‹ BackHN Continuity

Thread

Does Reddit have an astroturfing problem? What the data suggests

312 points · 408 comments · p-s-v

  1. zergrush · · focus · HN ↗
    This is why Reddit is a low value high effort distribution channel. When your userbase is hostile and suspicious constantly to any commercial introductions, advertising there becomes just an exercise in futility. The demographic also is problematic on Bluesky. Same on hackernews. Astroturfing is certainly a response to this friction and in turn it only creates more of it.

    Also specifically with Reddit they have allowed hiding comment history which makes it even harder, I imagine they did this for boosting ad business

    There are much better platforms to spend your effort on like X. X requires many users to purchase a subscription account and thus acts as sort of a litmus test (people who can afford low amount of money per month).

    1. khazhoux · · focus · HN ↗
      > Also specifically with Reddit they have allowed hiding comment history which makes it even harder

      Such a terrible change, and it's apparently the default for new users. I have no way to check if the person I'm about to spend 3 minutes typing a reply to is just bleep-bloop.

      1. illusive4080 · · focus · HN ↗
        On the other hand, as a Christian Conservative, I used to have people sniping my profile and replying nastily to me when I commented on completely unrelated topics, just because my ideals didn’t align with theirs. Or, auto banning me from subs based on which subs I commented to. In that way, hiding my profile has helped me, because Reddit as a whole is extremely left wing.

        Unfortunately, what you state is also true and it is now harder to avoid replying to bots, obvious shills, or trolls.

        1. duskdozer · · focus · HN ↗
          Moderators are still able to see your post history without extra steps.
          1. caminante · · focus · HN ↗
            Everyone can also go to one of the "unreddit" sites to workaround this privacy feature.

            Unless you delete before scrapers get it, it's stored on multiple databases.

Open on Hacker News to reply ↗

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.