Thread

1. 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. munksbeer · 1790683809 · focus · HN ↗

         Visit /r/science

         Their own rules forbid low effort posts:

           "No off-topic comments, memes, low-effort comments or jokes"
         

         And yet every single topic is filled with exactly that any time I go to read anything. It can't be beyond their wit to get rid of that stuff.

         1. peter_d_sherman · 1790736719 · focus · HN ↗

            >"low-effort comments"

            I have never heard that term used before, prior to reading this thread...

            All I know is that "low-effort comments" -- is going into my 2026 lexicon!

            (Admittedly this comment, my comment, the words I have written, above -- is admittedly somewhat of a "low-effort comment" in and of itself(!) A low-effort comment about other low-effort comments (a "meta" low-effort comment, if you will!), but I digress... I guess at times "we all fall short of the glory of the highest of high effort comments"... :-) )

            Anyway, "low-effort comment" is a great piece of terminology, isn't it? :-)

            It's going into my 2026 lexicon...

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