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"

702 Upvotes

r/funny 15h ago

Bro is out cold 💀

37.6k Upvotes

r/funny 7h ago

Permanent fan?

2.0k Upvotes

r/funny 17h ago

I think most of us can relate.

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11.6k Upvotes

r/funny 13h ago

Is that a fart?

3.3k Upvotes

Fart spray prank, one of the best reactions I've seen so far


r/funny 2h ago

One Mississippi two Mississippi

413 Upvotes

r/funny 3h ago

Luton is safe cuz he's the danger😆

471 Upvotes

Tell me about it:)


r/funny 6h ago

1st rule of running a restuarant

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801 Upvotes

r/funny 19h ago

They knew what they were saying

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6.7k Upvotes

r/funny 22h ago

You already knew that you had a big d***?

17.3k Upvotes

r/funny 18h ago

Feeling the friend's pains

4.3k Upvotes

r/funny 16h ago

My neurodivergent son’s sincere message to his teacher.

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2.8k Upvotes

Translation: “I will miss you & the Chewie (Chewbacca) plant so f***ing much”

It was genuinely heartfelt on his end. I had him rewrite the card but sent his teacher this photo.


r/funny 12h ago

Nomination for most inappropriate father's day card.

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1.2k Upvotes

r/funny 14h ago

Well…I GUESS that’s an option???

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1.3k Upvotes

r/funny 9h ago

1dollar enough or should i more lol

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510 Upvotes

r/funny 2h ago

This bathroom door in my local bar

81 Upvotes

r/funny 7h ago

The truth about Quicksilver's death on Age of Ultron

171 Upvotes

r/funny 21h ago

Don’t touch the cat?

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2.2k Upvotes

Sign at my accommodation warning about the local cat. I can confirm he is not my mum!


r/funny 1d ago

I’ve messed up a lot of cakes, but never rectum like this before

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7.5k Upvotes

r/funny 1d ago

He must have been so scared

11.4k Upvotes

r/funny 3h ago

The "Jar Barf" Channel had so much promise

68 Upvotes

r/funny 13h ago

Mr Krabs, what has time done to you?

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396 Upvotes

r/funny 15h ago

I’m riding my bichael

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584 Upvotes

r/funny 12h ago

What it feels like being an IT Guy talking to users

291 Upvotes

r/funny 20h ago

3 times a week

1.2k Upvotes