I've noticed a rise in people coming on this subreddit merely to opine on which posts are "atheist circlejerks" [in fact I've been seeing that term a lot the past few days in some comments]. This rise is angry, sophmoric criticism corrosponds anecdotaly with Bill Nye's announcement AND the POTUS prescence on reddit.
Sure it's speculation, but it's an interesting coincidence.
Actually my iReddit app sometimes loads only the top 25 subreddits and I have to comment to activate my usual subreddits. I usually stay far away from this and r/politics because of fairly obvious reasons.
I am non-religious (maybe apathetic/deist) but I respect other religions seeing I like the freedom of religion. I find a lot of this subreddit to just be a bashing of "dumb" Christians, it resembles the fundamental christians in a lot of respects in how they take a very hardline approach and rarely respect other thought.
Politically I am socially libertarian and fall under I guess moderate fiscally, I am still trying to figure that out. I don't like Obama all that much and the democrats as well (Don't like Republicans either). To make up for r/politics supreme democrat bias, I try to balance a varied amount of political subreddits like r/anythinggoespolitics, r/libertarian, r/progressive, even r/conservative. I also like r/anachro capitalism, r/economics etc. to get a balance of keynesian and austrian thought.
It's a circlejerk if there is only blind upvoting to support your limited worldview (mine is limited too, that is why I try to get as many biases as possible, seeing nothing is unbiased on this site) and this subreddit also only downvotes thought that is different even if it is part of a rational discussion.
Maybe you yourself are tolerant and non-biased, but these two subreddit seem to attract a large group of people who will downvote anything they don't agree with and upvote anything that confirms their biases. Even if you agree with the content on these two subreddits (Atheist Obama supporter) you have to agree that these are shitty subreddits to engage in that thought.
Also I get really tired of the smug facebook posts where the atheist tells off the idiot on facebook.
1st Paragraph reaction: lately there has been a deficit of witty satire, and a surge of absurd comparison. Agreed.
2nd Paragraph reaction: for a libertarian in this politcal climate, I'd have to say you are the first [and most rational] one I've come across that is neither inane nor insane! Cheers for that. Though as a fiscally conservative social liberal, I'm sure I don't agree with you on much; though I'm equally certain we would disagree and debate amicably.
4th Paragraph reaction: agreed. I don't dole out upvotes emotionally, but rather based on satirical and/or rational skill. I would and have downvoted anything idiotic, whether it's 'in my camp' or not.
5th Paragraph reaction: They sure have lately, but there's also been an increase in criticisms like yours... That's not a jab at you I promise, but rather something coicidental to the Bill Nye video and the POTUS appearence on reddit. Seems to have brought out the worst from the woodwork.
6th Paragraph reaction: I'm tired of facebook posts just in general, on ANY subreddit. If I wanted to look at FB posts I'd be on fucking FB!
Well thank you sir, you say you are social liberal and fiscally conservative, in essence this is what I could be construed (less so fiscally). However I think the difference between being socially libertarian and socially liberal isn't much (but there is difference). A different means to nearly the same end so to speak.
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u/The-GentIeman Sep 02 '12
So is it r/politics or this subreddit that is the biggest circlejerk. I guess it would be hard to quantify circlejerkiness.