Back when I used to mod Reddit, starting maybe a year or so ago we’d occasionally get users who would be inexplicably targeted by the auto-filter.
The accounts weren’t new, weren’t shadowbanned, weren’t using any filter-triggering words (that I could guess at), and an examination via Pushshift didn’t reveal any kind of spammy behavior. Nonetheless, their posts would get silently removed by the site-wide filter, and frequently we wouldn’t even know until they modmailed us.
Now I can’t help but wonder if this was a result of a beta-test of something like this. Something they had done had invisibly lowered their “Reddit credit”, leaving us as confused as them.
I got verified as a webcomic creator on r/funny long ago, and over the years it’s been a 50/50 shot whether my original content would get removed by an autofilter, at which point I would reach out to a mod, at which point my submission would maybe be restored hours after I submitted it, with no chance of getting any actual visibility because it never had a real chance when sorting by “new. “
Sometimes a mod tells me I can resubmit, but the timing of a submission matters, and if you’re outside of a good timeslot when you get permission to resubmit, it means less of a chance your submission will do well.
But if you risk waiting for another day, there’s no guarantee it won’t just happen again, and the mod that gave you permission to resubmit might not be working that day, and then you run the risk of some other mod thinking you’re a spammer, and you having to work it out again with them at the risk of a ban.
EDIT: According to at least one measure, my credit under this new system isn’t bad at all, so I’m without explanation for why this keeps happening.
If there is ever an investigation, even if just journalistic, I hope you make sure you and others who have experienced this report and contribute to it even if it’s just as personal anecdotes. Reddit has been getting away with a lot of bullshit because they have all the power to hide it under the rug.
Though I’m glad Reddit is now feeling so confident about the abuses it’s performing that it’s willing to admit them, if only partially. Something peeking out from under the rug is a pretty big hint.
I doubt there’s going to be an investigation or anything. As scummy as it is, it’s perfectly within their rights as a private company. People should refuse to give business to such a company though, but they (probably) didn’t do anything illegal.
The longer the comment the more likely to hit some sort of automod rule.
Include a phone number? Shortlink? E-mail address? the word “sremoved”? Were you talking about “Suicide Squad” or “Camp Kill Yourself”? All those and so much more can hit something and depending on configuration your post could be removed or filtered.
Reddit has been employing all kinds of sketchy shit for years - including some fairly invasive behavioural fingerprinting techniques. And a lot of it has been abused by “powermods” who figured out how to game it.
Good chance these people simply said something that someone didn’t agree with and got flagged by some prick with a runaway ego.
I wonder if it’s admin abuse at the corporate level. I experienced a few very strange situations on Reddit that simply never made sense.
I got permabanned from /r/politics for using the word “removedation”, despite the fact I was using the technical/scientific definition of the term (the action of delaying or slowing the progress or development of something.) , and specifically referring to the entire US political instution.
I told the mods this is a word in the English language that is often used outside the denegratory sense, and that I was clearly not in any way targeting those with special needs. They called me “ableist” in response (“that word is ableist and there are no exceptions.” )
Like… Wtf? I used to literally hang out and defend special needs kids regularly back when I went to public school. But sure… I guess I’m ableist. The entire situation simply made no sense. I had contributed heavily to that sub over many, many years. I get the impression they were looking for a reason to get rid of me.
Eh. That seems more like typical out-of-control jargon and labeling ideology than any admin malfeasance. It’s unfortunately something I’ve seen a few times - I had several debates with people who likewise insisted that even using it in the sense of ‘to slow something down’ was improper, or that using potentially insulting words in any context caused “harm”. It’s a mindset that goes beyond any Reddit issues.
Back when I used to mod Reddit, starting maybe a year or so ago we’d occasionally get users who would be inexplicably targeted by the auto-filter.
The accounts weren’t new, weren’t shadowbanned, weren’t using any filter-triggering words (that I could guess at), and an examination via Pushshift didn’t reveal any kind of spammy behavior. Nonetheless, their posts would get silently removed by the site-wide filter, and frequently we wouldn’t even know until they modmailed us.
Now I can’t help but wonder if this was a result of a beta-test of something like this. Something they had done had invisibly lowered their “Reddit credit”, leaving us as confused as them.
I got verified as a webcomic creator on r/funny long ago, and over the years it’s been a 50/50 shot whether my original content would get removed by an autofilter, at which point I would reach out to a mod, at which point my submission would maybe be restored hours after I submitted it, with no chance of getting any actual visibility because it never had a real chance when sorting by “new. “
Sometimes a mod tells me I can resubmit, but the timing of a submission matters, and if you’re outside of a good timeslot when you get permission to resubmit, it means less of a chance your submission will do well.
But if you risk waiting for another day, there’s no guarantee it won’t just happen again, and the mod that gave you permission to resubmit might not be working that day, and then you run the risk of some other mod thinking you’re a spammer, and you having to work it out again with them at the risk of a ban.
EDIT: According to at least one measure, my credit under this new system isn’t bad at all, so I’m without explanation for why this keeps happening.
Blackmirror is supposed to be dark fiction not a fucking blueprint
Two words: too late.
More words: Black Mirror will be the least of our concerns in 10yrs at this rate.
Damn that thread got removed quickly
If there is ever an investigation, even if just journalistic, I hope you make sure you and others who have experienced this report and contribute to it even if it’s just as personal anecdotes. Reddit has been getting away with a lot of bullshit because they have all the power to hide it under the rug.
Though I’m glad Reddit is now feeling so confident about the abuses it’s performing that it’s willing to admit them, if only partially. Something peeking out from under the rug is a pretty big hint.
I doubt there’s going to be an investigation or anything. As scummy as it is, it’s perfectly within their rights as a private company. People should refuse to give business to such a company though, but they (probably) didn’t do anything illegal.
No official investigation- but a curious journalist could still document it and sour Reddit’s reputation enough to sink them even faster.
People can’t exercise their rights if they don’t know how they’re being violated.
I have tons of explanation-based comments removed/shadow removed for no apparent reason.
Wonder if that’s why
The longer the comment the more likely to hit some sort of automod rule.
Include a phone number? Shortlink? E-mail address? the word “sremoved”? Were you talking about “Suicide Squad” or “Camp Kill Yourself”? All those and so much more can hit something and depending on configuration your post could be removed or filtered.
Your comment triggered the Lemmy slur filter lol
Good to see thats one a lot of folks fuck up.Makes me feel less dumb.
Unless it was a Scunthorpe problem, it’s probably good we have a slur filter though
Reddit has been employing all kinds of sketchy shit for years - including some fairly invasive behavioural fingerprinting techniques. And a lot of it has been abused by “powermods” who figured out how to game it.
Good chance these people simply said something that someone didn’t agree with and got flagged by some prick with a runaway ego.
I wonder if it’s admin abuse at the corporate level. I experienced a few very strange situations on Reddit that simply never made sense.
I got permabanned from /r/politics for using the word “removedation”, despite the fact I was using the technical/scientific definition of the term (the action of delaying or slowing the progress or development of something.) , and specifically referring to the entire US political instution.
I told the mods this is a word in the English language that is often used outside the denegratory sense, and that I was clearly not in any way targeting those with special needs. They called me “ableist” in response (“that word is ableist and there are no exceptions.” )
Like… Wtf? I used to literally hang out and defend special needs kids regularly back when I went to public school. But sure… I guess I’m ableist. The entire situation simply made no sense. I had contributed heavily to that sub over many, many years. I get the impression they were looking for a reason to get rid of me.
Eh. That seems more like typical out-of-control jargon and labeling ideology than any admin malfeasance. It’s unfortunately something I’ve seen a few times - I had several debates with people who likewise insisted that even using it in the sense of ‘to slow something down’ was improper, or that using potentially insulting words in any context caused “harm”. It’s a mindset that goes beyond any Reddit issues.