Unban Fat Hate On Reddit: An Open Letter From The Fat Community Manager Of Tom's Hardware (Opinion)

[jpishgar]

There are entire subreddits dedicated to pictures of dead kids, racial epithets towards black people, and one promoting beating women with the tagline “Punch her in the face… to prove you’re right.” But hating porkers like me is a bridge too far?

Unban Fat Hate On Reddit: An Open Letter From The Fat Community Manager Of Tom's Hardware (Opinion) : Read more

 

[redgarl]

The new Gamespot comment system sux! They ban me since they are now MODERATING the comments over articles... the funny thing is I made a simple factual comments over CD Projeckt downgrade decision over the PC version of The Witcher 3.

It doesn't matter when kids are serving as moderators.

 

[Unolocogringo]

Thanks Joe, my respect for you just went up another notch.
We need more like minded people around here.

 

[PaulBags]

I agree with you, but pretending to speak for the entire fat community is wrong.

 

[jpishgar]

I agree with you, but pretending to speak for the entire fat community is wrong.

I wouldn't presume to speak for the entire community of fat people. I speak for myself. The piece I wrote is on behalf of me, from me as a person who happens to also be a fat fellow. In essence, the argument itself isn't about fat pride, or fat shame, or even fat people as a center-point to the matter. It is, should Reddit arbitrarily decide to ban certain subjects of conversation while ignoring other more egregious ones? Their claim is that the subreddits were banned because individual users who participated there were harassing people directly. This is a strange line for them to tow, as users can be subject to disciplinary action (and even shadow banning), but subreddits themselves aren't capable of harassment on an individual level.

-JP

 

[PaulBags]

My apologies, when I first clicked on the article the title simply read: "Unban Fat Hate On Reddit: An Open Letter From The Fat Community", I'm not sure how the rest got truncated/hidden, or even if it was there and my brain misinterpreted what I was seeing :/.

 

[jpishgar]

Ahh, no worries. It *is* a bit of a lengthy title.

It's interesting how this will unfold. The rabble at Reddit has begun attacking the CEO. The hivemind gets a little knee-jerk bandwagony sometimes, but I feel they might be in the right this time around.
-JP

 

[therealdealmeal]

this article is shameful. The subreddit was banned because users and MODs of the subreddit were doxxing people, setting up harassment mobs to attack people, harrassed IMGUR.COM employees and more. Any support for these kind of actions shows a low of morals and or sociopathy

 

[Guest]

Fat guy here! And redditor. I didn't like that sub-reddit, but I support it 100%. People should be free to think and say whatever they want. Sticks and stones. But these are words. They don't hurt me. I should lose weight. It's not because of some imaginary medical problem, or blah blah. I could lose weight. I have. It's lack of discipline. Eating too much. And it's bad for me. Killing me. Regardless, people should be able to say what they want. Just please don't physically assault me, or anyone.

Maybe a ban on racist, homophobic, handicapped comments should exist. Those people can't change how they are. They are born that way. I wasn't born fat. Laugh at me if you want. But even those I wouldn't ban.

Thoughts should be free. They should be exchanged freely. As long as no incitation to violence takes place, just let it be. People need to grow a thicker brain. Thoughts and words cannot hurt you.

 

[Ev1lryu]

FPH broke the rules by promoting attacks and harassment outside of their subreddit. https://np.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/39c0n3/cmv_reddit_was_wrong_to_ban_rfatpeoplehate_but/cs27yt4?context=3

 

[Not_A_Potato]

FPH broke the rules by promoting attacks and harassment outside of their subreddit. https://np.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/39c0n3/cmv_reddit_was_wrong_to_ban_rfatpeoplehate_but/cs27yt4?context=3

Screenshots show that they posted publicly available photos of the Imgur staff (taken from the Imgur about pages) in the form of a collage on the sidebar, which did not personally identify anyone.

 

[securitysick]

I support you 100%. Community built reddit up, the community will tear it down. I really lost all respect for sites that don't support this (like Engadget, anyone remember them?).

FPH actually kept me from getting fat, it was always my motivation to not snack and get off my ass. Anyone who visited the site also know that the subreddit was well moderated

 

[Ryuudou]

Don't agree at all. FPH deserved to be banned, because they targetted imgur staff by posting pictures on them on their sidebar. If you break the rules you get punished. This has nothing to do with "free speech". Reddit is a private company and the less cancer on the site the better, frankly.

I know the "old days" will never come back, but I'd like to open /r/all one of these days without half of the entries being full of racism and sexism.

 

[Ryuudou]

Ahh, no worries. It *is* a bit of a lengthy title.

It's interesting how this will unfold. The rabble at Reddit has begun attacking the CEO. The hivemind gets a little knee-jerk bandwagony sometimes, but I feel they might be in the right this time around.
-JP

And there are just as many people defending her, because she did nothing wrong and it's basically the FPH neckbeard crowd being the only ones upset.

This has already basically blown over, and rightfully so. If you don't want to get your subreddit banned then don't let the mods endorse rule breaking behavior like harassment.

 

[jpishgar]

Any support for these kind of actions shows a low of morals and or sociopathy

No support here for that. I would have crucified those users publicly. The justification still seems arbitrary for Reddit.

To the commentators noting the Reddit-issued justification for the ban - does this mean that any subreddit inhabited by individuals who doxx users will be banned? Or just the moderators of those subreddits? What if the moderators themselves are not doxxing, but a plurality of the most active users of a subreddit are? Also, what about subreddits which are not controversial subjects, but that seek to doxx individuals?

-JP

 

[ncrane83]

Gotta give the writer of this article props for being honest about being a big guy on the internet. This place can be brutal. Too, congrats on the weight loss. Keep going mate

 

[uglyduckling81]

You could just not read that garbage on reddit or anywhere else. Getting trolled or attacked on Facebook? Block the sender or stop using Facebook.
I don't understand people getting worked up about this or even getting involved.
If someone says something negative in a League of Legends game I just mute that person immediately. I don't have time in my life to listen to negative people. My mute list on LoL must be in the thousands now. I almost never have a game without 1 or 2 people I have previously muted.
I don't use any social media because as far as I can tell it's complete trash and a waste of valuable gaming time. A precious resource now I have kids.
I'm probably a bit more extreme than most though because I watch no TV to avoid advertising. I don't read or listen to the news because most of it is made up and assumptions to increase interest.
I just talk to my friends, my family and worry about what is directly affecting me.

 

[StarkRG]

I don't know that I agree with your assertion that containing it is good. By allowing hateful people to congregate you slow then to reinforce each other's hurtful opinions, they end up feeling like it's more normal and accepted than it really is.

I do agree, though, that they should start removing the other hateful or otherwise damaging subreddits. Let hateful people go to 4Chan.

 

[StarkRG]

"you slow then to" should be "you allow them to". (Swype mistake)

 

[Benthon]

"Reddit should reconsider its policy on banning fat people hate, or extend the application of that policy to other vile, offensive subreddits that promulgate hate. Otherwise, the distinction is entirely arbitrary and unfair to users.'

This sums it up well. Where is the line crossed? By banning subreddits like this, they have to ban ALL subreddits which act like this. Reddit was built on the free-speech, create what you want motif. I feel like it will go the way of Digg if it continues this silly censorship.

 

[rubix_1011]

The depths and context of this article should give everyone the insight into the man, JP, that all of the moderation team calls their leader and all-powerful minion-wrangler. He's a man of great pride, knowledge, social and personal understanding and one of the most sympathetic, empathetic and compassionate dudes on this site. He's also one to not deal with hate, personal attacks and insensitivity towards anyone that is undeserving of it...and even some of those that do. As a very busy man, it's great to see him drop a bit of personal opinion on the TH site *especially* with the message he has. As a well-spoken and articulately creative soul, JP does lend the reader a colorful journey through the kaleidoscope of his psyche with colorful rhetoric and witty snaps.

 

[JamesSneed]

I suspect a disproportionate amount of Reddit staff and those who frequent the site are fat. My working assumption is they banned this "fat" speak because it impacts them personally. This would explain why the seemingly more egregious topics are not banned.

 

[Patrick Goetz]

An excellent and comprehensive commentary -- thank you for sharing!

 

[rubix_1011]

I would have to agree with this logic process, JamesSneed...that's a good point. Hits too close to home...? But other topics are further than arm's reach, so acceptable...

 

[kira70591]

JP,

The difference with you is that you decided to take personal responsibility for your health and do something about it. You did not decide to "change" others "perceptions" so that you did not have to change yourself. This is extremely admirable. The other difference is that you also acknowledge that people need to be able to express themselves on both sides of the coin and given an equal forum. If something is offensive, do something about it or create a rebuttal that focuses on the points that they are trying to express. Do not try to change something merely based off of "feelz."

FPH, and others like it, exist(ed) because it mocks a certain segment of society that do nothing to change themselves, but instead expect others to change to suit them (which in turn drags everyone else down whether is be financially, morally, or personally). Its part of the PC culture that has promulgated throughout society to the extent that if you express criticism, no matter the degree, you are immediately labeled yourself (bigot, shamer, homophobe, etc). "Normal" has become the new deviant and it is just the way that the world is heading.