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. thisislife2 · 1790841233 · focus · HN ↗

      Mods are doing what the platform is designed for - create "echo chambers". If a sub-reddit causes cognitive dissonance then that means (from the perspective of the platform), you aren't in the "right" sub-reddit (i.e. echo chamber). If you are posting something that isn't within the accepted "norms" of the echo chamber the mods are supposed to "prune" your views, so that you are driven to find the sub-reddit where your views are acceptable. Or you create your own echo chamber on Reddit where the views that you think are "valid" are upheld by your coteries.

      It's a really effective but screwed up way of creating fundamentalists ...

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