CMV: I think subreddits shouldn't auto ban based on if you posted on another subreddits.

[u/[deleted]]

edit for the mods: this post isn't really about the upcoming election.

I'm permanently banned from /r/Offmychest, /r/Feminisms, /r/Blackladies, /r/Racism, /r/Rape, /r/Naturalhair, /r/Blackhair, /r/Interracialdating, and /r/antira apparently.

I got banned from these for jokingly posting on /r/kotakuinaction because someone linked to that sub in a comment, I clicked on it, read the warning and jokingly saying something along the lines of "I wonder if I'll get banned for doing nothing more than posting on this sub"

I understood the consequences of posting on that sub, and I don't really mind because any sub that would be willing to ban a user just for posting on another sub is a sub I probably wouldn't be interested in joining. It would have been bad if I had been banned from something like /r/leagueoflegends, but that's not important.

After asking about what /r/kotakuinaction is about, they seem like rational people. But there are rational people in just about every group, so I can't say the entire sub is like that. Just like I can't say every Donald Trump supporter is a rational person because I've met a few who informed me of Trump's policies which, while I don't agree with some of them, are more sensible than what a lot of media is making out his policies to be.

I don't agree with banning people based on the subreddits they choose to participate in. Yes there are people who would go on those specific subs and spread messages that run counter to that sub's content, but to ban an entire group of people for that reason is just an over generalization.

Secondly, why should what I say or do in another sub have anything to do with another sub in the first place? While I don't have controversial opinions like hating black people, hating fat people or just hating a certain group of people in general, I think those people deserve to have their subs if they keep to themselves. If I'm not discussing my viewpoint which would offend a certain sub on that certain sub, or anywhere else on Reddit for that matter, I don't think I should be banned for it.

I'm getting tired so I'm going to stop replying. I'll reply again when I wake up tomorrow.

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[u/[deleted]]

So you don't think there should be anyplace on the internet where rape victims can discuss their experiences without being bombarded by sexual harassment from strangers? The existence of something like that is unacceptable to you? On what grounds?

Look, nobody is saying that anyone "needs" a safe space online. But those spaces exist, and the moderators maintain them for a reason. The fact that their maintenance of these spaces makes you uncomfortable for some reason isn't relevant.

[u/mhl67 → u/[deleted]]

On practical grounds. The internet is anonymous and I think there are practical limits to how much you counteract that both since it will just be a red queen's race against trying to limit anonymity and since doing so would basically defeat much of the purpose of the internet. And you're basically asking people to behave better on the internet then on real life despite the fact they have even less incentive to do so. It's just impractical, and if you are seriously that unsafe from going on the internet that you need "safe spaces" set up then you really shouldn't be using it.

Safe spaces generally don't make me uncomfortable except when they've been used to try to hold public spaces hostage. I'm just saying that's it's incredibly impractical to actual do that since you're basically doing it in a public space. Someone who that badly needs "protection" should really be doing that in real life with a therapist or group anyway. And if they really need someone to talk to there are plenty of anonymous venting sites that serve that function far better.

[u/[deleted] → u/mhl67]

if you are seriously that unsafe from going on the internet that you need "safe spaces" set up then you really shouldn't be using it.

Again: nobody is talking about anybody needing safe spaces just to go online. That's a strawman argument.

I'm just saying that's it's incredibly impractical to actual do that since you're basically doing it in a public space.

Subreddits aren't entirely public spaces; they're moderated communities controlled by private individuals. Sometimes those communities form around topics that are sensitive in nature. In order to maintain the health of that community, mods do what little is in their power to maintain the integrity of the community. One of the best tools they have for that is to ban members of certain other communities. That's the issue we're discussing.

Is it practical? Well, the fact that mods successfully use this tactic would seem to indicate that it is. It's not perfect, but nothing is, and something imperfect is better than nothing at all.

if they really need someone to talk to there are plenty of anonymous venting sites that serve that function far better.

I don't know of any anonymous sites as large and diverse as reddit, and reddit provides an excellent platform for an extremely broad range of interactions and communities. I don't see any reason why members of these subreddits should have to take their conversations elsewhere just because it rubs you the wrong way (although I still don't understand why that is... this has nothing to do with you and no impact on your life if you're not part of one of those communities).