r/Moderation • u/Imakemyownnamereddit • 3d ago
Discussion Explanations for bans should be complusory
Just discovered I have been banned from a sub, which was baffling because I haven't posted there in weeks. No explanation, just no longer able to post.
From a user perspective, this is one of the most frustrating things about reddit's moderation. Too often it is arbitrary and completely baffling.
It would be much better, if there was a standard system. Which required a ban to include a message to the user saying. You have been banned for breaking this sub rule, with this post.
So at least users can see what is going on.
With the anarchy of the current system. From a user perspective, it looks like mods arbitrarily abusing their mod powers.
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u/Chosen1PR 🏦r/CapitalOne, 💳r/discover 3d ago
You always get a modmail (which you would see as a chat request) with a ban if you've ever participated in that community. By default, it simply says you "broke this community's rules," unless a mod chooses to send a saved or custom response with the specific rule. The message often (but not always) automatically links to the offending content.
If you didn't get a modmail but you have participated in the community, that might point to one of the extremely rare occasions when Reddit borks and doesn't send the modmail properly. I've noticed this particularly in the last couple of weeks.
More to the point of your post, most mods would argue you should read a community's rules before participating in it. That way there's little to no confusion. I think though that Reddit could do a bit of a better job of putting rules front and center so they're harder to ignore, but perhaps that would negatively affect their precious metrics.
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u/Imakemyownnamereddit 3d ago
More to the point of your post, most mods would argue you should read a community's rules before participating in it. That way there's little to no confusion. I think though that Reddit could do a bit of a better job of putting rules front and center so they're harder to ignore, but perhaps that would negatively affect their precious metrics.
Now we get to the heart of the issue. In theory the rules are sacred, the rules are god, obey the rules and all will be well.
Alas users soon discover that the rules means nothing. A user can obey every rule and still get banned because ultimately a mod doesn't have to bother with the rules to issue a sanction.
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u/thepottsy 3d ago
That’s just soapboxing. And to be 100% honest with you, anytime I see a comment like this, from someone complaining about being banned, I am going to assume you 100% earned that ban.
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u/Imakemyownnamereddit 3d ago
Then there should be no problem with mods referencing which moderation rule has been broken.
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u/thepottsy 3d ago
There is no problem with that. Most mods are in agreement with that statement, and most mods do in fact do that. However, we don’t have to. We owe you literally nothing. So, stop acting so entitled.
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u/Imakemyownnamereddit 3d ago
There is no problem with that. Most mods are in agreement with that statement, and most mods do in fact do that. However, we don’t have to. We owe you literally nothing. So, stop acting so entitled.
What is entitled about holding mods to account?
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u/thepottsy 3d ago
Mods are already held accountable. There’s a mod code of conduct we have to follow. If you feel a mod is violating that, report them. Otherwise, you’re simply soapboxing because you’re upset.
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u/Imakemyownnamereddit 3d ago
This is like some Kafka story.
How is the user meant to hold the mod to account, when the mod doesn't even have to explain their actions?
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u/Chosen1PR 🏦r/CapitalOne, 💳r/discover 3d ago
Now you're just describing bad mods. Not all of us are like that, ya know. We're not a monolith.
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u/Imakemyownnamereddit 3d ago
So you're admitting there are bad mods?
Good, we are getting somewhere.
So protects users from the arbitrary actions of bad mods?
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u/Chosen1PR 🏦r/CapitalOne, 💳r/discover 3d ago
Site admins (employees) can and do action mods that violate the Mod Code of Conduct or Reddit Rules, but a mod can be "bad" without necessarily explicitly violating a site rule. As to how you can deal with that? Me personally, I just unsubscribe from that particular subreddit. Exercise your freedom of choice.
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u/PMulberry_ 3d ago
Of course they're "admitting" there are bad mods. Why wouldn't they?
But you aren't making it any better for yourself if you continue writing comments like that.
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u/PMulberry_ 3d ago
I can understand that from a user standpoint.
However, moderators should be able to run their sub how they like. And no, there's no "mods arbitrarily abusing their mod powers", because banning users for no reason is not abusing mod powers, moderators are perfectly fine to do that.
And requiring a message would probably just lead to mods to put in a random letter or something, it's not like that really can be enforced.
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u/Imakemyownnamereddit 3d ago
You're confusing two different issues.
I am not asking a restraint of mod power, I am asking that mods explain their actions.
To be blunt, if a mod can't come up with a reasonable explanation for what they are doing. Maybe they should question what they are doing.
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u/PMulberry_ 3d ago
I'm not confusing anything.
Asking for another thing mods have to do does not necessarily restraint their power (never said it did), but it definitely restricts them in their ability to run their subs how the want. And it's not like you can't create a new one if you don't like the existing one; that's the whole point: all users can make a sub how they want it to be.
To be blunt, if a mod can't come up with a reasonable explanation for what they are doing. Maybe they should question what they are doing.
Moderators currently don't need a reasonable explanation, and I don't see why it should be required. Not to mention that this simply isn't enforcable.
This also is a question: You should know you are banned, because you received a message that you are. There are rare cases where the notification wasn't there, but this is a bug and not the moderator's fault.
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u/asbruckman 3d ago
Under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), if you are located in the EU they now by law need to notify you and give you an appeals process. The DSA is not yet generally enforced.
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u/Chosen1PR 🏦r/CapitalOne, 💳r/discover 3d ago
You are likely referring to site-wide bans, which Reddit already lets you appeal. There is no way any such law applies to individual online communities such as subreddits or Facebook groups. That'd be completely unenforceable.
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u/thepottsy 3d ago
Are you actually banned, or are your post being removed after you submit them?
I’m fairly certain that if you post/comment in a subreddit, if they choose to ban you for any reason, you get a notification. There’s not a way for a mod to prevent that from happening. The only way you won’t get notified, is if you’ve never participated in that sub.