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The real money is in capturing subreddit moderators. It’s an open secret in the PR industry that if you can get moderators of popular subreddits (for your mark

The real money is in capturing subreddit moderators. It’s an open secret in the PR industry that if you can get moderators of popular subreddits (for your market) on your side, then it’s easy to throw the conversation in your favor. Moderators are the invisible hand the sway the conversation on Reddit. They have immense power to remove posts and comments that they disagree with. PR companies are more than happy to arrange for subreddit moderators to receive free product, chats with company executives, even trips for office or factory tours. It makes the moderators feel like they’re “in” with the company, and they began moderating accordingly. In some cases, popular subreddit moderators simply start their own businesses selling to particular subreddits. Some of them truly are honest, but others are looking to make a quick buck selling courses, putting affiliate links in subreddit Wikis and other activities.

jseliger 6y ago
The moderator problem was noticeable years ago: https://jakeseliger.com/2015/03/16/the-moderator-problem-how-reddit-and-related-news-sites-decline/ https://jakeseliger.com/2015/03/16/the-moderator-problem-how... and has become more evident today.
tpmx 6y ago
In the semi-official national subreddits for e.g. small-ish European countries you mostly see politics being pushed from moderators rather than products. I've grown quite suspicious of that lately, for the same reason.
- throwaway0a5e 6y ago
  All the $LOCATION subs have a strong political leaning, mostly in the same direction, with some $LOCATION specific variance generally permitted.
  - neuronic 6y ago
    Yes, r/de for Germany is a heavily left leaning sub which routinely bans right opinion (note, I am not saying right extreme). Don’t dare criticizing communism either, it’s especially fun having West German 18yo students yell at me for disliking socialism as a former Soviet Union citizen.
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
    - neverminder 6y ago
      Exactly the same can be said about r/uk with it's trigger happy mods. Their bashing of "fascists" is rather ironic, considering their heavy handed tactics.
      - krtkush 6y ago
        Add r/india to the list too.
        higerordermap 6y ago
        The best India-specific subreddits were regional circlejerk subreddits at a point. Now they are becoming political too. The Telugu one is the last I guess.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
romanovcode 6y ago
To add to your posts. Around 50 most popular sub-reddits are moderated by the same people.
Accujack 6y ago
>The real money is in capturing subreddit moderators. Right. This also leads to some of the clearest evidence that Reddit (the corporation) isn't interested in actually being a discussion board, but has completely given itself over to leveraging its user base for money. Despite years of issues with subreddit mods selling out, taking over, censoring users, in general behaving badly and a complete lack of transparency, Reddit has changed nothing about how that system works.
- novok 6y ago
  If they did, then they would have to pay them for their free labor and thats a can they do not want to open.
- neverminder 6y ago
  > Reddit has changed nothing about how that system works I'd say they have changed for the worse. In recent years they have quarantined or banned many even remotely controversial subreddits. Reddit admins are increasingly forcing SV's political ideology onto it's users. Ramping up censorship will be the end of Reddit, as users leave to look for alternatives.
hnuser123456 6y ago
/r/redditminusmods
troyvit 6y ago
I haven't read the article yet but I'm pretty sure the awful practices you and the parent post are describing are the real reasons why reddit is undervalued.
- neuronic 6y ago
  Correct that’s why I called it marketing engine. It’s not open about it though.

jseliger 6y ago

The moderator problem was noticeable years ago: https://jakeseliger.com/2015/03/16/the-moderator-problem-how-reddit-and-related-news-sites-decline/ https://jakeseliger.com/2015/03/16/the-moderator-problem-how... and has become more evident today.

tpmx 6y ago

In the semi-official national subreddits for e.g. small-ish European countries you mostly see politics being pushed from moderators rather than products. I've grown quite suspicious of that lately, for the same reason.

throwaway0a5e 6y ago
All the $LOCATION subs have a strong political leaning, mostly in the same direction, with some $LOCATION specific variance generally permitted.
- neuronic 6y ago
  Yes, r/de for Germany is a heavily left leaning sub which routinely bans right opinion (note, I am not saying right extreme). Don’t dare criticizing communism either, it’s especially fun having West German 18yo students yell at me for disliking socialism as a former Soviet Union citizen.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - neverminder 6y ago
    Exactly the same can be said about r/uk with it's trigger happy mods. Their bashing of "fascists" is rather ironic, considering their heavy handed tactics.
    - krtkush 6y ago
      Add r/india to the list too.
      - higerordermap 6y ago
        The best India-specific subreddits were regional circlejerk subreddits at a point. Now they are becoming political too. The Telugu one is the last I guess.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]

romanovcode 6y ago

To add to your posts. Around 50 most popular sub-reddits are moderated by the same people.

Accujack 6y ago

>The real money is in capturing subreddit moderators. Right. This also leads to some of the clearest evidence that Reddit (the corporation) isn't interested in actually being a discussion board, but has completely given itself over to leveraging its user base for money. Despite years of issues with subreddit mods selling out, taking over, censoring users, in general behaving badly and a complete lack of transparency, Reddit has changed nothing about how that system works.

novok 6y ago
If they did, then they would have to pay them for their free labor and thats a can they do not want to open.
neverminder 6y ago
> Reddit has changed nothing about how that system works I'd say they have changed for the worse. In recent years they have quarantined or banned many even remotely controversial subreddits. Reddit admins are increasingly forcing SV's political ideology onto it's users. Ramping up censorship will be the end of Reddit, as users leave to look for alternatives.

hnuser123456 6y ago

/r/redditminusmods

troyvit 6y ago

I haven't read the article yet but I'm pretty sure the awful practices you and the parent post are describing are the real reasons why reddit is undervalued.

neuronic 6y ago
Correct that’s why I called it marketing engine. It’s not open about it though.