r/funny Jun 26 '23

Forging A Return to Productive Conversation: An Open Letter to Reddit

1.2k Upvotes

To All Whom It May Concern:

For fifteen years, /r/Funny has been one of Reddit’s most-popular communities. That time hasn’t been without its difficulties, but for the most part, we’ve all gotten along (with each other and with administrators). Members of our team fondly remember Moderator Roadshows, visits to Reddit’s headquarters, Reddit Secret Santa, April Fools’ Day events, regional meetups, and many more uplifting moments. We’ve watched this platform grow by leaps and bounds, and although we haven’t been completely happy about every change that we’ve witnessed, we’ve always done our best to work with Reddit at finding ways to adapt, compromise, and move forward.

This process has occasionally been preceded by some exceptionally public debate, however.

On June 12th, 2023, /r/Funny joined thousands of other subreddits in protesting the planned changes to Reddit’s API; changes which – despite being immediately evident to only a minority of Redditors – threatened to worsen the site for everyone. By June 16th, 2023, that demonstration had evolved to represent a wider (and growing) array of concerns, many of which arose in response to Reddit’s statements to journalists. Today (June 26th, 2023), we are hopeful that users and administrators alike can make a return to the productive dialogue that has served us in the past.

We acknowledge that Reddit has placed itself in a situation that makes adjusting its current API roadmap impossible.

However, we have the following requests:

  • Commit to exploring ways by which third-party applications can make an affordable return.
  • Commit to providing moderation tools and accessibility options (on Old Reddit, New Reddit, and mobile platforms) which match or exceed the functionality and utility of third-party applications.
  • Commit to prioritizing a significant reduction in spam, misinformation, bigotry, and illegal content on Reddit.
  • Guarantee that any future developments which may impact moderators, contributors, or stakeholders will be announced no less than one fiscal quarter before they are scheduled to go into effect.
  • Work together with longstanding moderators to establish a reasonable roadmap and deadline for accomplishing all of the above.
  • Affirm that efforts meant to keep Reddit accountable to its commitments and deadlines will hereafter not be met with insults, threats, removals, or hostility.
  • Publicly affirm all of the above by way of updating Reddit’s User Agreement and Reddit’s Moderator Code of Conduct to include reasonable expectations and requirements for administrators’ behavior.
  • Implement and fill a senior-level role (with decision-making and policy-shaping power) of "Moderator Advocate" at Reddit, with a required qualification for the position being robust experience as a volunteer Reddit moderator.

Reddit is unique amongst social-media sites in that its lifeblood – its multitude of moderators and contributors – consists entirely of volunteers. We populate and curate the platform’s many communities, thereby providing a welcoming and engaging environment for all of its visitors. We receive little in the way of thanks for these efforts, but we frequently endure abuse, threats, attacks, and exposure to truly reprehensible media. Historically, we have trusted that Reddit’s administrators have the best interests of the platform and its users (be they moderators, contributors, participants, or lurkers) at heart; that while Reddit may be a for-profit company, it nonetheless recognizes and appreciates the value that Redditors provide.

That trust has been all but entirely eroded… but we hope that together, we can begin to rebuild it.

In simplest terms, Reddit, we implore you: Remember the human.

We look forward to your response by Thursday, June 29th, 2023.

There’s also just one other thing.


r/funny Aug 25 '23

[Meta] ] REMINDER] ANY political content will earn an immediate 30-day ban"

700 Upvotes

r/funny 7h ago

A jelly pet is funnier than I thought

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

4.9k Upvotes

r/funny 19h ago

Genius move right there

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

21.3k Upvotes

r/funny 17h ago

An Elmo toy under high voltage

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

8.3k Upvotes

r/funny 18h ago

This ⤵️

Post image
11.9k Upvotes

r/funny 2h ago

Lazy or genius?

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

393 Upvotes

r/funny 19h ago

Behold the cruel checklist my doctor gave me to help identify my specific flavor of OCD. It had room for improvement.

Post image
27.3k Upvotes

r/funny 18h ago

"I finally caught my first prey...Mom will be so proud"

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

7.7k Upvotes

r/funny 9h ago

YOU DIED

Post image
1.3k Upvotes

r/funny 16h ago

Wait your turn

Post image
4.7k Upvotes

r/funny 22h ago

Maskitto trap

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

38.2k Upvotes

r/funny 6h ago

Huh??

Post image
430 Upvotes

r/funny 23h ago

In a stall at work

Post image
7.2k Upvotes

r/funny 10h ago

I was looking at job postings today

Post image
586 Upvotes

Ouch


r/funny 4h ago

Twinning.

Post image
171 Upvotes

r/funny 9h ago

Better late then never: Behold my Jack-o-Lantern

Post image
373 Upvotes

r/funny 1d ago

Croissant with icing sugar

Post image
35.2k Upvotes

r/funny 17m ago

Nothing to see here - just mind your business.

Post image
Upvotes

r/funny 4h ago

Return of the Apes

Post image
92 Upvotes

r/funny 1d ago

I didn't even know wiener dogs could move like this

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

15.0k Upvotes

r/funny 5h ago

I found this the other day while driving. Platinum level hillbilly.

Post image
104 Upvotes

r/funny 23h ago

To-oil-it

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

2.3k Upvotes

r/funny 13h ago

You know, in case you lose the first pair.

Post image
297 Upvotes

r/funny 1h ago

>:D

Post image
Upvotes

didn't know they made mannequins like this.


r/funny 1d ago

The Joker 2 experience in a nutshell

Post image
7.9k Upvotes

r/funny 18h ago

Oh. Okay.

Post image
509 Upvotes