When I began my usual routine of browsing Reddit yesterday, like many other users, I was bombarded with thread after thread on the front page about either overweight individuals or how Elle Pao, the CEO of Reddit, is a Nazi. Naturally curious to see what all the commotion was, I soon found out about the banning of certain subreddits and the uproar this caused, especially over at r/fatpeoplehate. Admittedly I have had the occasional chuckle when their posts make it to the front page and never thought it was too immoral, so I tried to get to the bottom of this. Surely the admins had good reason to ban these subreddits.

From what I read in the Blog Announcement, these subreddits were banned for a pattern of personal attacks and harassment which went unchecked and unmoderated for a long period of time. Content was not an issue in the decision for banning these subreddits. Let's get something straight. The fact that a subreddit exists to draw attention to obesity is not the issue here. These are real people whose photos were uploaded with the sole purpose of being humiliated and bullied. Attempts to get moderators to take down these pictures went ignored, probably because they make up the vast bulk of the subreddit content and generate hits.

Ironically, as an example of the Streisand effect, the exact behaviour the admins were trying to quash has exploded in the form of these ostentatiously provocative subreddits which can be seen all over the front page.

Which brings me to my point. Reddit has failed to show that what it has done is okay. Instead, irrationality and mob action have taken over leading to an almost absurd revolt against the leadership (which has in it's course broken one of the only FIVE Reddit rules: no posting personal information), because they had to take responsibility for the moderators who could not do their jobs and maintain a safe environment. Just like one user said, "We treat drug addicts like shit, yet treat the obese like they're victims". Why treat anybody like shit in the first place? These are people who clearly have a problem, do you think if we turned on drug addicts and told them they were worthless, stupid, lazy, that they would suddenly see the light? Of course not. These people need help, not humiliation.

I have no doubt that a /r/fatpeoplehate type subreddit will return in full bloom, but maybe this time we can manage it just a little bit more responsibly and remember that the things you post here have real impact on people's lives.