The certainty of the global warming crowd: Reddit bans everyone from expressing skepticism of global warming.
In a move that has been described by one British academic as โpositive censorshipโ, a Reddit moderator has announced that Reddit is becoming โincreasingly stringent with deniersโ. The Reddit moderator says climate โcontrariansโ were too often expressing โuninformed and outspoken opinionsโ, and so the site decided to adopt a much more โproactive moderationโ. Now, whenever a user makes a โpotentially controversial submissionโ on climate change, the moderators issue that user with a โwarningโ. If the user persists in posting โpotentially controversial submissionsโ, heโs โbanned from the forumโ.
The worst part of this is the reaction of Reddit’s moderators:
Redditโs moderators are really happy with the results of their war against the expressers of โoutspoken opinionsโ on climate change. They found that by โnegating the ability of this misguided group to post to the forumโ (a long-winded way of saying โbanning themโ), there has been a โchange in the culture within the commentsโ. โWhere once there were personal insults and bitter accusations, there is now discussion of the relevant aspects of [scientific] researchโ, we are told. In short, having expelled outspoken, controversial โdeniersโ from its forums, Reddit now finds that its discussions of climate change are more measured โ that is, on-message, conformist, uncontroversial.
How convenient. You don’t like the opinions of those who disagree with you, so you ban them. Sure solves the problem of winning debates, doesn’t it?
I wouldn’t object if the moderators just banned insulting and offensive comments. I do that here at Behind the Black. What they’ve apparently done instead is to ban all opposing opinions, which is far different.