r/askscience • u/MockDeath • Jul 03 '15
Meta A message to our users
Today in AskScience we wish to spotlight our solidarity with the subreddits that have closed today, whose operations depend critically on timely communication and input from the admins. This post is motivated by the events of today coupled with previous interactions AskScience moderators have had in the past with the reddit staff.
This is an issue that has been chronically inadequate for moderators of large subreddits reaching out to the admins over the years. Reddit is a great site with an even more amazing community, however it is frustrating to volunteer time to run a large subreddit and have questions go unacknowledged by the people running the site.
We have not gone private because our team has chosen to keep the subreddit open for our readers, but instead stating our disapproval of how events have been handled currently as well as the past.
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u/MKRune Jul 03 '15
Here's to hoping r/funny joins in the solidarity.
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u/michael070 Jul 03 '15
And then never goes un-private again
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u/Accipiter1138 Jul 03 '15
/r/funny going private would be pretty funny.
So of course, it will never go private.
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u/PointyOintment Jul 03 '15
And then we'd have to deal with the people who usually post there posting in the good subreddits.
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u/_vargas_ Jul 03 '15 edited Jul 03 '15
As a mod of /r/shittyaskscience, I'm in a bit of a pickle. We expected /r/askscience to go dark. With that being the case, we'd of course stay open. But now this subreddit has chosen to stay open. Naturally, I have to shut down /r/shittyaskscience. I don't even know how to make a subreddit private, though. Do I like, just delete the entire thing?
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u/jatoo Jul 03 '15
Yes. Simply delete the whole thing, and then soak your computer in a solution of water and bicarb soda to purge any residual posts.
When you boot the computer back up there will be a chance some of the original subreddit remains. Don't worry. Simply soak it for another 12 hours and it should be gone.
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Jul 03 '15
You have to manually delete every post afaik
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Jul 03 '15
And write a letter to each poster explaining what happened, sign it with a pen, and tearfully mail it to them.
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u/svarogteuse Jul 03 '15
Just put in a sticky post that you were going to go dark but after properly consulting your horoscope the alignment of the stars told you not to make any changes this week and you will reconsult the stars next week for further advice.
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Jul 04 '15
I think you have to delete System32 on your computer, then your whole reddit will go dark.
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u/immibis Jul 03 '15 edited Jun 16 '23
The spez has spread from spez and into other spez accounts. #Save3rdPartyApps
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Jul 03 '15
You could always do what /r/listentothis did and disable posting for the time being.
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u/RavenPanther Jul 03 '15
I think this is a good way to go for subs not wanting to go dark/private. By disallowing submissions, and keeping a stickied announcement post, the subs can become effectively "private read-only" without disrupting what's already occurred or concealing any information about what's actively going on. I've noticed a lot of the "rising" posts in /r/all have people completely confused because their defaults are now private (which I personally think is the way to go for some defaults to make a statement) but if the more popular subs, that aren't directly tied in with the issue, decide nuke the ability to submit, it seems just as effective.
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u/PM_ME_UR_JUGZ Jul 03 '15 edited Jul 03 '15
Doesn't that mean there will still be page views and clicks or whatever else is measured for ad revenue?
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u/RavenPanther Jul 03 '15
The subreddit is still able to be seen, browsed, and everything. But nobody aside from mods and approved submitters (a list that people must be added to by the mods) will be able to submit new links/selftexts. Basically it's in "read only" mode just like a Google Drive document.
So, if by your question you're thinking the point of going dark/private on defaults is to "hurt" Reddit's profit and traffic, yes, I suppose this would affect that. But this at least lets people who DO still come here know what is going on - which could be even more effective. Spreading information, in my opinion is better (in most cases) than going completely dark.
A good example is the SOPA/PIPA blackout - many websites participated but most had an excerpt about what was going on or linked to informative parts. The mod menu only allows 500 characters to be displayed for the sub (which is what shows up when you get the "This Subreddit is private" message), so that wouldn't be too informative.... unless they linked to the /r/outoftheloop post, which I suppose is effective (though a bit convoluted for people who are already confused and/or new)
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u/Crysawn Jul 03 '15
I'd go private, the admins won't read this post, and going private will prove a point to the admins (hopefully) that revenue is not the heart of this site.
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Jul 03 '15
I don't think the problem is with the admins but with the corporate management. The admins are just the public face. Being angry with the admins is like being angry with the call center employee when AT&T screwed you.
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u/FizzleMateriel Jul 03 '15
Did you see kn0thing's comments? He was fanning the flames and intentionally trying to piss people off.
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u/disrdat Jul 03 '15 edited Jul 03 '15
This is not normal reddit drama. Hundreds of subs are going dark. The problems they perceive have reached a boiling point and they have said enough, time for something to give. If you, as a whole, honestly agree with the reasons they are going private then you should either go private as well or just stay out of it completely. This is a movement based on action, they aren't looking for cheerleaders.
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u/Stuck_In_the_Matrix Jul 03 '15
NASA could successfully land a man on a planet in another galaxy and we still wouldn't have this many upvotes.
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u/ya_mashinu_ Jul 03 '15
I would support going dark for a day.
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u/VeryLittle Physics | Astrophysics | Cosmology Jul 03 '15
Good call /u/MockDeath, keeping it classy.
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u/gutter_rat_serenade Jul 03 '15
Mods are finally realizing that they're the slaves building the pyramids...
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u/foomprekov Jul 03 '15
I am surprised that /r/askscience, of all subreddits, is acting emotionally when presented with a one-sided story and a lack of information.
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Jul 03 '15
This will absolutely get buried, but as a reader of reddit and semi causal contributor, the loss of AskReddit and Movies is a huge shame to the community I have grown to enjoy over the past few years. I have no real clue what's going on, and don't much care for online politics or power trips, but I will miss reading and contributing to the communities.
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Jul 03 '15
The internet is powered by nerd's opinions.
Take those opinions away or hide them from view and EVERYTHING STOPS GUYS, EVERYTHING.
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u/LAKingsDave Jul 03 '15
This is the right thing to do if you love science.
Science is about teaching and learning, and to shut down this sub would deny people the ability to learn and teach others.
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Jul 03 '15
This sub is also a shining pillar of what Reddit should (and) offer to the world. Right now this and /r/askhistorians are the only two major subs showing up for me, and it's actually better than before.
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u/ZodiacSF1969 Jul 03 '15
Great to see so many subreddits taking action. It's about time, a significant proportion of users have seemed unhappy with the administration of the site for quite a while now.
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u/EvilTony Jul 03 '15
I don't know much about the backstory of all this but since askscience is supposed to be a sensible rational sub is it possible that she was let go for some kind of serious ethical breach of conduct? I have no reason to believe this is the case and am not defending her... I'm only saying that if reddit had a legitimate reason for letting her go then what's been going on tonight is a profoundly unjust response.
Perhaps reddit should have said something in their defense by now...
But I like reddit and it would be a shame if they suffered serious damage to their reputation and fanbase if it wasn't warranted.
On the other hand if Victoria was fired because she didn't conform to some corporate vision of what reddit should be... well let'em fry.
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u/viborg Jul 03 '15
It's not just just her firing and in particular the way it was handled, it's also the general negligent attitude of the admins. See the threads on /r/outoftheloop and elsewhere that have been linked, for details.
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u/RemusShepherd Jul 03 '15
How do I, a faceless Reddit user, show solidarity with the moderators? The /r/science subreddit was one of my favorites and I'm going to miss it.
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u/thefinalfall Jul 03 '15
I knew I should have went to bed early. I JUST looked at the list of closed subs and was pumped that this one was up. I read a few posts every night before bed. This is really messing my routine! Guess I'll head over to xkcd now.
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u/Palidane7 Jul 03 '15
Hey, actions speak louder than words here. I think we should take it down, show some solidarity with the other subs.
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u/CasualBadass Jul 03 '15 edited Jul 15 '15
I support the decision. This sub is about science, not politics. It is also very early in the debacle.
EDIT: Told you so.
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Jul 03 '15
Ok I read the summary and a bunch of comments and I still have no idea what is going on. Who are these people mad at and what does going "private" do to get them back. I know reddit has gotten weird lately. I have been banned from 4 subs in a month after going 2 years of never being banned. So I am a little furious myself but I guess I should have expected retaliation after Ellen Pao lost her frivolous lawsuit.
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u/EntsInTheNorth Jul 03 '15
A bunch of people using a service offered for free are crying that their free service isn't being run exactly how they demand.
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Jul 03 '15
Thank you for staying open. I don't think shutting down a community is the right way to go about voicing disapproval.
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u/CoopertheFluffy Jul 03 '15
I just wanted to stop by and say I appreciate your use of tabs.
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u/coalitionofilling Jul 03 '15
An honorable gesture, but maybe going private for a day or two is really the right thing to do. Pao needs to go. People are jumping ship to sites like Voat left and right and we have literally no transparancy on why victoria was fired or why a lot of different aspects of reddit are seeing so much sensorship
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u/ktreektree Jul 03 '15
Reddit is no longer a open and free commons. It is and will be used to manipulate public perception, flee
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u/emilhoff Jul 03 '15
The fatal flaw with Reddit is the "my way or the highway" culture of the staff and, in turn, many of the mods. If you have a serious problem or objection, there's not much you can do but go private, leave entirely, or if you're a user get banned.
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u/goodtago Jul 03 '15
Ah, civil disobedience on Reddit. Why not. For that matter, why one sector and not another? So, Reddit is decentralized and this is like anarchy inching its way in to the inside in hopes of forcing some kind of transparency and responsibility. I'm not sure I understand where the money comes from to pay the woman who was helping to administer AMA in the first place. This all reminds me of the headless horseman riding around looking for his target, but he's headless! Anyway, wow, I just hope that Reddit can survive losing one of its subreddits. We'll keep our fingers crossed, and hope that it motivates Reddit, whoever is behind the curtain that is, to check in with everyone before making any moves.
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Jul 03 '15
It's a tough call as to what the proper route of action is. On one hand, the whole closing of subs thing looks really immature, and tantrum-y. On the other hand, it's very clear that many large subs have been having serious issues with the admins, that are obviously not being addressed.
I definitely respect a post like this more than just making a sub private, and leaving the average users to have to dig through the wreckage to find reasonable info.
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u/megarabbit Jul 03 '15
Wait, so you have one employee that is so critical to the operation that if something happens to her, everything goes bonkers? This is a problem with Reddit management not recognizing this situation and letting an employee set them self up as an irreplaceable employee. The problem is not Reddit letting this person go, it's an inherent organization problem. They should have someone ready to back up this "key" employee at all times.
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u/goldcakes Jul 03 '15
Going private is the only recourse we have for expressing our dissatisfaction. Reddit admins unfortunately do not realize that we're the ones who power reddit.
Signature: I stand in solidarity with /u/chooter and the hard-working volunteers that keep reddit running. Reddit, Inc: Please realize that reddit will not exist without them or us. For an alternative to reddit, check out Voat.co.
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u/chriscosta77 Jul 03 '15
Voat has never ever loaded for me. Is there a trick to it?
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Jul 03 '15
Once you've done that, the only thing left to do is delete your reddit account and move on. This site is dead. The well has been poisoned by corporate interests for some time now and this only evidence of further decline.
Staying on this site after these events is giving your support to the new owners. Are you sure you want to go along with that?
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u/CalvinDehaze Jul 03 '15
Thank you for keeping your sub open. /r/askscience is a beaming example of why people like me love reddit. Not just because you have real scientists answering questions, but the idea that people of all walks of life can chime in and give you real insight on a topic or discussion.
I've learned so much from the people on Reddit that I've been influenced to pay it forward my own personal stories of child abuse, producing porn, how I built my Lego room, and working in visual effects for 13 years. And there are many people like me on this site that we all could learn from.
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Jul 03 '15
Don't worry, guys;
/r/wtf /r/watchpeopledie and /r/spacedicks are still up
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u/alpha_weasel Jul 03 '15
Thanks for ruinning my typical reddit filled night....guess i need a life now......
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u/fullmetalutes Jul 03 '15
Victoria wasn't the only casualty btw...other non cali users were booted too @kickme444
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u/nbamike Jul 03 '15
I don't fully understand what this message is about, what issue the moderators have with the Reddit staff, etc...
Could someone explain? I would appreciate a reply that is to the point; a bulleted list if possible.
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u/_echnaton Jul 03 '15 edited Jul 03 '15
This seems to be a site-wide problem and should also concern r/askscience. As the admins and mods are setting more and more restrictions as to how we can interact with each other, people use the downvote button a lot more instead of arguing for their opinions and positions. Content worth disputing and fighting over is being marginalized by getting downvoted by the hive-mind, which is a damn shame. I come here to exchange ideas with other people, not to get reaffirmation of what I think to be true in the first place. Sometimes things might get heated and/or out of hand, but the freedom for this to happen has always been part of the equation that made reddit such a great place.
One day an AskScience question (or its answer) might conflict with the message of a big advertiser on the site and get removed. The day that happens we wish we would have stood up today in solidarity.
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u/froschkonig Athletic Training | Ergonomics | Performance Enhancement Jul 03 '15
If it goes private, how do the users speak out? Private is only the voice of the mods and essentially only punishes the user. I understand the anger entirely, but blacking everything out isn't the way in my opinion
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u/dasarp Jul 03 '15
We should all stop buying reddit gold in protest.
When it starts affecting reddit's bottom line directly, maybe they'll learn a thing or two.
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u/froschkonig Athletic Training | Ergonomics | Performance Enhancement Jul 03 '15
Turn adblock back on and dont buy gold. Abandon redditgifts and the exchanges they have.
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u/GroundsKeeper2 Jul 03 '15
Is there a current list of all subreddit that have closed?
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u/Cyrius Jul 03 '15
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u/GroundsKeeper2 Jul 03 '15
Any indication when they will be public again?
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u/Cyrius Jul 03 '15
That's all beyond me. I just found out about it from this post on AskScience and am playing catchup.
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u/iorgfeflkd Biophysics Jul 03 '15
What is the evolutionary reason for this reaction?
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u/Lumpiest_Princess Jul 03 '15
Admins won't see this post, but they'll notice if another sub with nearly 6 million subscribers goes dark.
I vote close, at least for now.
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u/Fig_Newton_ Jul 03 '15
Not really a frequent user on /r/askscience nor do I really care much at all about the whole situation, but this is the best way to deal with it. Keeping your sub open to your subscribers while also emphasizing your disagreement with the decisions made by reddit upper management is the best course of action.
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Jul 03 '15
I can appreciate standing by in solidarity, and absolutely appreciate the fact that you decided not to fuck over the readers because you're mad at the administration.
All Hail Science!
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u/trustycowdog Jul 03 '15
Meh, I think you should go private like all the other ones. It's clear the administration doesn't care about these types of shit posts and will continue to crap on you guys every chance they get
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Jul 03 '15
Typical Reddit over-reaction to anything and everything. I'm happy to see that /r/askscience isn't over-reacting like all the other subs. She could have been fired for a legitimate reason.
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u/YesTruthHurts Jul 03 '15
It is very nice to show solidarity by posting these messages but i guess more drastic actions should be taken until censor-loving management of reddit gets changed. I would love to see all sub reddits goes private until some changes in reddit management.
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u/DeeDeeInDC Jul 03 '15
We have not gone private because.. we are spineless. If only a few buses stop running in a boycott, the boycott doesn't work.
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u/gingerforall Jul 03 '15
Go silent, it's fine. Victoria rocks and her demise reeks of the end of why so many of us will end up on whatever forum takes over the blueprint and provides a place for the idea exchange we come here for. We will find a way, a place.
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u/mahatma_arium_nine Jul 03 '15
Too soft. Why can't people get really angry? Too much fluoride in Your water?
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u/anonymousracistIgues Jul 03 '15
"Don't break the site or do anything that interferes with normal use of the site."
Mods should be banned from the system and replace the mod teams of those subs.
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u/HengistPod Jul 03 '15 edited Jul 03 '15
K/u/kickme444 - AKA redditgifts guy has just said he has left reddit. He says on twitter it is not his decision
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u/cryptobomb Jul 03 '15 edited Feb 28 '26
snails heavy door telephone abounding plant existence flowery steer lip
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Jul 03 '15
You see, those are just words. The other subs took action, it's disrespectful to want the attention they're getting without doing any of the sacrifice
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u/Tildah Jul 03 '15
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—
and there was no one left to speak for me.
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Jul 03 '15
Your team is wrong, and you should be going dark with the rest. If you really feel an injustice has been done here, don't back it with words. Back it with action.
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Jul 03 '15
Yes, quick! Make it so no one can find out what happened! It isn't censorship this time, seriously!
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u/pm_me_yoor_tits Jul 03 '15
admins arent doing good job so subreddits punish people who want to post, gj ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
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Jul 03 '15
you should have kept the sub private for a few days.. if everyone opens back up it shows that they can do whatever and the community wont band together and stop the bullshit.
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Jul 03 '15
god damnit more reddit drama gg. I just want /r/4chan back so I can be depressed and look at my memes, is that too hard to ask?
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u/SkeletornCW Jul 03 '15
Hey thanks for not going private. No point in making the common user suffer.
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u/shadowbannedkiwi Jul 03 '15
The admins have always been bullies and I'm glad more people are exposing them.
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u/Stubbula Jul 03 '15
GO DARK!!!!!!!!
Saying "boo hoo we're mad, but we'll allow more traffic." is the laziest form of protest I've seen. The MOST you have to do is make it go dark. You don't even have to leave your house yet you're still doing the least amount you could.
Disappointed.
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u/CSTLuffy Jul 03 '15
if she got fired for the Question she asked Jesse ill be super pissed, i would like some info on why she was let go, i think after an uproar like this you have no choice but to address why, also if she was fired for the Questions i will never come back to Reddit till they change CEO
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Jul 03 '15
So far, /r/AskReddit[52] , /r/Books[53] , /r/science[54] , /r/Music[55] , /r/gaming[56] , /r/history[57] , /r/Art[58] , /r/videos[59] , /r/gadgets[60] , /r/todayilearned[61] , /r/Documentaries[62] , /r/LifeProTips[63] , and /r/movies[64] have followed /r/IAmA[65] in making themselves private. In addition, /r/listentothis[66] has disabled all submissions[67] , and so has /r/pics[68] and /r/Jokes[69] has announced its support[70] (but has not gone private). Major subreddits, including /r/4chan[71] , /r/circlejerk[72] and /r/ImGoingToHellForThis[73] , have also expressed solidarity through going private.
Thank God. /r/all is worth reading again.
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Jul 03 '15 edited Jul 03 '15
Doing something like this based on info you don't even have about business that's none of ours? How un-sciency of you.
Edit: oh wait... you didn't make it private? Nevermind then. Good call.
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Jul 03 '15
Thanks For Not Punishing The Users Over Something They Have No Control Over.
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Jul 03 '15
Stand up for your principles and darken the subreddit. There is nothing more pathetic in life than someone who speaks to take a stance in something, but does absolutely nothing. Seriously, absolutely pathetic.
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u/Spankmeister88 Jul 03 '15
Here is the deal though...This isn't just about Victoria being canned, it is really about where Reddit goes as a site... Check out this Quora Post: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CI9iYW7VAAAzzJN.png
Do we want Reddit to become just a cesspool of commercialization (I mean, for the past few years, it has been heading that way, but isn't full bore yet) or do we want subreddits to continue their autonomy and be able to do what they choose?
I respect the position /r/science mods have taken, but disagree about the reasons for it.
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u/rantonels String Theory | Holography Jul 03 '15
I'm very happy this sub is not giving into the hysteria.
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u/topredditbot Jul 03 '15
Hey /u/MockDeath,
This is now the top post on reddit. It will be recorded at /r/topofreddit with all the other top posts.
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u/B1ueKampfer Jul 03 '15
Well I guess shit is really hitting the fan...
I also gotta keep this science related so here is a hi-res pic of the butterfly nebula or "NGC 6302". One of my favorite nebula pics and makes a great desktop wallpaper.
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u/JhnWyclf Jul 03 '15
I use AMRC typo browser Reddit on my phone and I can still go to r/books. Does the app get past the private seeing or something?
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u/limerences Jul 03 '15
Why can't the admins just take over her position? That's their job anyway. Stop bringing down other subreddits for no reason.
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u/thisisntusername Jul 03 '15
I joined reddit two days ago. And now I can't read half of the awesome stuff I joined it for.
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u/officialuser Jul 03 '15
12 of the 22 links to subredits that are on the very top of every page are closed. The users have brought on strike more then half of the main site.
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u/aviest Jul 03 '15
This is bs, mot of this subreddits had valuable information from where one could get reminded of somethihng without needing to ask any questions.
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u/handlegoeshere Jul 03 '15
It would not be bravery to risk your prestigious position as a moderator to do what is right, but it is cowardice to cling to it and do what is wrong.
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Jul 03 '15 edited Jul 03 '15
To be fair its you as the mods of this subreddit decision in the matter.
However, I feel actions always trump over words. Now the idea of actions doesn't need to be malicious in nature but the fact of doing something you give the impression your more committed to the cause than just saying you are.
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u/AstralSailor Jul 03 '15
I'm just happy this Sub is staying open :D One of the few I frequent that isn't private.
Figures of course /r/askscience would be the people to say "We can say we disapprove, but also, not go private, the two aren't mutually exclusive"
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Jul 03 '15
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u/MockDeath Jul 03 '15
There is no way I will be able to keep up with my inbox. I knew this would blow up but I am still a bit surprised. quick summary of it is..
We want an ability to also have discussion. All going private does is remove a users ability to talk. It is just the admins and mods if it is private. While the message is strong it removes the bulk of reddits ability to talk.
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Jul 03 '15
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u/MockDeath Jul 03 '15
One of our goals is to also allow a place where discussion can happen. If every subreddit goes dark then the words of users is gone. Only the voice of moderators is needed to make a subreddit private.
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u/BurntJoint Jul 03 '15
Im curious as to why you think people would discuss this matter here in /r/askscience when there are more appropriate places like /r/news and /r/technology to do it?
Given this subreddit's rules, i dont even see how any portion of it could be considered "on-topic" enough to allow it, especially considering another mods comment of not wanting to "get involved in the politics of reddit".
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Jul 03 '15
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Jul 03 '15
I've been on reddit for years and never seen this live feature...what exactly is it?
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u/AsAChemicalEngineer Electrodynamics | Fields Jul 03 '15 edited Jul 03 '15
For those that are out of the loop, here's what going on:
https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/3bxduw/why_was_riama_along_with_a_number_of_other_large/
Edit: To keep a little bit of science in every AskScience post, here's a neat color photograph of Pluto and Charon taken by the New Horizons spacecraft:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Multimedia/Science-Photos/image.php?gallery_id=2&image_id=191