Why do people still use Reddit?

[PsYcNeT]

Alright.

So I know a large portion of the internet uses Reddit as part of their day-to-day info-gathering, but is convenience of information really worth condoning the site operators, the horrible sub-reddits, and the general immaturity/misogyny of the user base?

Let's backtrack a bit, and let's go over some information here.

History

Reddit was created in 2005, and popularized after the Great Digg Exodus of 2006, as an alternative link-aggregation site because of a user base fallout with Diggs site ops and rule sets. It originally started out very similar to other aggregator sites like Stumbleupon, Digg, and Fark, but quickly ballooned in size.

Reddit was purchased by newspaper conglomerate Conde Nast in 2006, and became independant of Conde Nast in 2011, and is now under even bigger conglomerate Advance Publications.

The site has a history of a "nothing is sacred, anything goes" posting mentality, which in turn has spawned some of the most vile places on the internet.

Scandal

In 2008, 'jailbait' was named "Sub-Reddit Of The Year". This sub-reddit contained pornographic and suggestive photographs of teenagers and pre-teens.

In September 2011, thanks to tips from SomethingAwful (who continue to troll Reddit in hilarious fashion thanks to sub-reddit r/####RedditSays), Anderson Cooper exposed dozens of sub-reddit's devoted to child pornography. These sub-reddits had existed for years, with site-ops not caring to enforce anything related to removal or strict admonishment for their existence. They were accepted as course. After the bad press from Anderson Cooper, a cursory finger-wagging and half-assed assurance campaign was launched pretending that the issue was resolved, when in fact nothing was done. Many popular posts were made defending child porn as free-speech, and these lasted for well over 2 months. Reddit has a notable community of ephebophiles who feel their deviancy is natural.

It wasn't until February 2012, when SomethingAwful again started an internet-wide campaign to expose the indecencies of these sub-reddits, that Advanced Publications stepped in and forced Reddit to remove all 'jailbait' themed sub-reddits, and put in a rule forbidding "suggestive or sexual content featuring minors". Despite the official rule, many sub-reddits still exist to negotiate the exchange of illegal materials, and site-ops are lax to control them. It has been mused that they may exist as honey-pots for sexual predators.

The *very* popular site-op violentacrez (real name: Michael Brutsch) was responsible for the creation and maintenance of many of the most reviled sub-reddits found on the site, including most 'jailbait' sub-reddits, r/beatingwomen, r/creepshots (taking pictures of women who don't know they're being taken), r/picturesofdeadkids, r/chokeabitch, r/rapebait, r/hitler, r/misogyny, r/incest, and many many others.

On October 12, 2012, violentacrez was unmasked by Adrian Chen of Gawker for his facilitation of some of the most horrific communities on the internet (as well as being a top contributor to many of them).

http://gawker.com/5950981/

Since the publication of this article, all Gawker links and discussions of the situation have since been banned from Reddit, and users who address it or wish to discuss it have been banned as well. Many of violentacrez sub-reddits still exist, filled with exactly the type of people you would expect them to be filled with.

r/mensrights

If you have noticed any upswing in the hilariously misguided Men's Rights movement on the internet, you can thank this sub-reddit. Demonization of women, an upswing in acceptable misogyny, the lament of 'nice guys', it's all whipped up here, and it's spreading. I could go on about this, but I'm sure there will be some MRAs (men's rights advocates) that post on CP here soon to tell me how Femi-nazi's ruined their life and how the MRA-movement is all about equality for men in an unbalanced world.

The Topic At Hand

For anyone who willfully knew of what transpired (and what currently exists on Reddit), how can you in any good conscience continue to patronize the site, knowing that by doing so you are condoning this and giving them advertising revenue to continue this monstrous activity?

Is it laziness? Lack of concern? Have you given up on the world and just don't care?

[Misterpants]

But they yhave cat pictures.

[Cole436]

Maybe it's because focusing on a certain section of subreddits doesnt come close to defining or categorising the entire site or their demographics.

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by Cole436

Maybe it's because a certain sections of subreddits don't come close to defining or categorise the entire site an their demographics. It's like condemning all homosexuals because some of them are pedophiles.

But how can you claim to be fine with the site when it's ad-revenue and infrastructure supports the horrific portions, especially when reigning those in would be as simple as deleting them.

Would you still come to CP if it had a section dedicated to exchanging photos of 13 year old in bikinis? Or a section dedicated to pictures of dead children? Would you openly defend the site, just because "most of it isn't terrible and soul-wrenching"?

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by PsYcNeT

But how can you claim to be fine with the site when it's ad-revenue and infrastructure supports the horrific portions, especially when reigning those in would be as simple as deleting them.

Would you still come to CP if it had a section dedicated to exchanging photos of 13 year old in bikinis? Or a section dedicated to pictures of dead children? Would you openly defend the site, just because "most of it isn't terrible and soul-wrenching"?

Is it okay if I mention that AFAIK these parts of Reddit are now gone?

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by Nehkara

Is it okay if I mention that AFAIK these parts of Reddit are now gone?

They aren't.

[MarchHare]

I have an account on Reddit, but I mainly lurk and very rarely post.

I find the site to almost be a microcosm of the Internet as a whole. Yes, there's some really shady stuff there, but you can avoid it if you choose to. I've never sought out any of the creepshot or MRA subreddits nor have I accidentally stumbled into them.

I tend to stick mainly to the subreddits that have strict moderation to keep the discourse civil and mature. Stuff like /r/askscience and /r/economics are both really good sources of information. And I'll admit to getting a few laughs every day from /r/funny (although the signal:noise ratio there can be lacking).

[Flash Walken]

What's your alternative, psycnet?

[Resolute 14]

Thought-policing the internet is about as effective as carrying jello without a bowl.

[FlamesAddiction]

I can honestly say that I have never been on Reddit.

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

What's your alternative, psycnet?

Not going there.

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Thought-policing the internet is about as effective as carrying jello without a bowl.

The desire isn't for some Orwellian police force to swoop in and change the way people think, it's for the worlds sixth-biggest site to remove content that is illegal.

For the Reddit site-ops to explicitly allow illegal content and only remove it once it makes them look bad in the public eye is unacceptable.

[Nammer403]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I can honestly say that I have never been on Reddit.

Myself as well

[burn_this_city]

I've been on it once or twice but I hated the format so I never went back.

[OffsideSpecialist]

I usually just post in the subreddit for my local community. It's pretty good for staying up to date on things going on in the city. Good food recommendations too!

I also like laughing at the pictures of idiots on Grindr.

[PsYcNeT]

So basically responses so far boil down to

Who cares? I like x, y, z and I don't go to those awful places.

That sounds pretty morally bankrupt for the sake of convenience.

[Rathji]

I had no idea that any of that stuff was even on there.

I occasionally browse front page stuff, but that's about it. I feel like the majority of the users are pretty similar.

[DuffMan]

I've been once and it didn't really catch my fancy, but now that I know of all this other stuff, I am going back for a better look.

[J pold]

I’ve been using reddit daily for the past few years. I have an account but like most people almost never post. Lately the site as a whole has been bothering me with trends like the “male rights movement” mentioned by the OP, the general anti women sentiment, and the intellectual circle jerk that is r/atheism. I’ve subscribed to custom sub-reddits that align with my interests but even then I run into comments/posts that are irritating. I think the biggest problem with reddit (and really the internet as a whole) is that it shrinks your world own to the topics and opinions that you are aligned with. And when you spend time in certain subreddits or other online communities your beliefs and opinions are never challenged, only reinforced.

I’ve been trying to use it less but I have to admit it is pretty good for simple internet browsing. Like someone already mentioned there are good parts and there are bad parts and really such is the internet as a whole.

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by Rathji

I had no idea that any of that stuff was even on there.

I occasionally browse front page stuff, but that's about it. I feel like the majority of the users are pretty similar.

Well yeah, actively suppressing valid criticisms can be effective.

Originally Posted by J pold

I’ve been trying to use it less but I have to admit it is pretty good for simple internet browsing. Like someone already mentioned there are good parts and there are bad parts and really such is the internet as a whole.

But the difference is, you're not subsidizing www.littlegirlsinskirts.net with ad revenue with general internet usage.

[Brannigans Law]

Nazis invented the zip/postal code system. Should we throw that away too?

I'm kidding of course.