It can depend on the subreddit, but you are mostly right. The moderation makes a big difference and it's all volunteer, at least for niche subs. I have a small

It can depend on the subreddit, but you are mostly right. The moderation makes a big difference and it's all volunteer, at least for niche subs. I have a small handful I subscribe to and check regularly. Mostly I Google for reddit threads when I'm interested in a topic since you'll generally end up with a quality thread on almost any imaginable topic.