cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/73406944
It all started when my main Reddit account was banned—simply because I posted a comment criticizing the banning of a subreddit—resulting in the immediate loss of an account I’d held for about 4 years, with 102k karma. I appealed, but I received no response—not even a reason for my ban, nor any notification that I had been banned in the first place. I’ve filed appeals repeatedly over the past few months, but today, I’m finally giving up. Fuck Spez and his pathetic, whore of a family. When I submitted my appeals, there wasn’t even any indication that they had gone through; I was just left in total silence, unable to do a thing. I started using an existing alt account for basic tasks, but today, that account was banned too—all because I recommended the non-profit, open-source "VPN Gate" project to someone who was complaining about the mandatory KYC (age verification) requirements being imposed in my country. The only reason I was still using Reddit was out of habit, and I’ve decided it’s time to change some of my habits. Ultimately, this is the inevitable fate of every centralized corporation—without exception. There’s no guarantee that some complete moron won’t end up in charge of any of them. I wish more people realized this. If four years of my effort are being sold off to AI data companies, and everything can be permanently wiped out overnight without a word of warning, then that is, quite simply, data theft. Once again, fuck you, Spez—you absolute piece of shit. If you had even an ounce of courage or integrity, you wouldn’t have imposed those damn API restrictions in 2023 and ruined Reddit. I truly regret the four years I spent here, but it’s better to cut my losses now. Goodbye, you son of a bitch Spez, and your puppet, Reddit...
Resorting to hyperbole weakens your argument not mine.
I have not said it was a leftist utopia. When reddit started it was community based. We built these spaces ourselves and they reflected our ideals, and that's what made them good and what drew people in. It's the same thing a lot of leftists say they want, not just online but in government, in business, everywhere. Cooperatives. Voting systems where our votes actually matter, instead of smoke and mirrors covering for a small group of elites.
Then as these sites got bigger, corporate interests started rolling out features that slowly took those structures apart, and we didn't even notice. Every change favored the company. The community lost control over its own content and its own spaces, and in its place we got an overseer, a mod in charge. And a lot of these mods act like abusive police with their authority. Unchecked power, no accountability, punishing people however they want. That's everything leftists say they're against.
Think how insane it is that people here push for democracy everywhere else, but when it comes to our own digital spaces they just accept it, and do not even catch that contradiction.
I was there from the start on Reddit. I saw how my left leaning views were accepted, then eventually rejected, and finally demonized. I remember peacefully talking about Linux for years then getting constantly brigaded by Winbros. Don't think I wasn't there. I left, I was not banned. It was definitely heading that way though.
Before Reddit it was forums, Usenet, IRC, BBS, etc. We definitely need to return to simpler times where everyone isn't corralled into the same place to be propagandised to. I stopped Meta during the pandemic when I saw them spread misinformation on purpose to divide people. It is clear major platforms are a cancer on our society.
Democracy is a window dressing for control by the wealthy at this point. We definitely need to fix things, but we need to take a long hard look at what we have and why we have it first.
You are correct, we should take back our digital space. That is why I am here. That is why I am trying to replace corporate services with a homelab.
Thanks. It's nice to know I'm not the only one with this attitude even if we disagree on things. I don't know how things should be but I know this isn't it. I think we need to deconstruct a lot of things on the left including these spaces to understand how they took it over and took control.