Got a 30-day ban from a sub for posting a news link

I visited the politics subreddit last week and dropped a link to a Reuters article about a local city council vote on a new surveillance law. Nothing crazy, just the facts. The mods nuked it in 5 minutes and hit me with a 30-day ban for 'misleading content.' I appealed and asked them to point out what was wrong with the article. They just copy-pasted the same rule and muted me. It feels like they're policing what sources are allowed, not what's true. Has anyone else dealt with a mod team that won't explain their reasoning?

3 comments

3 Comments

amy_craig2810d ago

Honestly that's insane, a 30 day ban for a Reuters link sounds like they're on a power trip.

willowg8810d ago

Yeah I actually used to be kind of on the mods' side about strict rules, but a full month ban for sharing a Reuters article? That's wild. @amy_craig28 you're right, it really does feel like they just wanted to make an example of someone rather than actually moderate. I guess I just assumed mods were always reasonable but this one clearly isn't. What did the original post even say that got reported?

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laura_chen418d ago

willowg88, I see it a bit differently. When you say they wanted to "make an example of someone," I don't think that's what's happening here. A lot of these bigger subs, especially politics ones, get hit with so much bad info and junk posts every day that mods have to go with blanket rules to keep things manageable. It's not pretty, but it's reality. The problem might be less about power trips and more about them using a heavy hand because they can't vet every single source. A 30 day ban does feel over the top for a first time thing, but I've noticed they sometimes do that to scare people off from posting news they haven't checked against their own list of approved sites. I'd guess the Reuters piece might have had a headline or angle that didn't fit their narrative, even if the facts were right. It's a lousy system, but I can see why they'd rather ban first and ask questions later than risk a big fight.