Reddit goes troll hunting. . .again!
May 15, 2015 9:37:05 GMT -6
Nugget, Mystic Wanderer, and 2 more like this
Post by Deleted on May 15, 2015 9:37:05 GMT -6
This is nice to see. One of the worst problems online today are trolls, or r0dents, or smurfs. Whatever the term, it amounts to the same thing.
Troll = A User who cannot feel good until making others feel bad.
The long and short of the whole definition, IMO. Trolls are something I not only show no tolerance for, personally, but are the one class of user I don't see a problem with hunting, aggressively with a vicious lack of mercy when found.
This isn't the first time Reddit has gone after trolls and punks with an aggressive edge to their action. Good for them too. Of all the influences on a website, this is the ONE that is both out of management control ..but FULLY within their control too. An odd situation there, but it all comes down to management and whether they view trolls and abuse of members as tolerable for traffic numbers ...or intolerabe as spoiling a safe and enjoyable place online.
We know how some sites make that decision...but Reddit has a history of standing out for NOT tolerating this.
Source
Of course, some sites on the net beg for money like bums on a highway onramp, holding a 'work for food' sign.....and some are swimming in investment capital to really improve themselves with. Reddit operates at a level most websites will never know or even get a taste of. In that way, I'm glad to hear they continue to lead the industry in their backlash against the trollish traffic.
A little inside scoop here, as I don't know how much of this was public when it happened, and I was too focused with 10-15 hour days working at TOS to stick my head up and look. However, while I worked there, a notice had come up out of Reddit as to their aggressive policy change for one area of their forums. It appeared they had a LOT of trolls specific to one topic area, and by appearances? A couple DOZEN of them. I recall reading the back-end during the TOS discussions over the actions, and what it came down to was simple enough. In this area, Reddit had simply thrown corporate paranoia to the wind by saying 'screw the risks...these punks are gone!'. In the end, and what REALLY stuck with me? It had turned out to be just a FEW little punks, running several accounts each, to APPEAR as a larger group.
The army of trolls in that one case had never been more than a few punks harassing members for their personal amusement, as I recall the outcome....and being willing to risk offense to so many more, allowed the problem to be largely solved.
I'll bite my tongue on what TOS staff discussions were on that matter...but to say there are many reasons I resigned from that place and will never darken their door again ..as a member, lurker or anything else. Reddit, on the other hand, sounds like they work hard and very regularly to earn the trust and loyalty of their members through good faith protection of them while on the site.
Here is hoping the very best of success for Reddit, as they do strike me as a management team who has earned every bit of what they get from their efforts.
Troll = A User who cannot feel good until making others feel bad.
The long and short of the whole definition, IMO. Trolls are something I not only show no tolerance for, personally, but are the one class of user I don't see a problem with hunting, aggressively with a vicious lack of mercy when found.
Reddit, the popular link-posting and discussion website periodically plagued by personal attacks and leaked explicit photos, announced a new way to report harassment Thursday, providing an email address and direction for users who are seeking relief from abusive posts.
Ellen Pao, the company’s chief executive who has sought to make Reddit both safer for users and more welcoming to advertisers, helped to announce the changes in a co-authored blog post. “We’ve seen many conversations devolve into attacks against individuals,” the post said. “If you are being harassed, report the private message, post or comment and user by emailing contact@reddit.com.”
Ellen Pao, the company’s chief executive who has sought to make Reddit both safer for users and more welcoming to advertisers, helped to announce the changes in a co-authored blog post. “We’ve seen many conversations devolve into attacks against individuals,” the post said. “If you are being harassed, report the private message, post or comment and user by emailing contact@reddit.com.”
This isn't the first time Reddit has gone after trolls and punks with an aggressive edge to their action. Good for them too. Of all the influences on a website, this is the ONE that is both out of management control ..but FULLY within their control too. An odd situation there, but it all comes down to management and whether they view trolls and abuse of members as tolerable for traffic numbers ...or intolerabe as spoiling a safe and enjoyable place online.
We know how some sites make that decision...but Reddit has a history of standing out for NOT tolerating this.
In September Reddit raised $50 million from investors including Y Combinator President Sam Altman and venture capitalist Peter Thiel, as well as entertainers Jared Leto and Snoop Dogg. In February the company announced its 2014 advertising revenue was $8.3 million.
Of course, some sites on the net beg for money like bums on a highway onramp, holding a 'work for food' sign.....and some are swimming in investment capital to really improve themselves with. Reddit operates at a level most websites will never know or even get a taste of. In that way, I'm glad to hear they continue to lead the industry in their backlash against the trollish traffic.
A little inside scoop here, as I don't know how much of this was public when it happened, and I was too focused with 10-15 hour days working at TOS to stick my head up and look. However, while I worked there, a notice had come up out of Reddit as to their aggressive policy change for one area of their forums. It appeared they had a LOT of trolls specific to one topic area, and by appearances? A couple DOZEN of them. I recall reading the back-end during the TOS discussions over the actions, and what it came down to was simple enough. In this area, Reddit had simply thrown corporate paranoia to the wind by saying 'screw the risks...these punks are gone!'. In the end, and what REALLY stuck with me? It had turned out to be just a FEW little punks, running several accounts each, to APPEAR as a larger group.
The army of trolls in that one case had never been more than a few punks harassing members for their personal amusement, as I recall the outcome....and being willing to risk offense to so many more, allowed the problem to be largely solved.
I'll bite my tongue on what TOS staff discussions were on that matter...but to say there are many reasons I resigned from that place and will never darken their door again ..as a member, lurker or anything else. Reddit, on the other hand, sounds like they work hard and very regularly to earn the trust and loyalty of their members through good faith protection of them while on the site.
Here is hoping the very best of success for Reddit, as they do strike me as a management team who has earned every bit of what they get from their efforts.
