You Won’t Believe How Reddit Communities Master Creative Protests Amidst Moderator Crackdowns!

Subreddits Embrace Alternative Methods of Protest

Multiple subreddits are embracing alternative methods of protest, such as only posting one type of post, changing the topic in question, and days the community goes private.

Many of these communities participated in the Reddit blackout from June 12-14 to protest against Reddit API Rule Changes, which could effectively kill many third-party applications. When the company, and its CEO, Steve Huffman, decided not to make any changes, the subreddits began to think about shutting down indefinitely.

However, Reddit noted that moderators should keep the community open. Also, they can’t decide to have their community go dark without a public vote. The company even sent messages to the moderators saying they will be removed if they all continue to emit particles in the blackout.

To circumvent the moderator removal action, several communities are running polls to decide what type of posts are allowed on the subreddit. they are also relaxing a bit rules — Due to the changes, certain tools will not be available to moderators, which will make their job more difficult.

Protest Tactics and Strategies

Subreddits have come up with various tactics and strategies to voice their protest effectively. Some of these include:

1. One Type of Post: Many subreddits have decided to only allow one type of post, such as photos or GIFs, to showcase their protest. For example, r/photos, r/ay, and r/GIF have all posted photos and GIFs of John Oliver as a form of protest.
2. Changing the Topic: Changing the topic or theme of the subreddit is another method employed by some communities. For instance, r/aww has allowed images of chiijohn as a way to protest the Reddit API Rule Changes. Similarly, r/iPhone has posted photos celebrating Tim Cook.
3. Going Private: Several communities have also chosen to go private on certain days to demonstrate their dissatisfaction. By making the subreddit private, they limit access to the content and engagement, sending a strong message to Reddit management.

These forms of protest are not only innovative but also demonstrate the creativity and unity of the communities. However, the effectiveness of these tactics remains to be seen as Reddit’s management has shown no inclination to reverse the API rule changes.

Reddit CEO’s Response

In recent interviews, Reddit CEO, Steve Huffman, has vehemently defended the company’s API rule changes and expressed his desire to make the platform profitable. He has suggested that the protests were led by a “small group that is very upset” and claimed that they had no impact on the company’s revenue.

Despite Huffman’s stance, the communities participating in these protests are using public votes and widespread engagement to showcase the discontent among a significant number of users. By highlighting the discontent, they aim to pressure Reddit into reconsidering their API rule changes.

Expanding the Scope of Protest

While the current protests focus on the Reddit API rule changes, they have also led to discussions about other aspects of the platform. Some of the broader issues being raised include:

• Moderator Removal: The threat of moderator removal has sparked debates about the power dynamics between Reddit and its community moderators. Many argue that moderators should have more autonomy in decision-making processes that impact their communities.
• Third-Party Applications: The protests have drawn attention to the challenges faced by third-party Reddit app developers due to the API rule changes. Developers fear that these changes could lead to the shutdown of their apps, impacting the overall user experience of the platform.
• Transparency and Communication: Some users and moderators have expressed concerns about the lack of transparency and communication from Reddit’s management regarding important decisions. They believe that open dialogue and collaboration could lead to better outcomes for the platform as a whole.

Conclusion

The protests taking place on Reddit have highlighted the power of communities coming together to voice their concerns and demand change. Through innovative tactics and widespread engagement, these communities are showcasing their discontent with the Reddit API rule changes and raising broader issues related to the platform’s governance and decision-making processes.

While Reddit’s management has so far remained firm in their stance, the growing discontent and public outcry could potentially push them to reconsider their position. As the protests continue to unfold, it will be interesting to observe how Reddit responds and whether it takes into account the concerns raised by its users and moderators.

Multiple subreddits are protesting against the recent Reddit API rule changes by employing innovative tactics such as only allowing one type of post, changing the topic of the subreddit, and going private on certain days. These protests were sparked by the Reddit blackout that took place from June 12-14. While Reddit management has urged moderators to keep their communities open, some subreddits are circumventing this by running polls to decide what type of posts are allowed. Additionally, several large communities have chosen to post pictures and GIFs of John Oliver to showcase their protest. Despite Reddit CEO Steve Huffman defending the API rule changes, communities are using public votes and engagement to express their dissatisfaction. These protests have also raised broader issues such as moderator removal, the impact on third-party applications, and the need for transparency and communication from Reddit’s management.

Multiple subreddits are embracing alternative methods of protest, such as only posting one type of post, changing the topic in question, and days the community goes private.

Many of these communities participated in the Reddit blackout from June 12-14 to protest against Reddit API Rule Changes, which could effectively kill many third-party applications. When the company, and its CEO, Steve Huffman, decided not to make any changes, the subreddits began to think about shutting down indefinitely.

However, Reddit noted that moderators should keep the community open. Also, they can’t decide to have their community go dark without a public vote. The company even sent messages to the moderators saying they will be removed if they all continue to emit particles in the blackout.

To circumvent the moderator removal action, several communities are running polls to decide what type of posts are allowed on the subreddit. they are too relaxing a bit rules — Due to the changes, certain tools will not be available to moderators, which will make their job more difficult.

Some of the larger communities like r/photos, r/ayyr/GIF decided to post photos of John Oliver and gifs. In a tweet, Oliver approved this move.

In the case of r/aww, the community can also post images of chiijohn. r/iPhone decided to post photos celebrating The “handsome” Tim Cook.

There are also some really weird forms of protest:

While these methods are innovative and fun, we’ll have to see if Reddit’s management shows any tendency to cave. In recent interviews, Huffman vehemently defended the company’s API rule changes and said that he wants to be profitable. He also suggested that these protests were led by a “small group that is very upset” and had no impact on the company’s revenue. Through these public votes, communities try to show that a large number of people are not happy with the changes made by Reddit.

If you are a subreddit moderator or Reddit employee who wants to talk about the current situations, you can contact the reporter at im@ivanmehta.com.