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I hope you are joking. Popular/big subreddits are astroturfed like crazy and often have mods devoted to controlling the narrative. Example: you'll have to searc

I hope you are joking. Popular/big subreddits are astroturfed like crazy and often have mods devoted to controlling the narrative. Example: you'll have to search long and hard before finding anything positive about Trump in r/politics. Re: HN. The comparatively smaller size and narrower focus helps. Good luck to anyone that says anything out of line with the site's group-think, however. Even if you are as respectful as possible you'll be downvoted at a minimum. Keep it up and you'll be shadowbanned in favor of "keeping the peace".

pg_is_a_butt 10y ago
you're an idiot
jhall1468 10y ago
> I hope you are joking. Popular/big subreddits are astroturfed like crazy and often have mods devoted to controlling the narrative. Example: you'll have to search long and hard before finding anything positive about Trump in r/politics. Astroturfing definitely explains the heavy Sanders biases at /r/politics, but the anti-Trump bias there doesn't even require astroturfing. Reddit is overwhelmingly left-leaning, significantly harder than the general public. Add that to the fact that Trump doesn't even do well in the general public, the anti-Trump narrative in /r/politics isn't even surprising.
- tanderson92 10y ago
  I wouldn't be so quick to call the pro-Sanders bias of /r/politics astroturfing. If /r/politics is truly as left-leaning as you say (I agree), then it is expected that they would prefer Sanders ideologically over Clinton (who, 30 years ago, would be considered a moderate Republican). And that is before issues with her record come into play: the internet is exceptional at revealing politicians' flip-flops and lies. This hurts Clinton, so you'd expect more bias against her. So there is definitely a bias, but remember, this is a community which celebrates 4/20. That they'd oppose a candidate who wants to keep the consumption of marijuana as a felony should not be considered artificial.

pg_is_a_butt 10y ago

you're an idiot

jhall1468 10y ago

> I hope you are joking. Popular/big subreddits are astroturfed like crazy and often have mods devoted to controlling the narrative. Example: you'll have to search long and hard before finding anything positive about Trump in r/politics. Astroturfing definitely explains the heavy Sanders biases at /r/politics, but the anti-Trump bias there doesn't even require astroturfing. Reddit is overwhelmingly left-leaning, significantly harder than the general public. Add that to the fact that Trump doesn't even do well in the general public, the anti-Trump narrative in /r/politics isn't even surprising.

tanderson92 10y ago
I wouldn't be so quick to call the pro-Sanders bias of /r/politics astroturfing. If /r/politics is truly as left-leaning as you say (I agree), then it is expected that they would prefer Sanders ideologically over Clinton (who, 30 years ago, would be considered a moderate Republican). And that is before issues with her record come into play: the internet is exceptional at revealing politicians' flip-flops and lies. This hurts Clinton, so you'd expect more bias against her. So there is definitely a bias, but remember, this is a community which celebrates 4/20. That they'd oppose a candidate who wants to keep the consumption of marijuana as a felony should not be considered artificial.