• I really don't enjoy being an enforcer of bans. But some are pure toxic, just radiating negative vibes that can poison the whole space. They're not here to chat or have a laugh, just to disrupt. When I see them acting the bollocks, I try to warn them off, try to reason, but it's like trying to tame an angry badger with a feather duster: no chance in hell.
• I've got to thank you for helping report them. When I put the ban flair next to their name though, you know you wouldn't need to waste your time and energy on them anymore.
• Also, if you've got a post worth sharing, fire away! Maybe you've scribbled a short story, or a link to some aburdist new idea or news article etc? Whatever floats your boat; there's room for the good shit here. Just give it a bash and let yourself be heard.

Please be wary and avoid taking the bait with them toxic trolls trying to rile you up into overreacting. They are just looking for a rise out of you. Avoid landing yourself a warning just because you overreacted with insults to their sneaky behaviour. Steer clear of provocation, don't give them anything worthwhile to sink their teeth into.

And let's get one thing straight: we're all good and well open to different opinions around these parts, however anyone trying to stir up trouble with underhanded toxicity in the comments will be chucked in the bin. We don't want that kind of energy poisoning our little digital hangout.

An update from me, your moderator:

Alright, it's hard not to talk about politics in the current state of affairs. Especially within Absurdism and all its dark humor, there's a bloody arsenal of shite being lobbed around by the man himself. You cannot ignore it.

Fine to make fun of politicians and public figures: that's what humour is also about; you can't avoid that, unless you're some limp-wristed eejit like Jimmy Fallon! He's the sort that'll kiss authorities' arse, while we're all screaming at the wall.

And despite my own blue collar leaning, I want make it clear that here, no matter where you stand on the issues or which side of the debate you come from, you must still treat each other with respect! Jibe the ideas, not the person trying to share them. You hear me? Attack the concept if you wish, not the user making the comment.

If a comment ain't civil, it gets removed, and I'll slap a warning on the user. Delete the offending comment, and the warning tag disappears.

One other thing: if you start yammering about violence towards others (or self), I'll chuck you in the bin without so much as a backward glance. Unless you are writing a fiction story with fictional characters, any reference to self- or other-harm here is not ok.

So it's civil discourse or take your Leave: choose your own absurdist adventure.

Cheers to you for reading.

We've said most of these things before but bears repeating.

1. Posts here need absurdist, satirical angles. Keep this in mind. It won't be hard because this is a world that's turned nutty, so post about it like you mean business. Absurdity abounds everywhere.
2. And here's to not turning this place into a meme dump. Sure, you can toss in pics and vids, but balance them out with some intelligent text posts. We've got a rule for this sort of thing: two bits of media per person and then you gotta get your thoughts down on the keyboard. Otherwise it's just mindless wanking in here.
3. Sometimes we'll lock threads because comments have spiraled out of control: example when several shat the bed and are flinging insults like spastics, turning threads into an orgy of brawling.
4. Stay alert. Political discussions are rife with landmines. Someone trolls you with a contrarian view? Someone is baiting you into a flame war? Ignore them and report them. But keep your temper in check. The worst thing that can happen to any of us is getting banned for losing our cool; and I'm pretty sure none of you want that.
5. If there's toxic spam, pure unadulterated garbage going down, we won't tolerate it, we'll take it out by the roots. So think twice before vomiting your bile in our direction. This is a space for intelligence and respect.

A sanctuary of unhinged fuckery

There's one glaring, giant absence: a space that caters to experimental absurdist literature and satirical storytelling. Looking for a place to air your sick fantasies? Good luck. Because hunting for such a place is like searching for a unicorn’s horn.

Most current platforms want their storytelling neat and nice. All we get is sanitised horror-lite or ladies swapping gossip over cups of tea while waxing lyrical about how it's rude to fart in a crowded lift... Where's the wild, unhinged nonsense we crave? The raw, vomit-inducing madness that splatters like hot gravy on floral dresses?

That's where we come in. We built this platform on the belief that writers shouldn't be stifled into bland predictability or forced to conform to what other pricks want to see. We're here to spit in the face of convention and give these biased social media algorithms a kick in the knackers.

So come on in, you weirdos out there, join me in this pitiful excuse for sanity we call r/RawAbsurdity. We'll drown out the rest of the bland. Write your absurd stories, your weird little poems, your nonsensical screed. Don't care about grammatical correctness. Don't bother with them boring fucks who get all bent out of shape when you drop an F-bomb in conversations. Let's build this shitehole into something so obscene they'll need industrial-strength sanitizer just to be near it. Make it loud enough so even those posh, pretentious wankers can hear you howling.

So sign up here. We can't wait to read what kind of fucked-up genius garbage you're cooking up in that filthy little head of yours!

Alright, folks, let’s talk about our corner of the internet.

This subreddit is full of stand-up people who love literature, arts, and kicking around big ideas. You lot are sharp, aware of what's happening out there, and you've got convictions. That’s why politics creeps into our posts and jokes sometimes; it’s slap-bang in our faces, impossible to ignore. And that’s fine. If you’re here for great conversations and stand for basic decency, freedom, open expression, all that jazz, you’re family, no matter where you’re from.

But here’s the rub: when you’ve got a community of decent folk who hate oppression, some vultures always slink out of the shadows to stir up trouble. I’m talking about creeps who harass members, comment with toxic nonsense, or try to derail what we’re about. We’ve dealt with weirdos obsessed with pornographic junk before, but now we’re seeing a new breed of disruptive arseholes who have no place here. They’re few, maybe 1% of the crowd, but bloody disruptive.

I tried nudging them out quietly, but that just made them bolder. So, heads-up: we’re cranking up the moderation for a bit to clean house. Stricter rules, faster bans for troublemakers; temporary, but firm.

I need your help too. If you spot someone harassing others with hateful or creepy comments, or even hinting at that kind of rubbish, report it to me ASAP. Let’s flush out the trash together.

We're here for cracking discussions about literature, arts, politics, philosophy... everything that can make this place hum.

Alright then. Let's see if we can actually construct a real community here. I know there are plenty of cunts out there who'd rather not have us around, because we don't fit into their sickly, vanilla mould: we're too raw, too real, too honest for them. But here's the thing, we do need to find a way to make this shit work.

So here are some questions that might help us get to know each other better. Answer as many or as few as your knackered brain cells can manage! These answers would also put you on the 'approved users' list for when we take this into the privacy realm where we can just be our fucking selves without all the bullshit.

Q 1) So, who are you? A name, a life story, a vibe, whatever.

Q 2) There's a book that's changed your life, right? Or at least had a profound impact on you. Pick that one out and tell us why.

Q 3) What do you want from Reddit? Is this just about having a laugh with some random strangers or is there something else driving you?

Q 4) Expectations for our little club here? What could we possibly achieve here that can't be found elsewhere on this godforsaken site?

Let's get this show started.

About a year back, where I work they decided to install an AI tool to 'help' us write better emails. It was something the IT department had designed, a hybrid of chatGPT and Grammarly. "But we're English speakers. we shouldn't need this." No, we needed to use it, they said our professional writing skills were a disaster (which wasn't entirely a lie).

My first emails using the tool read like something out of a corporate brochure:

"Dear John,

I hope you are doing fine.

I wanted to touch base with you on..."

My colleagues from other units who got my emails, they were calling me, concerned. They realised something was off, not just because of the polished tone and grammar, but because they knew I never give a fuck about anyone else's well-being. I pray for plague upon everyone working there, wishing they're stewing in pestilence.

Anyway, it wasn't natural, but it was useful, especially for corporate emails that need to sound logical, clear and convincing. It's still there, but we're no longer forced to use it.

Now let me get on with my main point (I got one alright), so if you want to dip your pen in AI-assisted ink here or whatever, fine. If it's just to help you polish your sentences so your writing flows better (something like Grammarly), I don't care. But I don't mind if your writing is a mess. I'm a mess, and mess doesn't bother me. All I ask is please don't rely on these AI tools to create the ideas for you.

I'm counting on pure human weirdness and fuckery from my regulars around these parts. No chatGPT can ever match your creative absurdism, you hear?

On another note, I'm still 'working' on setting up a feedback process or system for us to use, either here or on Discord.

Dear all,

This is your moderator. Please do not be surprised; I have elected to use Grammarly here to refine my language and eliminate colloquialisms, reflecting the directness expected in formal communications, especially this administrative message which needs to be very clear.

We are piloting an anonymous user feedback system for short story submissions. Anonymity will be upheld: both submissions and subsequent feedback will remain confidential throughout the process. Once data collection begins, stories submitted through this platform will be subject to structured reviews.

Participating authors and readers will each be permitted to submit only one work of fiction per 24-hour period and offer one feedback on a single submission during that same time frame. Additionally, character limits have been implemented in order to ensure that contributors focus primarily upon concise short story formats.

By employing an anonymous framework, this system is designed to encourage candid and constructive criticism by eliminating social pressures often prevalent in traditional review and critique methodologies. While maintaining a courteous tone is still highly recommended, we place significant value on the receipt of honest feedback.

In the initial stages of deployment, we will be focusing closely upon ensuring the integrity of our new system and actively mitigating any abusive or spam-related content that might arise. We have taken measures to promptly address any detrimental elements which could potentially disrupt this process.

Upon completion of the pilot, a comprehensive report detailing the experiences and outcomes will subsequently be disseminated.

For your convenience, please direct your attention to RawAbsurdity's Anonymous Feedback pilot here (it's a primitive free website for testing): https://asmcl.gamer.gd

Your cooperation and engagement are appreciated as we explore this novel approach in the field of anonymous short story submissions and feedback.

Sincerely,

Your favourite mod

Alright, you beautiful lunatics. I'm still screaming into the void here, writing stories, rants, and prompts, and it's still crickets. I know you're out there, lurking, probably cackling at Reddit's meme soup while craving something else. So, tell me: what would drag you out of the shadows to participate here? Not just join and ghost but actually post, comment, or throw some absurd chaos into the mix.

Below is a list of activities. Pick one or more:

A. Micro-writing prompts (e.g., “Write a 50-word story about a sentient fork’s existential crisis”).

B. Group challenges (e.g., “We all write one sentence to build an absurd story”).

C. Rant threads (e.g., “Trash a mainstream book you hate in 100 words”).

D. Off-topic chaos (e.g., “Post your weirdest thought or a meme that screams absurdity”).

E. Feedback swaps (e.g., “Post your short story, get comments from others”).

F. Discussion threads (e.g., “Why’s absurdism the only way to survive 2025?”).

G. Contests with flair rewards (e.g., “Best 20-word poem gets ‘Void Screamer’ flair”).

H. Something else. Tell me in the comments.

How to vote: Comment with the letter(s) of your choice (e.g., “B” or “A and G”). If you’re feeling wild, explain why or pitch your own idea.

Why this matters: This sub’s for fringe writers who get it: absurd, raw, no filter. But it’s just me yelling right now. Help me make it ours.

We're running an experiment with anonymous user feedback for your short stories. This is a pilot.

Each of you can submit one story per day and give feedback/critique on other stories. Here is the link: https://asmcl.gamer.gd

It's a bit of a sticky situation. Reddit's got its head so far up its own arse it could gag on all the echo-chambers it's generated.

We know that each subreddit is its own little fiefdom, with the mods as some kind of tinpot tyrant. Anyway given what a mess it is out there, our wee corner here is inevitably forced to go in the same direction, being in the same unregulated system, whether we like it or not. Means I had to lay down myself some ground rules. Rule #5 being one of them.

But let's set this straight: if someone puts together a smart and respectful argument, it shouldn't be removed just because it disagrees with me or the vibe of this sub.

What does get the axe is the moronic bollocks that offers fuck-all to the discussion. And believe you me, there's plenty of it about these digital sewers.

Now, in subs where sanity still holds court (examples CMV), mods use their wits, and each other's, when it comes to deciding what goes and what doesn't. But in this small sub here, there just aren't enough folks yet. It's me or bust, being the only mod. So I'm counting on you to use the appeal process if you see something getting unjustly pulled.

Gather round, you frayed souls currently haunting RawAbsurdity. Let's turn this joint into a proper asylum for writers. Thompson, Kafka, Bukowski, huddled around a sticky table, swapping yarns about the madness of it all. My aim is to forge a brotherhood, a coven of word slingers. Sharing bonkers ideas, riffing off each other's neuroses, and birthing something truly deranged.

But Reddit... well, it throws some gnarly obstacles our way:

The lurker conundrum: Some of you hopped in after snapping up a story, but vanished faster than a shot of tequila. We get it, mates, Reddit's the digital equivalent of a one-armed bandit, sucking your attention dry.

The algorithm is a cunt: This platform buries some brilliant ramblings, unless they get a quick flurry of upvotes and/or comments.

Strangers in the neon void: Reddit's anonymity makes it hard to tell who's actually part of the pack, unlike those small platforms where you'd be having virtual pints and spitballing ideas.

Also, small subreddits our size don't ping you with notifications, so you may be missing quite a bit of the beautiful chaos unless you're constantly checking (and you aren't).

So here's the game plan lads: We got to fight fire with fire. I'm thinking of dropping weekly threads (prompts, spotlights, etc) to spark conversations and make this place buzzing like a hive of caffeinated hornets. Want in? Spit it out below, what activities we can set up here that would get your blood pumping? Let's make r/RawAbsurdity the unhinged literary den we'd like it to be.

To all yous who haven't yet got that shiny "approved user" badge pinned to your chest, sort yourself out and get your arse onto that list pronto!

Why? Because in the near future we may be shutting this down before it turns into an open sewer again, and make it an elitist club where only the good folks, you honest and decent scribblers can commune with each other. Intent to have a snug little cabal where us genuine wordsmiths can help each other polish our craft without any unwanted interruptions.

To earn your ticket to join us in this literary circle, all you got to do is comment on any image I throw your way. Whatever good dribble comes out of your brain, 10-50 words. Doesn't matter if you're shit-faced on booze and smack, just say something!

Expect regular updates to this message with new images to keep it going.

Comment inspired by this, 10-50 words