where it is impossible for users to determine if the platform owners are gaming it themselves.
    I'm not aware of a social media site that does it but I think that I'd very strongly prefer a site where I could view a transparent log of who voted for what and when and what moderator took what action and when and why and how that all factors into how a comment / post / thread is ranked on the feed at any particular moment than one that hides all that stuff.
    Reproducible builds but for social media.
    Less 'pay no attention to that man behind the curtain' and more 'Exactly what it says on the tin"
    The more that I interact with moderators on social media the more I've come to realize that as much as they're burnt out from answering the same questions from not-bad actors over and over as they are dealing with organic bad actors or automated content generators and that a great deal of those questions stem from the opaque nature of the algorithm.
    All too often I find that moderators on social media are exasperated and burnt out not just from the endless janitorial work but also from users reaching out to them for understanding about the opaque nature of their actions and the outcomes that they have in the system.
    So a lot of moderators gravitate towards a 'don't rock the boat' sort of mentality and over time adopt this sort of mentality: <a href="https://youtu.be/hNuu9CpdjIo?t=56" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/hNuu9CpdjIo?t=56
    IMHO we're well past the point where any sort of security by obscurity with regards to the algorithm prevents any sort of automated influence on social media and the negative impacts of this kind of moderating technique only causes more damage than it prevents / mitigates.
    pydry · 1790670206 · focus · HN ↗
    i would like this too but I dont see any way to maintain anonymity or pseudonymity and clamp down on spamming.
    you can have neither or both but I dont see any way to have one without the other.
    >The more that I interact with moderators on social media the more I've come to realize that as much as they're burnt out from answering the same questions from not-bad actors over and over
    I'm mystified why this isnt a problem AI isnt applied to.
    wizzwizz4 · 1790683935 · focus · HN ↗
    It is: /u/AutoModerator can be used for that.

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