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"

518 Upvotes

r/funny 9h ago

We all miss unharmed funny prank like this, dont we?

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6.4k Upvotes

r/funny 13h ago

Font choice matters

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17.9k Upvotes

They must have known….


r/funny 7h ago

A cat's life

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1.5k Upvotes

r/funny 17h ago

That's my message to you tonight

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7.6k Upvotes

r/funny 7h ago

Don't do folklore kids.

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764 Upvotes

r/funny 10h ago

This Prius

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1.1k Upvotes

Reminds me of those old generic paper cups.


r/funny 23h ago

First day as Restaurant Manager

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22.3k Upvotes

r/funny 18h ago

You can be elite formula 1 drivers who worth millions of dollars, driving the most prestigious land jets, but you're still want to do water fight 😅

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5.0k Upvotes

r/funny 15h ago

Read this loudly, backwards

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2.5k Upvotes

r/funny 14h ago

Actual divorce papers I printed out from the Iowa courts website “congratulations”

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2.0k Upvotes

Printed out some papers for my divorce and this is what it said at the top of the first page


r/funny 3h ago

Dad put this up for my younger sister

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202 Upvotes

r/funny 4h ago

I'm so proud of my ornament. Now I know what a TV dinner feels like.

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183 Upvotes

r/funny 9h ago

It’s the season

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411 Upvotes

r/funny 11h ago

You’ve been warned

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464 Upvotes

r/funny 7h ago

Piece from a kids puzzle.

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182 Upvotes

r/funny 4h ago

I'll take 2 tacos please

110 Upvotes

r/funny 21h ago

I'll just chill here while you do your thing.

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2.6k Upvotes

r/funny 8h ago

Have a Good Christmas Fella Joy and what not...

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220 Upvotes

r/funny 15h ago

Who can relate? 'Cooking with a dog'

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764 Upvotes

r/funny 17h ago

i hope they are referring to the car?

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822 Upvotes

r/funny 13h ago

Yours truly with the Elyria, Ohio mall Santa, 1978. Merry freakin' Christmas. 🎄

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427 Upvotes

r/funny 8h ago

Wine Condoms.

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151 Upvotes

r/funny 8h ago

They suspect he ate their buddy!

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133 Upvotes

r/funny 1d ago

Time for new blood

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9.4k Upvotes