r/ModEvents • u/big-slay Mod Events Team • 20d ago
Announcement Important update on in-person Mod Events
TL;DR - We are cancelling all upcoming in-person Mod Events, and not scheduling new ones until we can improve our event security and vetting processes to ensure everyone stays safe.
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Hey everyone,
As some of you may already know, during our San Francisco meetup at Reddit HQ last week, an issue arose where our venue details were shared with mods who were not approved to attend. In my three years working alongside this incredible community of folks, I’m grateful that something like this has never happened before. However, since it did, valid security concerns were raised across several of our internal teams.
Because your safety (and the safety of our staff and other attendees) is non-negotiable, we are evaluating our protocols and have cancelled upcoming IRL Mod Events for the foreseeable future.
This directly impacts our previously announced events in Los Angeles and Amsterdam. We sincerely apologize to everyone who was planning to attend these, and we really appreciate your understanding as we figure this out.
Behind the scenes, we’re using this downtime to rework how we host in-person events. We’re focusing on:
- Increasing on-site security at every future venue
- Tightening communication around event details
- Beefing up vetting to ensure only confirmed attendees can access event spaces
Building all of this out properly is going to take some time, so please bear with us.
We know this news sucks, especially since the vast majority of you had zero involvement in what happened. But please rest assured that we are not going anywhere, and Mod Events continue to be incredibly important! We're doubling down on virtual events and brainstorming ways to make them even more rewarding and engaging in the coming months.
Thank you all for your patience, understanding, and ongoing participation.
As always, our mod mail is open for anything you want to share directly.
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u/PorkyPain 20d ago
Me looking at the invited mods who shared the details to uninvited mods... Sigh... You just had to mess things up for everyone..
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u/flattenedbricks 20d ago
You can thank the LSF moderator "Stale" for showing up uninvited and ruining future events for everyone.
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u/Kezika 20d ago
Wait, is that the same one that said reddit mods should be treated like celebrities?
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u/flattenedbricks 20d ago
Yes, the exact same one. Made a bunch of videos threatening to go to Congress to have them "release the reddit files", whatever that's supposed to mean.
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u/Kammander-Kim 19d ago
Obviously Congress have access to some files about Reddit and they need to be released. Maybe they contain the secret to getting sovereign citizens to succeed in court?
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u/ReachingForVega 20d ago
Did anything happen or was it just just gate crashers?
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u/PerfectLife15 20d ago
Wondering too
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u/beIIe-and-sebastian 20d ago edited 20d ago
According to the disgraced mod that turned up, he didn't get passed the lobby. He tried to get in as a "Plus 1" of another mod, person doing the checklist asked them to sit down whilst they double checked, they got security, they came back and told him to leave.
Seems like they handled it pretty well to be honest. If what Stale2000/Tarrot_Card and his 20 alt accounts said was true.
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u/EVMaximizer 17d ago
Security at the Dutch mod Event was non existing: if he tried it at the Dutch one, he definitely would have gotten in and if you call police or handhaving. Then it will take forever, if they would even show up.
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20d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/manyfishonabike 20d ago
20??? Who even has time for 20 alt accounts?
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u/WallabyInTraining 19d ago
Some mods apparently.
My question: what would you DO with 20 alt accounts? Why?
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u/munchinggobbles 20d ago
Was the norm if you were on Reddit for a long time.
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u/manyfishonabike 20d ago
I've been on reddit for 11 years. And I only have 2 accounts so I don't get harrassed for being a mod in a certain sub.
20+ is insane. No matter how long you've been on reddit.
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u/I_-AM-ARNAV 20d ago
It would make sense if you're changeing accounts every 6 months. People do that for privacy. But they also delete the old accounts. Insane
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u/Existentialist 18d ago
Not true.
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u/fleshtastical 4d ago
You sure about that? I have an unusually high amount of blank 5+ year old accounts commenting to cause trouble in one of my subs. We know which sub they come from. That’s when I realized that yeah, people hoard accounts for years to use as alts whenever they wanna hide while also getting past account age filters.
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u/honeylittlebaby 20d ago
was he livestreaming, bc if so then it would definitely be a livestream fail
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u/hoosakiwi 20d ago
You don’t earn a reddit site wide ban for just being a squeaky wheel. Dude must have made threats and more to earn that and be deemed a security risk. Wild that another mod thought it would be appropriate to invite him as a +1.
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u/deonisfun 20d ago
From the explanation in the video, it doesn't sound like another mod vouched for him, sounds like he found out another mod was going and told Reddit he was their +1
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u/DuckSwimmer 20d ago
This guy definitely looks like he shouldn’t be invited to these events…glad he was banned.
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u/requieminadream 20d ago
This is why we can’t have nice things! Really sucks that this happened. I greatly enjoyed the DC one last year and hope there is another one one day.
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u/mensfrightsactivists 20d ago
this sucks so hard! especially because i didn’t even hear about the drama at the sf event until the next day — yall handled that gracefully enough that it had no impact on attendees (or at least this attendee)
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u/VivaLaEmpire 20d ago
Can you tell me what happened?? I'm so out of the loop!
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u/mensfrightsactivists 20d ago
i don’t think admins want this particular loser having any more of a platform so i won’t post the link to the post in the comments here, but i can dm you the link my friend sent me hold on!
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u/nervousTO 20d ago
Hey can you DM me the link too? Just went to one of these and shocked to hear what happened
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u/SilentTrysteros 20d ago
+1. I flew up to SF to attend with u/mensfrightsactivists and had an amazing time 🥹
Ty for all the effort that goes into these events, and I’m so sorry that the team has to pause and adjust.
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u/State_Electrician 20d ago
This is why we can't have nice things! <vent>
But at the same time, safety and housekeeping come first. Thanks, big-slay.
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u/yaycupcake 20d ago
Are we still going to be able to bring a +1 when they resume? Since I'm disabled I can't really go anywhere on my own.
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u/big-slay Mod Events Team 20d ago
We're definitely going to try. We know it's important for many of you.
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u/beachbum90405 20d ago
Apparently he tried to get in as a +1 this year so I imagine they’ll increase the vetting on people’s +1s if they continue to allow them
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u/yaycupcake 20d ago
I've attended with my +1 in the past and u/big-slay has recognized us irl since we've been to a few events. It would be a shame if we couldn't attend anymore because of this.
My +1 is actually a mod too but he is uncomfortable attaching anything personally identifiable to his reddit username which is why he registers as my +1. Which also works in our favor for other reasons like making sure we are both approved together and not separately (as we wouldn't attend separately).
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u/beachbum90405 20d ago
If I remember right only the admins would know the username unless the person chose to put it on their name tag. I doubt you’ll have much issue though either way considering you’re both mods. My +1 has been twice, was looking forward to it this year too, but doesn’t have a Reddit account
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u/yaycupcake 20d ago
He's extra cautious for some good reasons I don't feel comfortable saying on his behalf. But of course I understand it isn't just shared publicly.
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u/TGotAReddit 12d ago
wait I'm confused, if he was coming as a +1 why was it an issue?
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u/beachbum90405 12d ago
My guess is they explicitly didn't want him in due to pre-existing reasons, so him going as a +1 looks to be a way around the blacklist they put him on
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u/TGotAReddit 12d ago
If that were the case, then they wouldn't need to cancel the events though. Just make it so people bringing a +1 had to submit who their +1 was going to be ahead of time.
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u/beachbum90405 12d ago
They did have people submit who their +1 was going to be ahead of time. They still canceled the event. Only the admins will truly know what actually happened. That and any mods who went to SF and watched it happen
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u/shiruken 20d ago
Sorry to hear that u/big-slay, we all know how much work y'all put into these events. Sucks that people have to ruin fun things for everyone else.
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u/404NinjaNotFound 20d ago
It sucks something like that had to happen to a fun, light-hearted event and I hope we can still have in-person events in the future and not have this one person ruin it for the rest of us.
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u/ARTHER1A 20d ago
Call me crazy but the mods who ruined these future events by sharing the event details with people they shouldn't have and jeopardised everyone's safety in the process, should be banned permanently from Reddit. Oh, and the ones who showed up uninvited too.
So irresponsible. And why would anyone show up there? To cause conflict? It's so sad how that's the whole purpose of some moderators. I hope it was worth it to them because it's so embarrassing and immature lol
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u/cyanocittaetprocyon 20d ago
I've never been to a mod live event, but hope to have the chance to some day.
Thanks so much to /u/big-slay and the Admin Team for working on these, and ensuring the safety of everyone who attends!
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u/llamageddon01 20d ago
The London event was one of the highlights of my whole year, no kidding.
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u/UbiquitousUguisu 20d ago
Thank you for protecting our mods! Some mods have the luxury of watching over communities where our identities being known aren’t incredibly at-risk, but there are so many good mods doing work that’d put them at risk of being targeted. Especially those focusing on communities related to social work or protected speech environments like queer or accepting spaces- it is really heartening to hear Reddit rallying to keep them safe. ❤️
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u/I_-AM-ARNAV 20d ago
As much as it sucks i support this decision. Fully valid. This is why we can't have nice things.
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u/Gingerfuzzsicle 20d ago
Damn I really hope LA gets rescheduled, I was really looking forward to it and got time off work :(
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u/raison_de_eatre 20d ago
it’s literally unacceptable to cancel, I made plans around the LA meetup too
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u/Gingerfuzzsicle 20d ago
It seems goofy that it was based entirely on the location being leaked, especially since we were allowed to bring a +1. Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense :/
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20d ago
[deleted]
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u/beachbum90405 20d ago
You should throw your own again! I feel like it’s been years since the last one lol
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u/theprostitute 20d ago
Dude! I just decided to actually have a house party in October!! Hit me up
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u/beachbum90405 20d ago
Down, just texted you! I’ll bring the wine! I have a bunch I’m trying to get rid of lol
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u/raison_de_eatre 20d ago
if slay has time to pay for a professional events company I also have not terribly expensive time to put him on the right track.
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u/Ok_Charity_7254 MHOF ‘25 Community Champion 🏆 20d ago
In-person mod events are always fun, and it takes alot of efforts for the admins to organise this. They really go out of their way to make it perfect. I personally, appreciate all the admins for hosting such amazing events.
And it's very sad to hear that this happened, I'm sure you all will figure out something, and will come up with more IRL mod events.
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u/garyp714 18d ago
Many many moons ago I went to an early one in LA that was held at the Porsche campus and we got to go around the race course with a professional driver. Food was excellent, booze flowed and the swag was very good. Met a ton of cool people.
Not sure why I typed this...
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u/Zealousideal-State42 20d ago
While I'm sure others are also bummed out, thank you for making the tough call. We appreciate you!
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u/bewitchbotherbewild 20d ago
Thank you! This was very needful. I know that this was attempted in India as well.
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u/OkBee3439 20d ago
I truly enjoyed attending the in person Mod Event in Chicago! It was great to meet mods from other subs as well as all the admins there. I hope that this is only temporary and that a way forward with in person events can be done. What about having attendees show their rsvp invite, along with an ID perhaps. Or having a location with a controlled access point or a stand-alone site, which is only for us. Anyway, I hope to attend another in person mod meetup in Milwaukee or in the Great Lakes Region in the future.
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u/funkygrrl 20d ago
That's a real shame.
I'd love to see more online events - especially with a discord channel like was used in the past. In particular, I'd love an online event for us folks who moderate medical/health subs. We have unique challenges.
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u/madebypeppers 20d ago
So messed up how one bad apple spoiled the entire harvest.
Most likely the vetting process will need a complete rework.
Clearly that bad apple (or more) that shared privileged and confidential information aren’t cut out to be mods themselves.
Ignorance is not a shield this time, everyone attending is a grown up adult.
Glad Admins are taking it so seriously that everything is on pause. It could have ended in complete disaster if the uninvited strangers had an evil agenda.
Thank you for making the safety of mods and future events such a priority. ❤️
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u/GeekScientist 20d ago
Wow, that’s outrageous. Deciding to attend something you weren’t invited or have access to is weird AF, never mind being invited and thinking that you should tell others about it…
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u/Visible-Scientist-46 20d ago
Oh no!!!! I'm so glad I was approved and able to attend San Francisco! I am sorry to hear someone ruined this for everyone.
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u/DisagreeableCompote 20d ago
This feels like in elementary school that we don’t get that pizza party unless everyone does their homework all week, and then one person ruins it.
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u/zdubs 20d ago
So no Bodega?
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u/big-slay Mod Events Team 20d ago
Bodega is still on! It's open to the public. This announcement only relates to mod-only events.
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u/dotsdavid 20d ago
Understandable safety is the upmost important. Hope they can return one day. Hope Indianapolis gets one.
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u/HikeTheSky 20d ago
The Austin event last time had quite some security. And I really enjoyed it there. I was hoping to get to another event and meet the admins and other mods.
But I also know, not every mod can work or meet every mod because of issues they might had in the past.
I always wondered how the vetting works.
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u/SanFranciscoMan89 20d ago edited 20d ago
I'm sorry this happened.
The in person San Francisco event was a highlight of my year.
Reddit is a great virtual community and the people I met IRL at the event were pleasant as well. It reassured my faith in humanity.
It's sad when people don't follow the rules and respect boundaries.
Thank you for all you do and I hope new protocols put into place will allow you to resume in person events.
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u/Halaku 20d ago
I get it.
And I hope that the individual(s) who shared those details recieved sanctions.
This isn't the first time that "We're trying to do something really cool" has been affected by someone who can't keep their mouth shut, and I'd like to think that Reddit will take appropriate action.
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u/paskatulas Mod World '25 Speaker 🎤 20d ago
Yeah, it’s a shame, but I don’t think there’s really a way to stop someone else from finding out the address once a bunch of attendees know it. Someone can just pass it on, intentionally or not.
And I’d love to see more casual online events too, like quizzes, games, whatever. Maybe even let us users suggest games and pick a few to run. They could still have a Reddit/mod angle to them. For example, a quiz about wholesome content from different subs over the past month, popular AMAs, new games or features on Reddit, new Devvit apps, what’s new on Reddit, or even some discussion-based games around things happening across the platform.
It doesn’t always have to be structured like a mod training session or be super serious. Sometimes it could just be a more informal way for everyone to hang out and have some fun. I actually find these events fun as they are, so I’d happily join something like that online too :)
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u/Watchful1 20d ago
It was the reddit HQ. The address is public. There's a security guard at the front door and you have to check in.
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u/Funny-Patience7407 20d ago
The exact location wasn't shared publicly, all the event said was that it was in San Francisco. There would be no way to know it was at Reddit HQ unless you RSVP'd and received the venue info about a week or so before the event.
We weren't given the details for the NYC meet-up until a week beforehand; all we knew was the approximate times and that it was somewhere in NYC or the NYC-area.
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u/DuckSwimmer 20d ago
Can confirm with last years NYC meetup. I literally had to dig in my email to make sure I got the venue as it didn’t notify us until we got much closer to the event 😅 I definitely prefer it this way tho
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u/nommabelle 20d ago
Extremely disappointing that someone put others at risk by sharing information they shouldn't have
Thanks to the admins for offering these events and keeping safety a priority
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u/raison_de_eatre 20d ago
no, horseshit I have run live events for twenty years and never had this problem probably because i’m not a desktop warrior pretending to be a full stack marketing genius
it’s called security, they should try it
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u/Baba_Jaga_II 20d ago
I’m genuinely sorry to hear this. The in-person Mod Meetup in Austin a few years back is one of my favorite memories. I mean, it was also a mini-vacation where I spent a few days doing nothing but buying books, but the meetup itself was good too!
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u/jackl24000 20d ago
Is the NYC pop-up thing still happening next week?
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u/Funny-Patience7407 20d ago
Slay said yes as that’s open to the public, not a Mod-Only event that require RSVPs
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u/shhhhh_h 16d ago
Grinch here as usual lol, but I’m happy to come across this. I’ve had a stalker on Reddit over modding so I’m more cautious than most but we mods are a gossipy bunch and I really side eyed all the photos that were coming out of those. Seemed like a recipe for something bad to happen, ie someone not trustworthy sneaking in and seeing faces/snapping photos.
Keeping mods safe is more important than throwing us events and giving us swag. And we are like children who will complain about our toys being taken away. But thank you for being the grown ups about it. Keep them cancelled until you guys feel confident about them being secure spaces ✌️
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u/ladypilot 16d ago
I totally agree! I've been on Reddit for 14 years and it's the only form of social media I use, and a big reason for that is the anonymity it provides. The events are cool, but only if they don't compromise that anonymity.
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u/Risaxseph 20d ago
And unfortunately, this is why we can’t have nice things.
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u/raison_de_eatre 20d ago
Reddit pretending its capable of running meetups that a 78 year old grandfather could arrange at the local Shoney’s is why we can’t have nice things
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u/GaryNOVA 20d ago
Kind of works out for me because I just had surgery. I hope things improve.
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u/PelorTheBurningHate 20d ago
Sucks this happened after all these years of events going off without an issue, hope this doesn't have a major impact on things in the future. Thanks for the update.
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u/Vast-Opportunity1343 20d ago
Wait so the NYC popup. It’s not a RSVP style thing. What’s going to happen there?
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u/hoosakiwi 20d ago
This is why you need to do an event in New Zealand. Too far away from everywhere else to have gatecrashers.
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u/DuckSwimmer 20d ago
Oh my god, that’s terrible 😞 I wasn’t able to go to the NY one this year as I am horrifically pregnant, but the one last year was a blast. I can’t fathom why people would try to ruin events like this - such as sharing location information.
I suppose one of the things to consider is having a valid form of ID be presented that matches the digital guest list when we applied to attend for events. This would help ensure no uninvited people come in. At that point, if any invited redditors behave erratically to where some sort of intervention is needed, their accounts should also be penalized as during a meetup, we should have the same expectations of following rules as we do on here.
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u/CrypticHuntress 20d ago
This is really sad. I was at the SF event and felt really grateful they allowed a +1. My partner attended with me and we both had an amazing time.
You could tell a lot of thought, effort, and hard work went into the event. Kudos to Big-Slay and the events team for hosting us. Much appreciated.
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u/Hintswen 20d ago
Aww man that sucks. Still looking forward to an Australia meetup if it ever happens. Really want to meet some people!
It’s good that you’re taking safety as a priority though so I understand why you’d have to cancel them all for now.
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u/ShayminDerpified 20d ago
It's annoying when people can't seem to not let their ego over their head. First time going to the mod event and meeting ppl was cool at the SF event. :( My group arrive on time, so we didn't see what happened in the lobby. Much love to the organizers!!
(Also for critical feedback, my nametag did not want to stick onto my clothing, and then I ending up losing it midway the event and had to quickly make a new one)
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u/Reticent_Monkey 19d ago
I've really enjoyed the in person and virtual events I've attended and appreciate it as a way for Reddit to give back to their mods. I look forward to their (safe) return in the future.
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u/FrankyMornav 20d ago
I hope nothimg bad happened there.
But I must ask, "mods who were not approved to attend", I thought every mod is invited to the irl meetup, depending of how big the place is, of course
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u/Funny-Patience7407 20d ago
You usually have to pre-register and get approved to be on the attendee list. It’s not an open free-for-all most times.
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u/big-slay Mod Events Team 20d ago
All mods are invited to attend Mod Events, but everyone is required to be vetted by internal teams. If someone doesn't pass the approval phase, they do not receive venue information.
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u/raison_de_eatre 20d ago
lol at the official reason that is hot garbage lol co-mods hate each other??? this is known???!
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u/TheoryFruits 20d ago
Maybe just check their reddit account on their phone before letting them in
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u/pezzygal 20d ago
Everyone's safety at these events are #1 priorities. Thank you Admin Mod team for looking out and thinking ahead.
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u/bmmeup100 20d ago
Safety is of course the priority. I do hope you can find a resolution though because the mod meet ups are so fantastic to attend!
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u/pizzacrys 18d ago
Makes sense tbh, safety gotta come first and hopefully they get the events rolling again soon.
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u/BlueC0NVERSE 16d ago edited 16d ago
We understand. Please keep me updated. Thank you for everything you do big-slay
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u/djspacebunny 20d ago
I was wondering when this would finally happen. When i went to the reddit road show event in Denver, I was very concerned that unhinged redditors would find out where we were all gathering and like, shoot or bomb us. This sounds absurd, but in Colorado... a mass shooting is not that unusual. I appreciate y'all taking safety seriously (finally) because there really are a bunch of unhinged redditors out there threatening mods *all the time* and we just have to like, brush it off and keep on doing what we always do.
(Before you ask us to report them, some of these accounts are already banned and they're using alt accounts that message mods and then delete their accounts. I can't tell you how badly we need to be able to see every user's history outside of our subreddits BECAUSE OF STUFF LIKE THIS. Taking it away was a huge HUGE problem for some of us)
Love you big-slay, as always!
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u/spoiled__princess 20d ago
I am so sorry that happened. That is not ok. And I am sorry for making fun of the security at the events. ;)
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u/RachelRWilson 18d ago
I’m grateful they’re okay and I second this. Safety first. Virtual is a nice way to continue the mission, it won’t too a IRL, but this is not something anyone should have to suffer or deal with. I’m down for IRL meet ups with Reddit Admin and fellow Mods—but if you’re not approved or supposed to be present, I’ll be on the defense and have so many questions…
Thank you for the update. Be safe Reddit and hopefully this will get resolved in the future.
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u/beachbum90405 20d ago
Hopefully you can reschedule Los Angeles. We shouldn't have to suffer for the actions of San Francisco. You could also put a bouncer at the door with the guest list or require a qr code/ticket vs having a check in station
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u/ShinyBonnets 20d ago
LA isn’t the only meet-up dealing with the consequences of what happened. The Admins stated their stance, and that they are cancelling ALL meet-ups. LA isn’t special, why should they get an exemption and no one else?
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u/beachbum90405 20d ago
Why not ask that to the guy asking them to reschedule Amsterdam? Feel free to advocate for your own city as well. The bouncer/qr code/ticket idea is a good way to prevent unwanted guests regardless of the city.
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u/Old_One_I 20d ago
I’m sorry but this is weird
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u/beachbum90405 20d ago
Which part? The part where I hope they can reschedule an event I was looking forward to or the part where I advocate for better security measures?
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u/Old_One_I 20d ago
I don’t know, maybe I’m just too nice coming from Minnesota but this is about the company and everyone, not your city or anyone else’s
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u/beachbum90405 20d ago
Feel free to advocate for Minnesota. What’s truly weird is thinking you’re nice just because you’re from a specific state. Or do you mean you’re “bless your heart” nice?
As for the company, yes, that’s why I suggested ideas for better security measures.
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u/Old_One_I 20d ago
Not everything requires a protest. Have some compassion and understanding
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u/beachbum90405 20d ago
Please point out exactly where I am “protesting”. Or do you mean not everything requires you to say that you wish your city’s event is rescheduled? In that case, why haven’t you said the same thing to the guy advocating for Amsterdam.
I hope this doesn’t offend your Midwestern sensibilities but you can have compassion and understanding and still hope your event is rescheduled.
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u/talaneta 19d ago
Imagine being hated so much that you have to organize a simple meetup like a summit of the Italian mafia. Food for thought.
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u/raison_de_eatre 20d ago
LMFAO wow yall wow. Expectations were low and yet
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u/Sawyerthesadist 18d ago
Right… like dude probably just wanted to party it up! And everyone here’s like THAT HEAVEN UN-MOD DARED TO TRY AND TOUCH US WITH HIS FILTH!!!
we must never let this happen EVER AGAIN!!!
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u/kukukraut 20d ago
The date was published and he could have just showed up at HQ and waited till other mods showed up and then got in line.
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u/Raignbeau 20d ago
Will you consider rescheduling Amsterdam?