this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2023
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Imagine threatening VOLUNTEERS. How does any mod with self respect not just quit?
I turned all the communities I modded private and "basically" quit but I understand not completely quitting without thinking about it for a long time. I only modded for like 30K redditors but some of the communitites have millions and they got there with the unseen moderation. Mods love their communities and it's really hard to just turn your back on them after you've cultivated real friendships and so much information has been shared. I think it's a little more complicated than, "F reddit, I'm out". They'll get there though, it's just become sooo much harder to actually mod the community you started.
@invno1 I have never moderated a community, but can absolutely see this! They moderated, because they loved the community and understood how to do it well. Maybe there are friends too, who you learn and discuss stuff with over the years. An angry user (like me) can "just" leave without many consequences. But a moderator also feels responsible to its community too. So I can understand those who have a hard time leaving. Maybe there was hope that Reddit will turnaround too.
Little bits of power go to people's heads. Seriously, that's the only reason you'd continue to do volunteer work while being threatened for doing so.
Maybe they just don't want to give up on a community in which they put so much time, effort, and passion to help shape.
I think both of you are right. Some people can't let go of what they've helped build, and some people can't let go of power.
So would you characterize that as "sunk cost fallacy" or "Stockholm syndrome"? Because Reddit has shown exactly how little it cares for its communities or the "landed gentry" who maintain them and if you were a mod who had been paying any attention at all to what's going on, you'd be foolish to want to continue to maintain a relationship with it.
Reddit isn't unique. There are (obviously) other places where communities can exist and grow, without relying on the largesse of libertarian tech-bros who see you as just a means to a cashed-out IPO end.
I think it's more nuanced than that. For example, I know that some Linux communities still want a presence on Reddit because being able to reach more "mainstream" audiences is still important. It's not Stockholm syndrome to want to continue to be able to do community outreach as best you can. It isn't always the best choice to silo yourself into another corner of the Internet at the first sign of trouble.
Besides, we've seen a ton of mods simply doing double duty now, maintaining a presence on Reddit while simultaneously creating a new community in the Fediverse and I think that's okay. Reddit didn't kill Digg immediately and neither will the Fediverse kill Reddit immediately. All we can do is to show that the Fediverse is a more open and welcoming place than Reddit and I don't think accusing all mods who aren't immediately jumping ship of being on a power trip is going to help the cause at all.
Funny, I would have thought that Linux on desktop users would be used to not being mainstream 😄
But you're right; I may have been too harsh in my judgement. I personally don't think that putting up with Reddit and spez is worth it given the statements they've made and the actions they've taken over the past month, but that's not everyone's opinion and I should do better.
Haha, we're used to not being mainstream, but we're also known to be OS evangelists! So I think not being siloed and isolated is important.
Putting up with Reddit's bullshit isn't worth it for me personally either! I have, in fact, just deleted my 12 year old Reddit account in response to those changes. However, I also think that the mods are probably feeling a sense of responsibility to their community too. Like if they just jumped ship, Lord knows what kind of lackey Reddit will replace them with. I am sure watching your community turn to shit under an ineffective mod would just be devastating, and then to have THAT become the first thing a "mainstream" user would see due to the power of Reddit's branding and Google's existing search priorities is just the worst.
Hopefully, the Fediverse flourishes and becomes the it place to be and Reddit will slowly fade into obscurity just like Digg. I know I already feel pretty comfortable here!
Reddit wouldn't have anyone to threat if every mod just quit all at once.
There are hundreds of even thousands, newbies would take time to train and they would probably have to hire and pay for replacements to get up and running quick enough
Because they aren’t really volunteers. They love the power they wield and would do anything to keep it.
The real volunteers already quit.
There probably are some that like the "power" but I don't believe it's the norm. Just like forum admins back in the day it's usually just the most active people that also care the most about the community.
Have they not threatened the communities with scabs as well? Like "if you don't mod this, we will find someone who will". The whole thing just seems super toxic and I really feel for the mods who genuinely cared and cultivated their subreddits. A lot of time and effort to be put into something for it to be thrown in their face for the sake of money.
Yes, the mods who spent years building a community, who gave up their free time, and care about what they do don't have any self respect. /s
I really don't understand this attitude or why people call remaining mods power hungry as if the admins aren't doing anything wrong.
Because many subreddits are moderated by shills who are getting paid to nudge brand awareness and sentiment for $$$