Reddit bans a top 10 subreddit with over 150k subscribers

http://www.reddit.com/r/announcements/comments/39bpam/removing_harassing_subreddits/

by DanBlake • 11 years ago

30 29 11 years ago

This comes off at fake to me. Yeah they're removing 5 harassing subreddits like /r/FatPeopleHate but they're leaving arguably worse subreddits, like /r/CoonTown/, up? This feels like they just kinda picked a few subreddits people have seen to make examples of them and hope it makes advertisers more comfortable.

romanovcode• 11 years ago

This feels like they just kinda picked a few subreddits people have seen to make examples of them and hope it makes advertisers more comfortable.

Hello, Cpt. Obvious. Same reason why TwoX was put on default lists even though TwoX community strongly were opposing that.

noddingham• 11 years ago

Yes, this comment is more inline with what's going on. It has little to do with protecting people from harassment, it's about trying to make reddit more appealing for advertisers and imgur more appealing for a buyer.

hoare• 11 years ago

Who on earth joins a subreddit called /r/FatPeopleHate?

Nadya3• 11 years ago

The same people who make fat jokes. Which encompasses a lot of people since few people are sympathetic towards a group of people whom by-and-large are at fault for their weight problems.

Jdoemk23• 11 years ago

Most fat people are at fault. Many aren't. Even some of those who are don't play the victim or blame others.

So some fat people may deserve scorn, but a whole lot don't.

ffn• 11 years ago

So... top management at reddit literally allows loud and vocal groups to deny even the right to exist for other groups whose opinions they don't agree with. I don't condone hating on fat people (or any group of people), but all these fat-haters were doing was expressing their own opinions amongst themselves on a containment sub. And if top execs at reddit can express their hostility for a certain group of people (in this case fat-haters) by straight-up kicking them out for intolerance or harassment, I don't see how they're any more tolerant or less harassing than the very people they just banned.

minimaxir• 11 years ago

The likely impetus for the ban was harassment of the Imgur administrators, which is a different story than "free speech."

Someone12344• 11 years ago

but all these fat-haters were doing was expressing their own opinions amongst themselves on a containment sub.

Untrue. They were posting stolen, posted elsewhere, and original pictures of obese people just to make fun of them. That was the entire sub's purpose, to victimise and bully people. You could go on that sub any day of the week for months and that was their entire front page, pictures of fat people and hateful comments.

How long do you honestly think a sub would last if it took random pictures of black people and then everyone posted hateful comments? Even a week?

There's absolutely nothing "contained" about what they were doing. Plus they would invade other subs and threads, brigading those with differing opinions to themselves.

kachnuv_ocasek• 11 years ago

How long do you honestly think a sub would last if it took random pictures of black people and then everyone posted hateful comments?

Uh, there is one and is still up: https://www.reddit.com/r/coontown

Lawtonfogle4• 11 years ago

They were posting stolen

Just because the people who originally uploaded those pictures don't understand how the internet works doesn't make the images stolen.

teraflop• 11 years ago

The stated justification is not about the nastiness of the opinions expressed on that subreddit, but about their behavior in terms of harassing other members. There are plenty of equally odious subs that are still up and running.

If you read the thread, between all the torches and pitchforks there are a fair number of comments supporting that viewpoint, for instance:

"I love how everyone is saying no, but they actually have [harassed users in other subreddits]. Most recently someone took pics from a /r/keto post and not only posted to FPH, but also got in a huge argument with a lot of members there. That's not the only time I've seen FPH in the wild." http://www.reddit.com/r/announcements/comments/39bpam/removi...

"I got this PM from a /r/fatpeoplehate mod for having a BMI of 25.7" (vicious and obscene content elided) http://www.reddit.com/r/announcements/comments/39bpam/removi...

"Some of you may know that we are currently under a comment brigade from many users from /r/fatpeoplehate due to the current top post of the subreddit, linked here." http://np.reddit.com/r/GrandTheftAutoV/comments/35rp8l/a_mes...

thrillgore• 11 years ago

I am not even remotely shocked or surprised its FPH that got the axe. I won't shed any tears for them. Still, its a bit concerning.

Goladus• 11 years ago

If you were planning an ideological cleansing, wouldn't your first target be something that no one wants to defend?

Of course, often, ideological cleanses aren't even planned. They just happen organically as advocates and those in power become incapable of separating their ideology from common principles.

Someone12344• 11 years ago

This is GREAT news. I'm all for freedom of speech but that "fatpeoplehate" sub-Reddit's only purpose was to victimise, bully, and harass people. They'd literally take people's Facebook pictures, Reddit postings, or go out and snap pictures of overweight (and often disabled) people just to bully them.

I don't care how you feel about obese people, this type of thing is unacceptable. I don't care what justification you use (race, sexual orientation, dress style, hair color, etc) it is unacceptable across the board. You don't have to be fat to see that this is wrong, you just need to have basic empathy.

PS - I've spent a LOT less time on Reddit as a direct result of how toxic the community has become. Hopefully this will roll that back if just temporarily.

Lawtonfogle4• 11 years ago

I'm all for freedom of speech but

Hint: this is a good sign you aren't.

"I'm all for freedom of speech, but that obscene material just has to go."

"I'm all for freedom of speech, but that blasphemous material just has to go."

"I'm all for freedom of speech, but that sexist material just has to go."

Someone12344• 11 years ago

Freedom of speech doesn't extend to other's rights being infringed. Bullying, harassment, and abuse aren't covered under freedom of speech.

Your examples don't apply. It would be more akin to:

"I'm all for freedom of speech, why can't I shout racist expletives at black strangers in the street?"

"I'm all for freedom of speech, why can't I send people abusive messages online?"

"I'm all for freedom of speech, I should be allowed to take photos of people going about their daily business, then encourage a bunch of my friends to be abusive towards that person."

Do you think it is ok to walk down the street and shout abuse at people? If not, then why it is ok online? Or is it only ok when thousands of people shout abuse at one individual rather than one on one abuse?

arprocter• 11 years ago

I've been seeing a lot of speculation that the actions of the new regime are in preparation for a reddit IPO. How much truth there is in that I do not know.

Lawtonfogle4• 11 years ago

No surprise here. Anyone who thought that reddit allowed all legal content has definitely not been paying attention. They are tightening their rules, though I still don't quite get how the gore dedicated subs are still allowed (especially the ones dedicated to gore involving children).

inacup• 11 years ago

It's really messed up that they banned /r/fatpeoplehate. There are so many fucked up subreddits that aren't banned, and that directly target individuals.

/r/coontown /r/shitredditsays /r/rapingwomen /r/killingwomen /r/CuteFemaleCorpses

And the list goes on and on...

forgottenpass• 11 years ago

Huh. Weren't they trumpeting transparency in their value statement where they prepped the userbase for banning subs a few weeks/months ago? I wish they had the courage to voice their reasoning behind killing those subs, rather than the bland corporate statement they issued.

Reddit bans a top 10 subreddit with over 150k subscribers

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