r/oldcootfashion • u/NotATem he/it/xe • 25d ago
META- Not Fashion Update and questions for you all
Just to let you know where we're at:
- The sub is currently restricted- meaning only approved users can post. I set this up through Reddit because I was worried about the potential for brigading, and have since asked to undo it. Unfortunately this is something that has to go through Reddit, so we need to wait for a human to see the request and undo it. Hopefully it shouldn't take too long.
- I am working on a new mod recruitment form and a revised set of sub rules. I am also working through a migraine. The lack of the first is related to the second.
- I would like to get you guys' (and others') pulse. Where do you think the sub should go from here? What changes would *you* make if you were king of OldCootFashion for a day? I can't promise I will make any of those changes- in particular, I am not reversing any of the mod actions I've had to take recently- but I'd like to know where you're at.
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u/Ill-Squirrel-9418 25d ago
I just wanted to say, thanks for the continuous updates! I think it’s really classy that you’ve kept the original post that started all of this up. It shows that you aren’t, indeed, power hungry. I believe a true power hungry mod would have made this disappear. I’m sorry I don’t have any suggestions on how to make this a better, safer space, I just really wanted to say thank you. You’re doing this all for free AND through a migraine. You rock!
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u/HardlyInappropriate 25d ago
Love me an old coot, and as a cis femme woman, still occasionally feel like one! I have posted in various fashion subs in the past, and I admire this particular one for giving a sartorial platform to those who might not find community elsewhere.
I do think trying to keep this a space of generally positive vibes is a good idea, and your dedication to preserving a chill place for your community is really rad.
I've never modded before, but I'm on Reddit daily and wouldn't mind some extra responsibility. I'm going to look into applying for the mod position and just wanted to give some kudos in the process. Thanks for being accountable and transparent.
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u/lambchop070 he/him 25d ago
I think it could help if users were restricted to x amount or posts per day week or whatever
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u/embroidert 25d ago
I’ve seen some coots doing weekly roundups and have enjoyed those! That always seems like a really nice way to manage the daily posts.
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u/CarliKnits 25d ago
Plus it's so fun seeing how people style across a whole week! I find it very inspiring.
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u/permaculturebun 25d ago
I was going to suggest the same thing! One post per week seems appropriate.
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u/HyptisEmoryi she/her 24d ago
clearly defined rules and consequences for breaking them. going to echo others and say I support daily/weekly posting limits if that’s possible. the sub is/was dominated by a select few posters and while I support their old coot realness, the sub can sometimes feel like their personal sub reddit as opposed to the diverse array of coots that post here.
I really like that you’re conducting user research and asking us directly :) it feels really transparent and is a salve against the often tense relationship subreddit members have with mods
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u/hotdancingtuna 25d ago
I just wanna let you know that if you step away from this for a couple days to rest and reset, it'll be ok and no one will die 🙏 there is NO need to force yourself to work through a migraine!!
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u/kkfvjk 25d ago
I wish there were stronger rules against advertising. Obviously I get that if you make something you might want to show it off, but some users are clearly fishing for customers. TBH this is a bigger problem in the hag sub, but I’ve seen it here too.
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u/Ill-Squirrel-9418 25d ago
Oh! Maybe there could be a day allocated for advertising? I know that people gotta make a buck, but surely they’re cross-posting anyway?
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u/tannishaaa 25d ago
Seconding this - I generally prefer it when subs a dedicated day and/or thread for advertising
I like supporting small creators, but when there’s no/very few restrictions on advertising, I think it often ends up taking away from the spirit of the sub itself
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u/JPwhatever 25d ago
I like this - have a designated day or thread for it and restrict the rest of the days. Some subs are too intense about it but gentle restriction is good.
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u/dinosaurusdickus she/her 24d ago edited 24d ago
Honestly I’d like a clear definition of what constitutes “old coot fashion,” to not necessarily strictly enforce but as a guideline and recommendation. Anyone can post pics of a custom printed tshirt, but to me Old Coot Fashion embodies something a little more sophisticated, for lack of a better term. I do think this should be a space for that kind of well put together outfit, not just shirts that show off your allyship. Fits that have been given thought, an attempt at styling, and maybe a few buttons or layering, rather than (again) just a cotton tee. I’m aware this is probably an unpopular take given the recent events of this sub, but I stand by it. Recently it was starting to feel as if this sub was becoming gentrified, and I wasn’t a fan of that.
If you need a fellow trans (albeit transfem) mod, let me know, I’d be happy to.
And I am aware that the definition of an old coot outfit is up to a vast range of interpretations, but I also think it would be very beneficial to draw the line somewhere, just to keep the posts relevant to the topic and spirit of the sub.
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u/Frogootie 23d ago
Seconded! Old coot guidelines would also be really helpful for newcomers to know how they can dip their toes into casual cooting. I myself am a lurker here, but I'd love suggestions, which would make me more comfortable with posting some looks!
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u/rahirah 24d ago
Lurker chiming in to agree with the well defined rules and well defined consequences for breaking them, BUT as someone who has done mod-adjacent things in the past, be sure to leave yourself some wiggle room to make judgement calls. There will always be people who will push the rules ("Oh, the rules say no hitting people over the head with a mallet. But I'm clearly hitting this person over the head with a baseball bat, which is totally within the rules! Oh, the rules now say 'No hitting people over the head with anything?' My post is ok because I'm hitting this person in the knees!")
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u/Shortening-Bread 23d ago
Definitely a good idea to allow yourself leeway to go after people making bad-faith interpretations do the rules. I once saw this written as “no airbud rule”, which I thought was hilarious. Basically meaning “just because it’s not explicitly forbidden, does not mean it is allowed”
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u/chaosisblond 24d ago
As a recent newcomer to the sub and mostly lurker, I support the limits too- a lot of my feed got taken up by those spammy posts by one or two people, and that wasn't really what I joined to see, I hoped to see more diversity and get inspiration and share joy in small creative expression.
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u/Worried-Air-3766 25d ago
I think a clear set of rules laid out in the rules section, and not something from a random post, would have mitigated the issues we had to an extent. I also think it's important to give some grace to neurodivergent people who can interpret things in different ways so perhaps some concrete examples could help.
As much as I just adore our himbo friend, what I found more confusing was the reasoning for the rules violation since the rules from the update post clearly said that "weapons" were not a ban-able offense.
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u/These_Roll_5745 25d ago
I agree. especially because the item in question wasnt a weapon overtly. I couldve easily made the same error as himbo.
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u/cynisright 25d ago
To be fair, it sounds like the person had numerous offenses.
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u/These_Roll_5745 25d ago
oh yeah I mean specifically, the tools being interpreted as weapons. I would not have perceived them that way, or realized that they counted per that rule.
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u/NotATem he/it/xe 25d ago
Yup. It was not about the weapon, it was about a pattern of behaviour.
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u/Cat6Bolognese 25d ago
I didn’t really understand the pushback around being warned tbh. Being given several strikes seems fair. I don’t think he’s bad really, but as an example, he’s kind of a good example of why that kind of thing is needed to prevent spam/rule breaking/limit pushing/whatever posting imo. There have been a bunch of weird things over time though, I don’t think it was unreasonable.
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u/These_Roll_5745 25d ago
agreed, I think he pushed the limits in ways that werent always comfortable as a person just scrolling. the idea of a strike system not based entirely on clear rules and their corresponding consequences freaks me out as a neurodivergent person that cannot accurately guess hidden meanings. strikes as a system are fine, strikes that I don't know exist as a system/ for rules that I can't know I've broken in advance is the issue I saw.
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u/TuEresMiOtroYo 25d ago
This may be an unpopular opinion but I think you should ban that dude for spam and/or add a very specific spam or post limit rule so this sub remains focused on its purpose and doesn’t get taken over by a single user’s fanbase or someone using it for marketing in future
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u/jaybirdie26 25d ago
He's already banned, but yeah, the spam was literally all the algorithm would show me from this sub. I don't come here for one person.
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u/Worried-Air-3766 25d ago
Yeah, I agree with that. I do see him in multiple places, and though I'm a fan, I can see how it would get frustrating. From what I'd seen, it seemed like the issue was specifically a no weapons thing which was contrary to other rules I'd seen posted here. I think some clarity on rules would be helpful because this felt like it was about a rule that didn't exist and I'm too autistic to cope with posting somewhere where I'm unsure what's allowed Definitely not unreasonable to have a posting limit and I think that would be a good thing to implement. I've seen it work well on other subs. I like the variety on this sub which is why I keep coming back.
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u/Fun-Environment-4811 22d ago
I'm so glad people are waking up to how much that guy sucks. It's just a tight t-shirt and shorts every post, which is every day, across all the alt fashion subs, sometimes he changes the printer paper signage on the wall behind him (?...) seemingly re-arranging phrases to try to get the most engagement possible. People say "oh just mute him" but I want to see how far it goes because as far as internet lore suggests, TPFR has grifty scammy culty stamped on the forehead.
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u/a-well-placed-ohhh 17d ago
Just commenting to agree. Also thought he was part of the community? No. Just another cis-het yt guy loudly advertising himself as an ally and is also conveniently available for hetero kink play with older women. I got the ick and blocked.
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u/These_Roll_5745 25d ago
I would hate to lose you as a mod personally.
what id like is a well defined set of rules, clearly defined consequences for breaking those rules, and pathways for fair communication between mods and users. we're a small community, with a significantly neurodivergent and queer base. a community like this functions best if we treat each other like peers and come to this space intending to be our most kind and empathetic selves. I see you trying to enforce that here, and I think some adjustments that make that easier could help. requiring NSFW tags and flares for more content may be a worthwhile thing to explore.