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The thesis of Reddit is: "we exist to make people happy." Popular posts tend to be very personal. Things like: Look at me, I knitted a cthulhu! Or: Look at t
by seiji 12y ago
The thesis of Reddit is: "we exist to make people happy." Popular posts tend to be very personal. Things like: Look at me, I knitted a cthulhu! Or: Look at this painting I did! Then the community piles on praise, jokes, memes, and feelings of being close to other people, even though it's all just strangers engaged in essentially threaded IRC.
But, problems appear when people on the fringes of society start posting. What happens when you have a subculture where happiness is derived from exploding puppies? In the Reddit Philosophy, that's still valid because it makes those subsets of people happy.
We've seen a growing disconnect with content hosting sites and mass clean-minded appeals. Tumblr was acquired while seemingly ignoring that tumblr is the largest repository of porn online. Reddit is talked about as a trend setter while ignoring the vile underbelly too. It's just the new normal.
- jnorthrop 12y ago> It's just the new normal. Yes it is. If we want platforms that allow truly free speech, this is part of the cost of that privilege. Much in the same way, here in the US, we allow the KKK to rally in public. We don't have to like it, and we don't have to participate, but trying to legislate it or regulate it to a state where it is free from undesirables will ultimately lead to abuses that will limit speech from minorities.
- cryoshon 12y agoOne thing that I found to be missing from this article is that reddit doesn't really actually care for free speech-- it cares for making money. When the "free speech" is getting them really bad PR, it gets removed from the root. When the "free speech" is ignored by the mainstream or lauded, it's allowed. It isn't really free speech because you're still not allowed to say certain things.