Item — HN Reader

Closing a thriving community just because an admin feels some moral imperative to do it is just short sided.

If you don't like Reddit, write a blog post, blow some steam, delete your Reddit account, be as critical as you wish, but don't kill a community just because you can.

2 comments

I feel like some people don't understand the gravity of what he did. He edited someone elses comments. What is the point in being part of a community where the website owners may be editing random comments? It undermines the whole thing.

Let me ask a question. If it turned out that Google had started selectively "editing" peoples email coming from Gmail, would you still be fine using Gmail?

There is no gravity. People are overreacting, that's all. Spez simply did what other sites are able to do but never admit if they do or not.

GPG sign everything online if you're concerned about your data changing. Even HN could change your comments if they wanted. What's stopping people? "Trust"?

So what if other websites "could"? It only matters if they DO.

I don't treat everyone like a psychopath because they COULD stab me. I only care if they do.

You don't know if other sites do it unless they admit it.

So the answer to censoring is more censoring, let's nuke an entire community just because I'm on a moral high horse!

Also I fully understand what Spez did and I find it not OK. If you don't agree with what an admin did, you could ask for the respective admin/CEO to resign. The answer should not be to delete a community that you don't own on a whim.

If Google started modifying my emails, I would stop using Gmail and advise my friends not to use Gmail. But I won't ask for Gmail to be killed/deleted just because I don't like it or I don't agree with it.

He pranked some pranksters. That's it.

You mean he massively abused his position.

People have been prosecuted and JAILED for reddit comments don't forget.

> would you still be fine using Gmail?

Well, no. But I also wouldn't force others to stop using it too.

You want to know who is harmed by this? Those of us that read the subreddit but are not on Google Groups.

Just a rookie question, but why the hell don't they just install some forum stuff on a web server?

If I was cynical I'd guess that it's too difficult to arbitrarily enforce the 'Go Community Guidelines' without criticism on Reddit.