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All reddit has to do is remove the ability for subreddits to be private. Or put the ability to make subreddits private behind a paywall. Much like how Github tr

by bena 3y ago

All reddit has to do is remove the ability for subreddits to be private. Or put the ability to make subreddits private behind a paywall. Much like how Github treated private repos. End of the day, reddit is going to have to figure out how many users are willing to boycott. Moderators are one thing. They are a minority. But if they remove the ability for /r/funny to be private, would users honor the protest? The subs that have ended their blackouts are going on like nothing happened.

darknavi 3y ago
GitHub private repos are free now by the way.
- bena 3y ago
  Which is why I used the past tense.
boolemancer 3y ago
Okay, so you take away the power from the mods, and expect them to still do the work to moderate the subreddits for free?
- bena 3y ago
  A single power. And I don't think it's a power all mods have. If it is, it would only take one rogue mod to re-public the subreddit. And really, whether or not the mods continue to moderate is the thing being tested with such a move. Reddit did the API thing, the mods responded by escalating to this. Reddit can either blink and walk back some of their choices, wait for the mods to blink and reopen (of which, some have already), or reddit can escalate further and see if that makes the mods blink. I believe a non-zero number of mods will continue to moderate. I also believe there are more than enough people willing to moderate to replace any of those who refuse to return. Then you have weird situations. Because I'm willing to believe that some people believe it is extraordinarily difficult to moderate a subreddit and that they are uniquely gifted at it. Some of these people will believe that they have to moderate the subreddit because they believe the community will go to shit without them. Others will believe that their replacements will cause the community go to shit and Tim Reddit himself will come begging them to rejoin the moderation team. And neither of these things are true. Moderating a forum is mostly drudgery and the only real skill it takes is having the time to do so. This is a battle I don't think the current mods can ultimately win.
addandsubtract 3y ago
If reddit opens up private subs without their mods, users will lynch the place.
- Applejinx 3y ago
  If Reddit opens up private subs without their mods, spammers and trolls will obliterate the subs for trivial profits or to teach the former mods a lesson, and there won't be anything left for users to trash.

by bena 3y ago

darknavi 3y ago

GitHub private repos are free now by the way.

bena 3y ago
Which is why I used the past tense.

boolemancer 3y ago

Okay, so you take away the power from the mods, and expect them to still do the work to moderate the subreddits for free?

bena 3y ago
A single power. And I don't think it's a power all mods have. If it is, it would only take one rogue mod to re-public the subreddit. And really, whether or not the mods continue to moderate is the thing being tested with such a move. Reddit did the API thing, the mods responded by escalating to this. Reddit can either blink and walk back some of their choices, wait for the mods to blink and reopen (of which, some have already), or reddit can escalate further and see if that makes the mods blink. I believe a non-zero number of mods will continue to moderate. I also believe there are more than enough people willing to moderate to replace any of those who refuse to return. Then you have weird situations. Because I'm willing to believe that some people believe it is extraordinarily difficult to moderate a subreddit and that they are uniquely gifted at it. Some of these people will believe that they have to moderate the subreddit because they believe the community will go to shit without them. Others will believe that their replacements will cause the community go to shit and Tim Reddit himself will come begging them to rejoin the moderation team. And neither of these things are true. Moderating a forum is mostly drudgery and the only real skill it takes is having the time to do so. This is a battle I don't think the current mods can ultimately win.

addandsubtract 3y ago

If reddit opens up private subs without their mods, users will lynch the place.

Applejinx 3y ago
If Reddit opens up private subs without their mods, spammers and trolls will obliterate the subs for trivial profits or to teach the former mods a lesson, and there won't be anything left for users to trash.