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Reddit's entire discussion model being based on upvotes/downvotes is so bizarre to me
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:46 pm
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:46 pm
It basically dissuades actual debate and conversation in favor of every single sub being an echo chamber of the prevailing viewpoint. I don't see how anyone who designed that thought it was a good idea.
On "old school" message boards like this one, the top threads are the most recently active ones, and the comments are chronological. Which makes sense. On Reddit, every top post in every sub has the exact same viewpoint and every top comment shares that same viewpoint. It's to the point you have to scroll all the way to the bottom of threads and manually open "hidden" comments that are deemed too unpopular to even see an alternate perspective on something.
The MSB has some knock down, drag out arguments that would never survive on Reddit because the first time someone said something deemed "controversial," it would be downvoted into the shadow realm.
For a social networking platform, it's awfully non-social about things.
Anyway, this is me being old and shaking fists at clouds. Old school message boards forever.
On "old school" message boards like this one, the top threads are the most recently active ones, and the comments are chronological. Which makes sense. On Reddit, every top post in every sub has the exact same viewpoint and every top comment shares that same viewpoint. It's to the point you have to scroll all the way to the bottom of threads and manually open "hidden" comments that are deemed too unpopular to even see an alternate perspective on something.
The MSB has some knock down, drag out arguments that would never survive on Reddit because the first time someone said something deemed "controversial," it would be downvoted into the shadow realm.
For a social networking platform, it's awfully non-social about things.
Anyway, this is me being old and shaking fists at clouds. Old school message boards forever.
This post was edited on 4/21/26 at 12:47 pm
35
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:48 pm to Kinderman
quote:
It basically dissuades actual debate and conversation in favor of every single sub being an echo chamber of the prevailing viewpoint.
Correct. When up/down votes were first proposed here I spoke about this at great length. They have no value other than creating a tyranny of the majority and echo chambers.
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:49 pm to Kinderman
especially when it's all controlled by bots
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:50 pm to SlowFlowPro
Enjoy your first downvote in this thread
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:51 pm to Kinderman
Reddit interface sucks, but I appreciate the breadth of content on it
I just sort everything by "new" so it's more like a regular message board
If you keep it on "top" or "best" nothing changes
I just sort everything by "new" so it's more like a regular message board
If you keep it on "top" or "best" nothing changes
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:51 pm to SlowFlowPro
I like that we have an upvote/downvote feature, but also appreciate that I can piss a lot of you off with a topic and it will remain at the top as long as people keep commenting
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:51 pm to Kinderman
Reddit attacks dissent with a downvote system.
Tigerdroppings with homophobic slurs and attacks on your intelligence.
Potato. Potato.
Tigerdroppings with homophobic slurs and attacks on your intelligence.
Potato. Potato.
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:52 pm to Kinderman
Reddit had some pretty cool subs but overall it’s a cesspool of libtards and people with no more than a 7th grade education
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:53 pm to sgallo3
quote:and moderators with multiple alters. So many subs are nothing but bots and mods agreeing with each other.
especially when it's all controlled by bots
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:55 pm to Kinderman
quote:
echo chambers
Social carcinogens.
Hear u.
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:56 pm to SlowFlowPro
quote:
They have no value other than creating a tyranny of the majority and echo chambers.
The difference is Reddit hides / censors posts that are heavily downvoted
This post was edited on 4/21/26 at 12:56 pm
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:56 pm to Kinderman
The idea makes sense to let users determine what is good content and what is not. But it has unraveled into a popularity contest or a virtue test. I’d argue for Reddit’s business model it’s still the best system, just not the best thing for free speech
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:56 pm to Kinderman
But you can look at boobies......
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:57 pm to Kinderman
We need Elon to buy it and fix that place. Like Twitter, it became the de facto discussion forum for all things and the lunatics are running the asylum over there.
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:57 pm to Kinderman
Yeah, the upvote/downvote system has caused Reddit to become a liberal monolith, and the most annoying type of liberal monolith at that. Like the type of liberal monolith that's obsessed with stuff like transgender rights and intersectionality.
But do you really think tigerdroppings is any less of a monolith? We're supposed to believe that Trump is God even after he brought us into this neocon war that he promised not to bring us into. And we're supposed to love his Palantir VP JD Vance.
But do you really think tigerdroppings is any less of a monolith? We're supposed to believe that Trump is God even after he brought us into this neocon war that he promised not to bring us into. And we're supposed to love his Palantir VP JD Vance.
This post was edited on 4/21/26 at 1:00 pm
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:58 pm to Kinderman
It’s a double-edged sword.
On one hand, it keeps threads from devolving into flame wars (or at the very least, keeps you from having to read the flame wars). It also highlights genuinely helpful/thoughtful responses. I think the Reddit format works pretty well for DIY/educational topics.
On the other hand, it encourages groupthink and creates echo-chambers as you said. The Reddit format does not work as well for controversial or political topics.
On one hand, it keeps threads from devolving into flame wars (or at the very least, keeps you from having to read the flame wars). It also highlights genuinely helpful/thoughtful responses. I think the Reddit format works pretty well for DIY/educational topics.
On the other hand, it encourages groupthink and creates echo-chambers as you said. The Reddit format does not work as well for controversial or political topics.
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:58 pm to SlowFlowPro
We wouldn’t know who you were if that algorithm was in place here.
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:58 pm to Kinderman
The people i reddit comments are unhinged lunatic losers. There could just be a picture of the white house on a pretty day, and the comments would devolve into a cesspool of liberal ideology, death threats to donald trump, and general statements about how terrible america is.
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:59 pm to SlowFlowPro
quote:
When up/down votes were first proposed here I spoke about this at great length.
Boy, there's a shock.
This post was edited on 4/21/26 at 1:22 pm
Posted on 4/21/26 at 12:59 pm to Kinderman
It’s a good idea in theory. Upvotes were supposed to be based on whether a post was useful/instructive/interesting while downvotes were intended for off topic/useless/insulting posts. Humans being humans, it immediately became upvote to agree, downvote to disagree.
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