Self-censorship on Reddit

vmro said:The core issue here is that you constantly highlight the repressive tools at your disposal as moderators. It creates this pervasive self-censorship on Reddit... Everyone feels forced to filter their thoughts before posting just to avoid getting sanctioned. You aren't even hiding it; you actually emphasize it from time to time...

Your actual job should be to spark conversation on the forum... At least, that's my take...

I've heard this sentiment in several places, so let's address it.

What exactly do you think won't fly? To what extent does this actually stop you from writing freely?

If you aren't breaking the basic rules we all agreed to during registration—like no insults, no harassment, no malice—then you shouldn't feel restricted at all.

If there is an issue, we will work to fix it.

In the meantime, please keep political topics aside. Politics is a breeding ground for endless conflict. It's true: we do lean in a bit harder there because of past experiences. Things spiral into extremes and chaos too fast, and the decent users end up leaving. So, just don't bring politics here. There will be other times. Reddit isn't a political forum; it's a general interest site, and politics is just one tiny segment.

My buddy’s wife and their five-year-old son were riding a streetcar somewhere in Chicago one evening. It wasn't packed to the gills where you couldn't even move, but there were plenty of people hanging around them.
At one point, the little guy grabs his mom's hand and says:
"Mommy, I just let out a really great fart."

The people nearby absolutely lost it, while she was just standing there feeling super embarrassed. Honestly, she probably shouldn't have been, since he's just a kid and hasn't exactly mastered the art of social etiquette yet.
We adults are constantly practicing self-censorship. We don't burp at a fancy dinner, we don't act up in church, we don't rudely cut off older folks when they're taking forever to finish a sentence, and we definitely don't tell a gorgeous woman standing in front of us in line that she's a total smoke show... Self-censorship is just baked into our reality from the moment we're born. Even that little kid on the streetcar—who didn't quite realize he shouldn't announce his gas—already knew better than to repeat the swear words his parents yell when they're pissed.
Proper communication isn't about stopping us from expressing ourselves; it's just teaching us how to say things without being a jerk. So, forgive me if I disagree, but I don't think having rules on Reddit is being overly stuffy. There's a big difference between following guidelines and someone whining about being "censored" because they don't like the rules. Like I said, how we express ourselves matters everywhere, all the time, and I'm not going to buy into the idea that an online forum is some special exception that's somehow stifling your creativity.

Maria Barnes said:I've heard this sentiment in several places, so let's address it.

What exactly do you think won't fly? To what extent does this actually stop you from writing freely?

If you aren't breaking the basic rules we all agreed to during registration—like no insults, no harassment, no malice—then you shouldn't feel restricted at all.

If there is an issue, we will work to fix it.

In the meantime, please keep political topics aside. Politics is a breeding ground for endless conflict. It's true: we do lean in a bit harder there because of past experiences. Things spiral into extremes and chaos too fast, and the decent users end up leaving. So, just don't bring politics here. There will be other times. Reddit isn't a political forum; it's a general interest site, and politics is just one tiny segment.

But how else are you supposed to feel when your posts get nuked for supposedly
trolling or flame wars or whatever,
when you know damn well you didn't do any of that?
Or how do you feel when you suddenly get hit with 130 points, a ban, or a warning, and you have zero clue what was actually wrong with your posts, even though you followed the rules?
And so on, and so forth.
In my opinion, just because someone finds a post tedious doesn't mean they should get flagged or anything. ...Nobody's forcing anyone to read boring or annoying posts.
Just skip them.

The reality is that there’s a fair amount of self-censorship happening on the forum—for most people, it’s just a natural reaction to generally accepted social norms (basically etiquette, which overlaps quite a bit with our Reddit rules).
That said, some people censor themselves out of pure fear of getting a warning, a ban, or having their posts nuked. Of course, I’d prefer that number to be as low as possible, but we’re dealing with thousands of members here; it’s perfectly expected that malicious posts will pop up.
For example, we have this incredibly active debate going on regarding how tourism impacts the economy—and every few minutes, someone drops a generalization (like lazy Californians, cheap Midwesterners, impoverished folks from the rural South, and so on). Naturally, I’ve warned people about this dozens of times already, but at a certain point, it's pointless to argue—I just delete the post and issue a warning. If someone practices self-censorship and doesn't write those kinds of generalizations, then the system is actually working and the forum becomes a more pleasant place to hang out. Whether they did it to dodge a penalty or if it's just genuinely against their own sense of decorum or discourse... honestly, it doesn't really matter.

Rachel Jones8 said:But how else are you supposed to feel when your posts get nuked for supposedly
trolling or flame wars or whatever,
when you know damn well you didn't do any of that?
Or how do you feel when you suddenly get hit with 130 points, a ban, or a warning, and you have zero clue what was actually wrong with your posts, even though you followed the rules?
And so on, and so forth.
In my opinion, just because someone finds a post tedious doesn't mean they should get flagged or anything. ...Nobody's forcing anyone to read boring or annoying posts.
Just skip them.

And that brings us to the big question. Do we grant absolute freedom to everyone, or do we actually look out for the readers? Because look what this other Redditor is asking:

Garfield said:I think something needs to change regarding how posts and threads get started. It happens all the time—someone writes an interesting, high-quality, or funny post.

You might get great replies, but you also get the exact opposite: a massive string of useless comments consisting of nothing but single words or emojis. Basically, just spamming and cluttering up the thread. There’s a huge number of users who genuinely enjoy posting crap like that, even when they see their mindless comments burying the actual quality content. We could talk about people whining about their neighbors or dead cows, but let's move on.

Why am I bringing this up? Sometimes I have to scroll through 5, 10, 15, or even more posts just to find the next decent thing to read.

The Reddit policy leans toward that second view. Why? Because there are way more readers than writers. The goal is to encourage those who write to be more substantive, more ambitious, and actually stay on the same level as the rest of the discussion.

It all depends on the topic... and whether we're talking about a bunch of mindless posts meant just to get under people's skin.
It’s a whole different story when you sit down to write a long post—trying to actually explain something, using plenty of quotes—without breaking any rules, only to get banned because you wrote too much.
Maybe we could encourage people to write better by offering some advice or guidance instead?
A ban shouldn't be the only tool in the shed.
Unless the writer is intentionally stirring the pot, being aggressive, or straight-up insulting people...
That’s what we need to be able to spot. We can't just label everything as trolling or spamming... because honestly, most of the time, it has nothing to do with that.

Maria Barnes said:I've heard this sentiment in several places, so let's address it.

What exactly do you think won't fly? To what extent does this actually stop you from writing freely?

If you aren't breaking the basic rules we all agreed to during registration—like no insults, no harassment, no malice—then you shouldn't feel restricted at all.

If there is an issue, we will work to fix it.

In the meantime, please keep political topics aside. Politics is a breeding ground for endless conflict. It's true: we do lean in a bit harder there because of past experiences. Things spiral into extremes and chaos too fast, and the decent users end up leaving. So, just don't bring politics here. There will be other times. Reddit isn't a political forum; it's a general interest site, and politics is just one tiny segment.

For me, it’s the moderator acting like a big shot under the handle 'handyman'.
I was hit with a response meant purely to insult, belittle, shame, and harass me.

"My dear highly esteemed @ Emily Myers8
Gross, I don't want to deal with you. If you really want to go grain by grain, it's even harder to make sense of your nonsense when you lay it out plain and simple. I'd ask you to stop biting our heads off, but honestly, I just can't stay quiet. You're basically making a mockery of this Reddit, causing chaos everywhere and just being a total jerk. It's just gross."

Public responses like that, and these kinds of public arguments between moderators and users, should be banned.

I started practicing self-censorship once:

- In that thread about the "NYC subway," I practically got threatened with a ban just because I suggested using commuter rail as an alternative to the subway

- And on that "flat earth" thread, they deleted my post because I was questioning the logic of the one guy there who actually thinks he’s a flat-earther—he can say whatever he wants and (not always subtly) insult people, though I honestly don't know if his posts get nuked too

So, basically, because of that direct moderation, I’ve mostly stopped participating in those discussions. Even though I have a ton to say about one and found the other pretty entertaining—which are supposed to be the whole point of being on Reddit, right? Now I show up even less often (and even now, I'm not really posting much, mostly just lurking)

I used to jump in whenever someone wrote something that was just blatantly wrong, but not anymore. From what I can tell—based on experience, not from reading the rules—writing things that are easily proven false isn't even against the rules here🤷

It seriously tanks the quality of the debate, and not just when it comes to politics, but even for stuff like science and technical topics...

If it isn’t self-censorship, then it’s just straight-up censorship by certain moderators who demand that users prove every single thing they find online is true. Even if you actually provide proof, they just move the goalposts and find some other excuse to keep censoring your posts.
Plus, when I—in my specific case—express views that directly clash with what a moderator thinks (like in the Politics sub), those posts just get nuked.
When I ask why something was deleted, I either get a) absolutely nothing back, or b) a response that sounds more like a gutter argument than a moderator. A moderator should have some vocabulary, some tact, and actually understand their role instead of acting like... well, something else.

Self-censorship isn't even the biggest issue here, because Reddit isn't the only place to vent. I know plenty of regular users—successful people, if you want to call them that—who just don't bother posting anymore..

My version of self-censorship is basically just making sure I follow the Reddit rules to a T—trying to be polite, respectful, and not offend anyone, you know?
But honestly, I still keep getting flagged. And I don't even get why. From where I'm sitting, it feels like people just can't handle a new face on a thread... so they slap a few warnings on you just to push you out, even if you haven't done anything wrong.
The "inner circle" just wants to stay in their own little bubble. If someone new shows up with a slightly different perspective—even if they're following all the rules and being totally chill—they get booted.
It’s happened to me in several different subreddits; the old-timers basically team up with the moderators to kick you off the thread.
And look, this isn't even about heavy stuff like politics, religion, or crazy conspiracy theories... it's not even one of those heated debates where everyone is yelling because nobody actually knows what they're talking about.
It’s about the "trivial" everyday stuff. Like, if you say, "Hey, I really don't like it when random dogs lick me or leave hair on my clothes," suddenly everyone jumps down your throat. They claim you hate animals or whatever, and then boom—you get a warning. Meanwhile, they’ll spend hours debating which lint roller is best or how to scrub hair off a sofa, but the second you set a boundary, they act like you're the villain.
If anyone outside the "clique" complains about anything, they get shut down, and usually with a strike right after.
Same thing with fireworks. Even if you're saying, "Man, I feel bad for the dogs, these things are awful and scary for all of us," but then you mention that they're legally allowed from date X to date Y... they immediately attack you, acting like you're actually rooting for people to scare pets.
Basically, they twist everything you say and accuse you of things you never even mentioned. Once you realize they just don't want you there, you see that nothing you write will ever be okay.
At that point, you just walk away. Even though it would actually be useful for them to hear different perspectives, they just refuse to listen.
So they drive people away. It's the same story everywhere else, too.
And it’s not great. People just can't handle someone expressing a simple opinion or an impression, as long as they aren't trying to prove some impossible theory.
You have an opinion, and I shouldn't have to defend it. If something bothers me, it bothers me. Why is it so hard to respect that without feeling personally attacked? If I don't want your dog sniffing or licking me, is that really such a big deal?
Does that seriously mean I hate dogs, or animals in general, or people who own pets? That's how they make it seem. They pin all these false labels on you until you just lose the desire to have a decent conversation, share a suggestion, or offer some constructive criticism.🕺

👍
I feel the exact same way about free speech and how people get called out just because they don't write "correctly." When moderators publicly announce they hate someone's style, it's totally uncool. The mod-favored groups are basically just killing the conversation.

Emily Myers8 said:For me, it’s the moderator acting like a big shot under the handle 'handyman'.
I was hit with a response meant purely to insult, belittle, shame, and harass me.

"My dear highly esteemed @ Emily Myers8
Gross, I don't want to deal with you. If you really want to go grain by grain, it's even harder to make sense of your nonsense when you lay it out plain and simple. I'd ask you to stop biting our heads off, but honestly, I just can't stay quiet. You're basically making a mockery of this Reddit, causing chaos everywhere and just being a total jerk. It's just gross."

Public responses like that, and these kinds of public arguments between moderators and users, should be banned.

Staying completely neutral, as always, if you managed to squeeze this little masterpiece out of a moderator, then consider it a co-authored work. Congrats to both of you on the creation. You're quite the inspiration, and I had no idea the Handyman was such a gifted writer.

Just as I appeal to the moderators to allow more free expression for the unique characters on this site, I'm asking you, fellow user, not to be so sensitive. On Reddit, sometimes you just have to grow a thicker skin. Besides, he said, "I'd ask you to stop snapping at us." Sounds to me like you would have been a very strict moderator.

Is this the kind of letter an American moderator should be using?

A moderator shouldn't just be strict; they need to be fair.

If I can jump in here, the handyman’s moves aren't exactly doing this Reddit community any favors.
There have been tons of complaints about how things are being moderated, but of course, nothing ever sticks.
He issues warnings, moves posts, hands out bans... all without much logic. Maybe he just loves being a moderator, or thinks he's doing the right thing, but it's clearly not his calling.
Yeah, this was one of those subreddits I used to really love, but honestly... certain things just make you want to walk away.
Regarding flushing gas lines—when I asked if he actually had expertise or was giving advice as a pro in that specific field, I got hit with a ban: "Speculating on users' private information."
I didn't know anything about him, nor do I have any of his personal info... yet there's the ban. According to the mod, you aren't even allowed to ask.
So, basically, the moment you ask a question... you're guilty.
Even when a certified technician says it's a good idea to flush the system—especially when installing a new water heater—some people won't listen. They think they know better, even if it's not their area. Basically, you aren't supposed to ask what they actually specialize in when they tell you something needs to be done or doesn't.
Just asking... that's it.
Ask a simple question, get banned.

Maria Barnes said:I've heard this sentiment in several places, so let's address it.

What exactly do you think won't fly? To what extent does this actually stop you from writing freely?

If you aren't breaking the basic rules we all agreed to during registration—like no insults, no harassment, no malice—then you shouldn't feel restricted at all.

If there is an issue, we will work to fix it.

In the meantime, please keep political topics aside. Politics is a breeding ground for endless conflict. It's true: we do lean in a bit harder there because of past experiences. Things spiral into extremes and chaos too fast, and the decent users end up leaving. So, just don't bring politics here. There will be other times. Reddit isn't a political forum; it's a general interest site, and politics is just one tiny segment.

Respected members, if you look at how the immigration threads have been moderated over the last few years, everything will become perfectly clear to you. 😉

The reckless application of "hate speech" labels has reached a point where nobody even wants to participate in those discussions anymore, simply because the rate of banning users has become excessive.

Maria Barnes said:I've heard this sentiment in several places, so let's address it.

What exactly do you think won't fly? To what extent does this actually stop you from writing freely?

If you aren't breaking the basic rules we all agreed to during registration—like no insults, no harassment, no malice—then you shouldn't feel restricted at all.

If there is an issue, we will work to fix it.

In the meantime, please keep political topics aside. Politics is a breeding ground for endless conflict. It's true: we do lean in a bit harder there because of past experiences. Things spiral into extremes and chaos too fast, and the decent users end up leaving. So, just don't bring politics here. There will be other times. Reddit isn't a political forum; it's a general interest site, and politics is just one tiny segment.

It stifles things just enough that engaging in certain topics feels entirely futile—especially for those of us trying to navigate political discourse.

Maria Barnes said:I've heard this sentiment in several places, so let's address it.

What exactly do you think won't fly? To what extent does this actually stop you from writing freely?

If you aren't breaking the basic rules we all agreed to during registration—like no insults, no harassment, no malice—then you shouldn't feel restricted at all.

If there is an issue, we will work to fix it.

In the meantime, please keep political topics aside. Politics is a breeding ground for endless conflict. It's true: we do lean in a bit harder there because of past experiences. Things spiral into extremes and chaos too fast, and the decent users end up leaving. So, just don't bring politics here. There will be other times. Reddit isn't a political forum; it's a general interest site, and politics is just one tiny segment.

Now, I don't consider myself some radical or problematic user; I haven't had major outbursts, nor do I make a habit of swearing at or insulting people who disagree with me. And yet, I still find myself unable to discuss matters openly or express my views freely, primarily because of how the moderation team seems to be "calibrated." The main issue lies in the arbitrary deployment of vague, fabricated justifications—essentially blatant trolling by the staff—combined with the overzealous ideological activism of certain moderators who find it nearly impossible to separate their private biases from their official duties. If a moderator struggles to grasp that someone might simply feel uncomfortable in the presence of, say, a drug addict or a local drummer, how competent can they truly be at managing a community? Furthermore, if they cannot mask their inherent bias against anyone who votes for the Republican Party, how can we ever expect them to remain objective?

ruka-slave said:It was a fine distinction to make when we discussed focusing on lemon slices rather than whole lemons.

And then, suddenly, everyone rushes to bring up self-censorship, immigration, and hate speech.

Just so you know, that isn't a particularly classy way to behave. 🙂

Regrettably, none of this will lead to any meaningful change. The moderators will undoubtedly rally together once more to declare themselves entirely correct and dismiss these grievances as completely baseless, likely celebrating the occasion by handing out a few more bans for "trolling"... 😁

Emily Myers8 said:Is this the kind of letter an American moderator should be using?

A moderator shouldn't just be strict; they need to be fair.

Stop projecting such a negative attitude. You're basically manifesting it. If you stay negative, it happens. I choose to project positivity and... well, it's not magic—it just works. 😉 That's how the world works.

Garfield said:Here’s a similar case; there was this intense, slightly heated debate over on the food forum about asparagus. I ended up writing this tongue-in-cheek post about me and one of the users fleeing by train from the old US to Italy, accompanied by a Bresson photo.

Later in Italy, we're eating pasta (another legendary shot), but it didn't matter—my entire post was wiped out.

Look, the moderator in question is actually a good person and well-intentioned, just a bit too strict.
Honestly? Sometimes I feel like the old police force had more style and tact than today's moderators.
I'm not talking about that specific moderator.

What a waste, those were great photos. My guess? The images are too big. They take up the whole screen here. Unfortunately, this Reddit isn't the best place for uploading pictures. The max width allowed is 640 pixels. 😢

Maria Barnes said:What a waste, those were great photos. My guess? The images are too big. They take up the whole screen here. Unfortunately, this Reddit isn't the best place for uploading pictures. The max width allowed is 640 pixels. 😢

Isn't there some kind of resize plugin or maybe just some raw JavaScript you could use? Or I don't know... maybe all these heavy files are just making the hamster wheel spin a little slower. 🤷

Enough.

In principle, I try to adapt my vocabulary to the people I’m speaking with—which sometimes involves temporarily switching off certain higher brain functions.
You say something once, then perhaps repeat it if the person fails to grasp it—but to what end?
Occasionally, an answer is masked within a more nuanced thought, in the hope that there might be at least a glimmer of intelligence on the other side.

Genuine, high-quality discussions are in short supply. Too many people mistake deep analysis for mere bickering.
Or they just latch onto trolls.
And talking to walls isn't exactly encouraging.

Rachel Jones8 is right regarding the openness of the forum. Personally, I’ve seen instances where someone complained because "some newcomers" were chatting in their thread during the evening.
I don't believe the moderators get involved in those specific threads (at least not in the ones I've seen), but even so, it feels unnatural to me when new people are explicitly pushed away from certain topics.

There are far too many insecure, frustrated individuals using this forum as an emotional pressure valve. Perhaps it's a mirror of society—I couldn't say—but it creates a toxic environment.
If people aren't valued, they leave.
That should be obvious to everyone.