This is a FAQ for the uninitiated. Direct anyone with questions here, and feel free to add any thoughts you may have.

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Q: What is SRS?

A: In short, a circlejerk. A lot of people get really, really sick of the bigoted shit upvoted on this site and our community functions as a break room for them to laugh, vent and commiserate without being dismissed, silenced through downvotes or needing to explain why the comments suck over and over. This is why the mods are quick to ban and why the rules to keep it a circlejerk are so stringent. It may come off as asshole-ish, but part of the appeal of the sub is that for once we're the majority. It's our space and we don't have to make room for people who don't "get it".

More to the point, SRS is a place for those who already know why certian kinds of comments are considered harmful; not for those who wish to find out why.

Q: Why mock people?

A: Take a second to think about how unwelcoming this site is for some groups. SRS lets those groups know that there is a faction of vocal dissenters and they aren't alone. Most of the commenters who post disparaging remarks about a race/gender/sexual orientation take for granted they'll rarely, if ever, have to face similar remarks about their own race/gender/orientation; all the while refusing to empathize with the subject of their scorn. These people are usually the ones that get up in arms when the tables are turned and they are suddenly faced with the uncomfortable reality of having become an object of scorn and ridicule themselves. It's hilarious. It can also, on occasion, cause people to question their own behavior.

Q: How is cutting off rational discourse going to make a difference? If you want to change reddit, shouldn't you explain why something is wrong?

A: We are not here to "change reddit." We don't expect reddit to change. We know most redditors don't really give a shit. They aren't interested in listening and most don't want to sacrifice the upvotes they'll get for a rape joke, even at the expense of triggering a rape victim. Having said that, a large portion of our users have absolutely taken shitposters to task through sincere debate in the past, and many still do. But realize that it is a tiresome, fruitless experience 98% of the time and we have found fighting fire with fire to be substantially more gratifying.

Users who still have the patience to engage with nuggets straddling the line between decent human and steaming pile are directed to /r/SRSQuestions or /r/SocialJustice101. However, SRS prime is a circlejerk and nothing more.

Q: Okay, but you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. More people would be on your side if you weren't so aggressive.

A: This is called a tone argument and has been used to silence and dismiss marginalized groups for a long time. At the end of the day, these groups are allowed to express their feelings in what ever ways they see fit (so long as they don't break any laws). Telling a minority to "be less angry" about their status and treatment in order to make the majority more comfortable is, frankly, bullshit. Especially when those making the tone argument are the ones least affected.

Q: Aren't you a downvote brigade?

A: No. The accusation itself makes it easy for our detractors to garner support, though, so don't expect to stop hearing it anytime soon.

We do our best to make it clear that SRS's goal is to highlight terrible upvoted posts; not to downvote them as some sort of punishment. Being a downvote brigade would ruin the fun and ultimately lead to the demise of the subreddit. In every conceivable way, it's in our best interest to leave posts upvoted. Linking to a post with little or negative karma would be a pretty terrible way of showcasing the shit reddit says.

Q: What's up with those reply bots I see that respond to comments featured on SRS?

A: Those bots do not belong to SRS. They were created by angry redditors in what we can only guess is an attempt at revenge for being featured. They bring a noteworthy portion of new subscribers to SRS, though, so we love them and their creators. Thanks, friends! ♥

Q: It seems like posts are cherry picked and then held up to be representative of reddit as a whole. Isn't that unfair?

A: If reddit can boast that certain acts of philanthropy are representative of all reddit (when obviously not all redditors were involved in donation drives, for example), there is no reason reddit should not also be held accountable for fostering an environment that encourages bigoted comments. Redditors may not like being called out on it, but those views are equally representative of the user-base. They can't have it both ways.

Q: Doesn't all the hate towards white, straight men make SRS just as bigoted?

A: No. We punch up, not down.

9 times out of 10 when someone calls out a shitposter for their sexist/racist/phobic joke or comment, they are drowned out and downvoted by the hivemind. But SRS is like a bizarro reddit where the tables are turned and your typical redditor is in the minority. If someone comes in to shame one of us for cracking jokes at the expense of young, white, middle class, cis, able-bodied, straight men that comprise most of reddit's user-base, they can expect the same behavior from us.

Turning the tables like this and watching reddit's reaction to us has been telling. It's important to understand that what we do here is satirical. We ridicule thoughtless, abusive and dehumanizing mindsets by reversing the position of privilege and parroting the standard defenses contrived to excuse them. Shitlords who have never dealt with prejudice -- and willfully ignore the views of those who have -- use justifications (Free speech impediment!/Just a joke!/White male discrimination!) that de-center and dismiss a complaint without ever having to acknowledge it.

When you get down to it, what some of these people really don't like about SRS is that it holds a mirror up to the inherent advantages that come with being in any majority. As a community, we're able to point out the hypocrisy of reddit's majority by assuming the role of a majority ourselves. The difference is that our "hypocrisy" is intentional. The people we're mocking are supposed to feel uncomfortable. It's our way of letting them know how we experience reddit on a daily basis.

Incidentally, you might also be interested to know that our subscribers are primarily young, white men themselves.

Q: Do you seriously think that white men enjoy special privilege on reddit?

A: Yes

Q: Ok I think I get it, and I agree with almost everything SRS says, but when I asked why a post was considered offensive I was berated and banned. Why?

A: Once more for those in back: SRS is not for questions or discussion. In order to keep the sub from being overrun by concern trolls and shitposters, we have to be quick on the ban trigger. We've seen what happens to other psuedo-safe spaces that lacked vigilant moderation, so we have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to rule breaking. If you felt you were banned unfairly, message the mods. We cant guarantee you'll be unbanned, but we're usually willing to look into it.

To avoid being banned, don't step out of circlejerk formation. If you don't understand why a comment was submitted, don't defend the comment, just move on. Misguided attempts at "satire" that reproduce bigotry, attempting to derail threads, and posting personal information, are all easy ways to incur the wrath of the Archangelles.

Be good, stroke in time and you'll do well.

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CLITIONARY:

• Concern Troll - one who disrupts or derails the circlejerk with feigned or misguided concerns about the action of the circlejerk

• Cisgender, Cis - individuals who have a match between the gender they were assigned at birth and their sexual identity, complementing "transgender"

• Mansplaining - condescending, inaccurate explanations on women's issues from the perspective of a man; delivered with misplaced confidence because he, as the man (member of the privileged group), knows best (See also, whitesplaining, cissplaining etc)

• Neckbeard - eh, it's complicated

• PUA Lingo - Check littletiger's handy PUA-to-English Acronym Translation for the PUA community's cheat codes

• SAWCSM - Straight, Able-bodied, White, Cis, Male

• Shitposter - person with privilege who dismisses those without privilege, synonymous with "redditor" and "jorticulturalist"

• Spermjacking - the oft occurring act of women impregnating themselves with sperm stolen from a man's used condom; this always results in 18 years of child support

• Trigger - A trauma trigger is an experience that triggers a traumatic memory in someone who has experienced trauma, though the trigger itself need not be frightening or traumatic.

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New: A_Gay_Laser's take on SRS