5 ms·

Mods don't decide to make a subreddit a default, admins do.

lambda 12y ago
I was under the impression that the admins consulted with the mods before doing so, but I could be wrong; how the front page has worked has changed many times over the years, and I haven't been keeping very close track.
- cookiecaper 12y ago
  I'm sure that the admins would remove any sub that asked from the default list.
- fourstar 12y ago
  They send you a message, but at that point it's already been decided what they have chosen to be the defaults.
  - smikims 12y ago
    You can always opt out though. There's literally a check box you can change if you don't want it anymore. You don't uncheck that box without a lot of communication and deliberation generally, but it's there.
Semaphor 12y ago
That's not true, mods can opt out of becoming a default and at least in some cases the admins talk to the mods first anyway. edit: http://i.imgur.com/IbiMa8g.png http://i.imgur.com/IbiMa8g.png
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- arfliw 12y ago
  That they can opt out does not mean they can opt in.
- tobylane 12y ago
  That image related to posts from that subreddit being seen in /r/all. Automoderater puts /r/all flair on such posts in certain subreddits.
  - Semaphor 12y ago
    The highlighted part is only 15 words. Why stop reading after 7?
- doginabathtub 12y ago
  This is true. I am a moderator for /r/mildlyinteresting and two weeks before we became a default, we were asked if we wanted to opt-out. It was hotly-debated between the moderators for about a week and any one of us could have answered the admin, but we put it to a vote and ended up becoming a default.
gergles 12y ago
Mods can opt out of being in /r/all (and from being a default with the same checkbox.)
Gracana 12y ago
The mods were absolutely involved in the decision to make the subreddit a default. Unfortunately, moderators are not elected and they cannot be usurped. They have no obligations to their subscribers, and indeed in this case they made the decision behind closed doors.
- zmmmmm 12y ago
  > Unfortunately, moderators are not elected and they cannot be usurped. They have no obligations to their subscribers, This is one of the big weaknesses of Reddit right now. As far as I can tell, who gets to moderate powerful subreddits comes down the the accident of history of who happened to think of it first. Several of the subreddits I frequent have had moderators slam down rules that most of the community disagree with (just for example /r/Android has a rule that you cannot post "questions", it is only for "news about Android" ...). This leads to a high variability in the quality of the moderation and curation of various subreddits. I'm not sure what the best alternative idea woudl be, but something better than "whoever thought of it first" should be possible.
- dangayle 12y ago
  The other end of the spectrum is the Stack Overflow method, which ends up with the most uptight and pedantic users ending up with all the control, who use their power to rain havoc upon those who might otherwise have been much better moderators. With Reddit, you at least have a chance of having a semi-decent group of moderators who can care for and foster their community without it turning into an anal retentive hell.

I was under the impression that the admins consulted with the mods before doing so, but I could be wrong; how the front page has worked has changed many times over the years, and I haven't been keeping very close track.

cookiecaper 12y ago
I'm sure that the admins would remove any sub that asked from the default list.
fourstar 12y ago
They send you a message, but at that point it's already been decided what they have chosen to be the defaults.
- smikims 12y ago
  You can always opt out though. There's literally a check box you can change if you don't want it anymore. You don't uncheck that box without a lot of communication and deliberation generally, but it's there.

Semaphor 12y ago

That's not true, mods can opt out of becoming a default and at least in some cases the admins talk to the mods first anyway. edit: http://i.imgur.com/IbiMa8g.png http://i.imgur.com/IbiMa8g.png

deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
arfliw 12y ago
That they can opt out does not mean they can opt in.
tobylane 12y ago
That image related to posts from that subreddit being seen in /r/all. Automoderater puts /r/all flair on such posts in certain subreddits.
- Semaphor 12y ago
  The highlighted part is only 15 words. Why stop reading after 7?
doginabathtub 12y ago
This is true. I am a moderator for /r/mildlyinteresting and two weeks before we became a default, we were asked if we wanted to opt-out. It was hotly-debated between the moderators for about a week and any one of us could have answered the admin, but we put it to a vote and ended up becoming a default.

gergles 12y ago

Mods can opt out of being in /r/all (and from being a default with the same checkbox.)

Gracana 12y ago

The mods were absolutely involved in the decision to make the subreddit a default. Unfortunately, moderators are not elected and they cannot be usurped. They have no obligations to their subscribers, and indeed in this case they made the decision behind closed doors.

zmmmmm 12y ago
> Unfortunately, moderators are not elected and they cannot be usurped. They have no obligations to their subscribers, This is one of the big weaknesses of Reddit right now. As far as I can tell, who gets to moderate powerful subreddits comes down the the accident of history of who happened to think of it first. Several of the subreddits I frequent have had moderators slam down rules that most of the community disagree with (just for example /r/Android has a rule that you cannot post "questions", it is only for "news about Android" ...). This leads to a high variability in the quality of the moderation and curation of various subreddits. I'm not sure what the best alternative idea woudl be, but something better than "whoever thought of it first" should be possible.
dangayle 12y ago
The other end of the spectrum is the Stack Overflow method, which ends up with the most uptight and pedantic users ending up with all the control, who use their power to rain havoc upon those who might otherwise have been much better moderators. With Reddit, you at least have a chance of having a semi-decent group of moderators who can care for and foster their community without it turning into an anal retentive hell.