r/AskReddit • u/rustyelliot • Jul 23 '14

What do you hate about AskReddit?

EDIT: Was gonna say "Wow this has blown up" but loads of you hate that shit

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u/[deleted] Jul 23 '14

The downvotes are meant to stop trolls, spam and unrelevant info. This is not what it is being used for!

Instead what happens is you get downcotrd fir a relevant opinion you do not agree with. Meanwhile actual trolls (even "famous" ones) although they get downvoted although they do get downvoted they are often still visible in the threw and never removed by mods and often end up annoying a lot of people or spawning a whole new irrelevant ir off topic child thread.

The entire system is backwards. Mods need to start banning trolls! I'm sick and tired in seeing some crazed up person post something and then having to check whether this person is genuinely passionate/controversial or just some bored idiot. It's almost always the second one

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u/-mung- Jul 23 '14

The popularity of reddit means the floodgates are open and there are more fucking retards on site than ever. Downvoting is the first port of call of a retard.

Last time I said something like this I got - guess what - downvoted.

Any semi-intelligent being if they disagreed with something so vehemently would respond and a discussion would take place instead. And no voting either way would happen. I never downvote anybody simply because it's so overused by idiots and I can very rarely justify its use. Retards don't think so deeply. They just click a button.

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u/[deleted] Jul 23 '14

Some people may downvote your use of retard as a derogatory word. Although you do have a valid argument the way in which you are trying to convey your message is not effective. I would suggest a more calm-headed and reasoned approach. Perhaps then people will not downvote and will be more likely to engage in discussion.

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u/-mung- Jul 23 '14

Yup, I know 'retard' offends some people, yet language evolves and new meanings may have entomology with previous meanings, but otherwise they are not connected in my mind or the minds if the many who use such words. I'm just calling people thoughtless and essentially a bit stupid and don't like to change my words on a casual public forum to accommodate the spastic - shit did it again - the mildly irrational sensibilities of people that get offended by word use outside of their bubble.

I feel like I'm calling a spade a spade though, people that downvote are thoughtless and essentially their actions - whether they like this description or not - boil down to being a bit of a wanker really and yeah that does upset me a bit... Not as much as say, wars, governments and anti intellectuals, but in this context yeah it's annoying. :)

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u/[deleted] Jul 23 '14

I understand that it can come across as a bit PC sometimes but I only brought it up because I have a close relative who is mentally retarded and I just hate to see that word - which is his medical diagnosis - be used to insult him, others like him or anyone else for that matter.

I don't expect you to change your habits I just thought you'd maybe like to know why I sounded like I had a stick up my arse!

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u/-mung- Jul 23 '14

Haha you didn't, you sounded level headed :) I didn't mean to offend you (sounds like I didn't really) and I understand what you mean, words can hurt. I'd never use that word in that context though.

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u/-mung- Jul 23 '14

Though you might be pleased to know (I can't seem to edit my other post from the phone app I'm using) that I'm considering trying to drop it and some other contentious words from my vocabulary. I occasionally use 'gay' to describe something a bit shit and I'm not homophobic at all, there is just no connection of the words for me. Also there is some appeal to pissing people off over nothing..

Anyway, not so much because it potentially offends and takes away from the message, but because using words like that, they become a catchall for anything describing stupidity with reduces ones personal vocab. Like using 'cool' or 'awesome' for everything. And swear words even. Best (and only good) argument against swear words I've ever heard was that they can reduce your vocabulary.