Reddit could have handled this better.
Reddit could have handled this better.
The underlying “incident” ostensibly involving threats against police/officials from a few people should have resulted in actions against those people — not a community of several hundred thousand. Reddit’s actions made it so registered users had to click through a “Quarantine” screen to even see the “Trump Supporter” subreddit. Others could not access the sub at all.
This decision stoked the narrative of isolation and persecution and danger — fanning the flames of extremism. It also made it so a lot of other people didn’t know what Trump supporters were saying. Note that Reddit CEO Steve Huffman has openly admitted to abusing admin control in order to alter user’s comments on the Trump subreddit.
Ideas are not defeated by “quarantine” or suppression or censorship. They’re defeated by reasoned debate — out in the open. I wish the USA taught IRAC & the Socratic Method in undergrad.
