Hi, I hope its fine to write about this here.
I recently got PERMANENTLY banned from Reddit on my alt for rule 1 (Hate speech / inciting violence).
Apparently the reason was for writing a slur ? I had no idea it the word I used was even a slur in the first place, because I saw so many others use it before me with no issue, and there were posts using the same word as I did BEFORE and AFTER I got banned and those posts are still up. I have no idea how Reddit AI moderations even judged that my own comment was offensive.
Sadly for me, even my main account, that I have had for 8 years and used to talk to a lot of communities, was also permanently banned.
In just one night, I had lost a lot of the communities I interacted with over the years. Besides, you might hate Reddit (and rightfully so) but atm its too mainstream and widely used, and there sadly isnt a better alternative for a platform where you can access forums for any sort of niche topics, ask questions etc… Many of these are not available elsewhere, not even here.
Anyway, I tried appealing to Reddit but I have been automatically rejected within 5 minutes of writing my appeal (idk if I can believe their “This decision was made without the assistance of automation”).
I have now written to them through their reddithelp explaining that I had no idea it was a bad word, that I will be more careful in the future and wish for another chance. But I dont expect a positive response (if I get one to begin with).
I have read how their ban evasion detection works and it seems either impossible or extremely hard to bypass, and I am worried about this because I am scared I will forever be unable to ask questions there ever again, or interact with my previous subreddits.
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I think your problem is that you are expecting the moderation there to be based on some sort of consistent, rational logic. and common sense. I know from personal experience that is just not the case and has not been for some years. The decisions are completely arbitrary and almost certainly automated (very badly too), the “decision was made without the assistance of automation” is utter bullshit.
As for that rule 1 (Hate speech / inciting violence), I see it broken all the time there without consequences. I got a warning a few weeks back for hoping that the mullahs in Iran would meet the same fate that Mussolini and his fascist henchmen did at the end of WWII (hung upside down in a public square in Rome), something which was obviously totally theoretical and which nobody outside Iran can possibly influence let alone incite (I live in New Zealand, about as far removed from there as it is possible to be). Yet I see hatred and incitements to violence on reddit on the regular. Its completely inconsistent and as I said completely arbitrary. You are far from alone in this.
I also got banned from a subreddit for - get this - thanking someone for some information they posted. Appealed it politely, no response of course.
If it is any consolation, a permaban may not be all that permanent. My primary account which I’d also had for around the same time was banned two years back for posting a Google Streetview link of a layby (told you it was irrational) suddenly came back to life last week without warning. I’ll probably use that instead of the temporary account I’ve been using in the interim.
Dont worry about the ban evasion - if you create a new username/ login like I did, just make sure you are logged out of your old one on the same device while you are using the new one and you’ll be golden. Their “moderation” system is in the wrong, not you, so go ahead and abuse it for all its worth, the sheer absurdity and inconsistency of it is in my view a justification to do what you like as long as you arent actually posting real hate speech or making real, credible threats of course
In just one night, I had lost a lot of the communities I interacted with over the years. Besides, you might hate Reddit (and rightfully so) but atm its too mainstream and widely used, and there sadly isnt a better alternative for a platform where you can access forums for any sort of niche topics, ask questions etc… Many of these are not available elsewhere, not even here.
If it’s any consolation, sites like Geocities, Slashdot, Digg, Tumblr, Twitter and Myspace were once mainstream. Reddit will fall, especially if Spez continues to drive that place down the shitter.
They ban people left and right. Fuck reddit.
I recently got PERMANENTLY banned from Reddit on my alt for rule 1 (Hate speech / inciting violence).
Apparently the reason was for writing a slur ? I had no idea it the word I used was even a slur in the first place, because I saw so many others use it before me with no issue, and there were posts using the same word as I did BEFORE and AFTER I got banned and those posts are still up. I have no idea how Reddit AI moderations even judged that my own comment was offensive.
Yeah, spez wants his house to be squeaky clean to make his prudish Republican shareholders happy, so it banhammers anyone deems to be “violent” – even if discussed casually. That’s why the bans are now permanent and irreversible.
It’s also useless trying to appeal to overturn the ban, unless one’s a confirmed celebrity with a building full of lawyers.
Fuck Reddit
Give up on reddit. It’s a cesspool of corporate shills, bots, and ads nowadays.
It’s a cesspool of corporate shills, bots, and ads
And fucking annoying assholes who think they’re smart.
Yup. Was definitely feeling the dead internet vibe on there sometimes. It’s sad. I was on there for 12 before I got perma-banned.
Fuck reddit
Reddit stopped caring about users a while ago. They’re not going to reinstate you, because they have no motivation to do so.
Unfortunately, it’s time to give up on it. Find similar communities elsewhere, and if you can’t find them, make them. Over time, there will be more and more people in your situation looking for it.
Find similar communities elsewhere
I still like good old niche forums.
Unfortunate :/
Lemmy so far is an interesting alternative but it doesn’t have the same popularity (I hope it changes over time because Reddit has been going to shit with their AI moderation). Sadly the Reddit community I was in is a small niche community that helped me a lot with my mental health so it’ll be hard for me to make one from scratch.
Thank you in any case
I’m sorry that you’re losing that community. I hope you can find or help build another. If not Lemmy, it’ll crop up somewhere.
I’m starting to suspect that Reddit bans accounts that have been long-standing and in good standing, only to take them over with bots, because accounts with longstanding credibility are a powerful tool for bots to take over. Because once we’ve been banned, we can no longer login to our account, so we can’t even go in and check if it’s been taken over.
I got perma-banned after 14 years for “hate speech” by showing people how to make user friendly/inexpensive first aid kits for the No Kings protests. The Commander Who Queefs brought in the military to beat on his citizens illegally. I thought I was helping, not hating. Fuck Spez and fuck Reddit.
Reddit is catering entirely to conservatives.
The bots are geared now to get rid of anyone it deems to be “subversive” which includes protesting against police and ICE brutality.
First aid kits, truly a weapon of insurrection
My eye wash cups will be banned in Geneva part deux.
Has your content be reposted to Lemmy? I need a good, cheap, all-purpose, first-aid kit for when I’m out on my bike pedaling around town.
Could be needed for cuts, scratches, abrasions, getting coal rolled, snakebites, bug bites/stings, or biking to/from a large gathering of people.
I got a lot of heat about using Amazon, but I’m not near a sporting goods store or a store that has first aid kits. Use the man at your own risk.
For biking around, helping out, I’ve been pretty happy with Vriexsd products. You need a more reinforced case, just in case
Permanent bans should not exist anywhere. Sadly, they do.
If there are some communities you simply can’t live without because they provide good links you are interested in just download an RSS reader. Reddit still allows RSS access, at least for now.
You won’t be able to post and interact with the content anymore, but let’s face it, Reddit is actively purging itself of humans, in favor of bots, for some reason. So the discussions are filled with slop and useless now. I’m glad I didn’t buy any stock.
I can still read content even when logged on my Reddit account so that’s not really the issue. I just hoped to figure out a way to slowly rebuild a new account while avoiding their ban evasion detection.
I lost almost 15 years, welcome to the club.
- Don’t use the Reddit app
- Register with a new email address, using mobile browser
- Use Lemmy more
That’s not enough. They track hardcore fingerprinting now.
But not continues. A few months after my first ban, I could use a forgotten account for nearly a year, until I got another bullshit “warning” that led to another permanban.
You can still browse pages for any information. Any interaction will probably get them a ban evasion.
Surely that’s not enough ? I was already using Reddit on a mobile browser (never used the app) so they probably know my device.
Use Fennec browser
You are correct, you will no longer be allowed to establish a new account or log into any of your old accounts. All you can do is lurk & read but not interact. I’ve had five accounts over the last 15 years on reddit, they are all dead to me because same reason you’re experiencing.
Build our own, with blackjack and hookers
Tried that, but the Epstein files are allready full.
Welcome to the federation, your new Reddit.
Feel free to ask any questions you want!
Just not how to get back on Reddit.
