Jump to content

Reddit. Do u use it? How? Because actually it sucks


XpanderFX

Recommended Posts

Hi, it's been a while that i'm wondering why reddit it's so popular. 

But let's start from begin. Which is the best place to ask for various kind of help in no time, and to a virtually infinite audience? Forums of course! However if u need a one-time help, it can be a waste of time registering on a new forum to ask just one thing. Reddit it's the solution: one account for all possible and imaginable forums! At least at first glance... Why?


1) Rules rules rules

Everytime i post something on reddit i feel like being a suspect in an interrogation room: "anything you say may be used against you (not posted in this case)". It's enough you say something wrong and bot will void your post, or a mod (total no-lifers) will remove it in few minutes/hours. An example of what happened to me... A friend asked me to install a custom rom on it's android, to return a favor. Never did such things before. I had an issue so i asked on reddit (Lineage forum), it was a very generic question and many people answered me resolving my problem. After a while mod removed post. Why? I wrote my phone model and there were no official Lineage releases for it (rule says: only officially supported devices). I don't even know there was official and unofficial versions and my question was not even regarding it. It's just like asking "what's better? xenon or led lights?" on a lexus forum, while owning a toyota. i mean, what's the problem???


2) reputation, karma, whole twisty process to able to do something...

Let's say i want to ask something on a new subreddit... I join it and try to post something > i can't, i'm a new user, i have to build reputation first by answering to other threads > ok, i'm the god, i know answers to all universe's problem and i'm very benevolent today so i want to help everyone > i can't. there's a time limit between posts > ok i'm very patient. i will build my reputation and i'll post every 15 minutes to reach the needed amount of answers > there's no defined amount, and there's no way to know who decide it. it's a hidden defined value by the mod? it's something dependant of the mod's mood? no way to know it. Only way is to join the community, become a no-lifer, spending time on it, all for just one question!


3) auto closing threads 

Most of the times issues we have are already present on google and many of them are on reddit. Fastest solution is answer to them, no matter if 5 years has passed, in most cases people remember things and can help u in a faster way than opening a new whole thread. NO WAY! thread is closed, you have to open a new one, and go through the nightmare described in point 2.


Now considering points above, i can't understand why of the success reddit have. I mean, registering on a new forum it's still a faster way to ask something. Or maybe i'm the wrong one and reddit's purpose is different than what i was looking for? Another community plenty of nolifers?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My usage of Reddit comes from something being a search result and me reading what is posted, but I've never even considered posting or just browsing Reddit (is that a thing?).

 

I used to lurk on Slashdot for quite a few years and migrated over to SoylentNews when that launched for a while, but don't visit either any longer (looks like since 2016 for Soylent and probably a year or two longer than that for Slashdot). I appreciated some aspects of those two forums. No editing posts was great and categorizing moderation points was helpful for seeing how posts were viewed both as a poster and as a member to see how other posts were viewed by others. Also capping posts at a score of 5 tamps down on the whole reputation farming Reddit is known for. Other things, I don't appreciate so much.

 

I see the appeal of a massive forum with any possible sub-forum for whatever someone wants, but if I were going to post something asking a question, I'd certainly seek out a non-Reddit subject specific forum before posting there.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Reddit can be oddly helpful in some select circumstances for software without any active support of their own.  For example, I use Plex (media server software) and the official forums you literally can't get an answer to anything on.  Being somewhat active on the subreddit has led to me getting some answers to questions, and helping a few other people out along the way.

 

As all I use social media for is gaming news and cute animal videos, Reddit can be a decent place for that (if you can sift through the garbage).  It's kinda like Twitter with specialized topic "subreddits" instead of following individuals and no character limit... which can be a better thing since all the character limit does is lead to more quick one liners, meme's and shitposting, inflammatory stuff rather than being able to explain yourself.  Have had a lot of annoying conversations across a few different subreddits, but some interesting ones too.

 

It is a little frustrating when you say something as not-controversial and milquetoast as possible and immediately see it getting downvoted... I got torn apart once by the technically correct but not-neckbeard-approved use of the term "backup"... but like most things on the internet, as long as you're getting something out of it, you just kinda have to deal with the crap.

Edited by Dreakon13
Link to comment
Share on other sites

49 minutes ago, DaivRules said:

My usage of Reddit comes from something being a search result and me reading what is posted, but I've never even considered posting or just browsing Reddit (is that a thing?).

 

Me, too. Reddit is great when people have posted tons of shit about a game you've started to play. Since I tend to play games long after their release, that makes it fantastic.

 

For example, the threads about the various weapons in Enter the Gungeon are absolutely delightful. Great summary of each weapon, followed by good discussion of use of that weapon. Here's one particular example (using one of my favorite weapons in the game):

 

But that only exists because people in the past put up with the silliness of Reddit. I don't myself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use it sparingly, for just two purposes:

 

1. It can be helpful for some quick feedback on non-gaming issues. For example, I had some IRS tax questions and carpentry questions and received great help.

 

2. Gaming wise, it can be a fun place or a narrow-minded, exclusive club that removes posts/down votes relentlessly. As VigilantCrow says:

 

1 hour ago, VigilantCrow said:

I find Reddit is a cesspool filled with fragile egos. 

 

I posted a meme in the Apex Legends subreddit poking fun at the servers (which are terrible at the moment), and it got removed after 50 up votes despite being clean. Baffling.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use Reddit frequently to check information on a variety of subjects. It could be either gaming-related, figure-collecting-related, (skewed) political analysis from random people over the internet, local memes, NSFW stuff, you name it. It's actually a good source for the latter btw. ?

 

But yeah, except for a few key subs I have, I rarely look for these things on my own on Reddit. Google mostly takes me there and the information contained within the posts there more often than not ends up being actually helpful. Not all the time but I've found some pretty great stuff browsing there.

 

As for commenting and taking part in the different subreddits, no thanks. I've noticed people there tend to be a bit too toxic to my liking. Granted, not all subs are like that, but for the most part, I don't have any reason myself to be part of the community, so I only use it to look for information on certain topics and that's it. Under that perspective, it's been pretty useful to me so far. :)

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I use it a lot, in daily basis. The good stuff: you can acknowledge many topics, be it news, direct contact to high-end people and so on. Also, the communities are superbly intertwined about stuff (at least into a rookie level) and sometimes you can find really obscure info about anything. In terms of gaming, and specifically trophy hunting, nothing will change my love for PSNProfiles. Really, this community is wholesome more than there <3 . The memes are idiotic and incredibly raw at times there; something that I praise because that's the humor that I like to see and jokes that are common and make you chuckle. Wholesome stuff also around it and many uplifting comment sections that will blow your mind, despite I take it with not a grain, but a pound of salt many times; you can take the bright side of them, nonetheless to say. Neat stuff float around and you can know good things, indeed, and you can actually find a new interest that you even didn't know you could have.

 

The bad side: As Honor said, there's a lot, and I mean a lot, of toxic communities. Subs completely dedicated to despise anything else that goes against--as themselves call it--their "circlejerks". And with reason! I recently had a discussion with a random guy about a meme, and he went all the straight point to just insult me. The normal stuff you'll find on internet; or more appropriate to say, on Reddit. Communities driven by their likeness by some topics is cool, but when you see their drive tends to harm or dismiss something slightly contrary to them, uh-oh. Get off there, soon. Also, you'll find offensive posts with unrelated subs, but the truly bizarre thing is the incredible number of people (maybe bots accounts, secondary boosting and even doxxing creepy things) that up vote such posts. Then you notice the type of stuff you'll be going to see somewhere else too. 

 

In resume, I think the platform is good to connect people and if you're some kind of topic you'll certainly be going to find it. In fact, I started my trophy hunting by knowing people on r/trophies and seeing people pulling out games to the 100% motivated me to do the same, and here I am. The mean part is, when you cross with something you dislike, you'll definitely be going to avoid and try certainly to never knew about it. But anyway, take everything with a rational level of skepticism and decor, and you'll be good. Not to mention that you'll cross with many people with the same intentions as you, so don't be afraid. Take the laugh and move on. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally I can't be bothered to speak with angry children on a social media platform such as Reddit. Too many angry people in their 30s who all have an agenda and if you don't agree with them, your post will get downvoted into oblivion.

 

Granted, there are some nice people on Reddit and I've had some pretty good experiences using it to find information. Yet I cannot support the hivemind that Reddit is today and it is the main reason why I hardly, if ever, use it for anything.

 

People can piss on me all they want, but when you make a platform largely on false truths and agendas, I want nothing to do with it. Reddit used to be good, just like how Facebook used to be good, but like all the big social media sites, it starting catering to the extremists and politically minded.

 

I have better things to do at 33 years of age than to get myself sucked into the social media trap, which Reddit and Twitter most certainly are.

Edited by AJ_Radio
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Been using it since 2015 (mostly lurking), and I've found plenty of useful information there. The experience does vary wildly, depending on the subreddit—some are populated by toxic weirdos and emotionally immature mods on a power trip, but there's a bunch of decent ones, too. Not much different from the many other forums I've been on, really.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...