Voat

Reddit ain't what it used to be.

I have been a redditor for five years, and it is with a heavy heart that I leave Reddit and move on. Like Digg before it, Reddit is a popular link aggregator that really allows one to truly appreciate the internet. I am able to get better insight with current events, and the subreddits enhance my viewing of my favorite television shows, movies, and other interests. More than a website I also participated in the Secret Santa and donated to their philanthropic causes.

Those were the reasons why I loved Reddit. While I certainly didn't have a problem with the website cracking down on illegal activities (child porn, terrorism, etc), it's become clear that they are now cracking down on free speech as a result of their advertisers. The downvoting from other users for merely expressing an opinion was certainly frustrating, but in an effort to stop spammers, popular subreddits won't allow users to post if they have a low or negative vote count. The voting system used to work by simply promoting the highest rated comments and posts to the top, and now it is impossible for me to post in certain subreddits merely for expressing a belief in God or daring to ask a question and having those downvoted into oblivion. Aside from the users, now the owners are trying to ban "offensive" content. The problem with trying to ban "offensive" content is that "offensive" is a really hard word to define. What offends me is probably different from what offends you. With the election coming up, I foresee this as being a tool to silence conservatives.

These problems have been going on for a while, but I didn't want to give up Reddit so quickly because it was still a very valuable website in obtaining news and information. I've tried several clones, and I think I finally found one that is actually pretty good. Voat is basically a Reddit clone, but -at least for now- it is no where near the behemoth that Reddit is. On the plus side, there is no active efforts of censorship. On the negative side, the content just isn't as plentiful. I still find myself visiting subreddits for some of my favorite TV shows. Hopefully, that will change as time goes on because the site is still fairly young.

The reason why I am switching to Voat is because I feel that free speech and an open exchange of ideas is what makes us better as a society and -for me- helps me learn so much more. I don't really have many friends that I talk philosophy, current events, or politics with, and to some chagrin, they actively shun these discussions. Fortunately, on the forums of these sites, I am able to converse with people from a multitude of different backgrounds each with a unique view on a topic. These debates allow me to escape certain logic traps that ensnared me and help me learn more about everything. Even though I don't necessarily like it, offensive speech is important (especially if it has a point) because we have to be able to confront ugly ideas and either explain why they are bad or concede that maybe there's a greater nuance. Silencing such speech only makes society dumber and emboldens those with bad ideas because no one tells them why they are wrong.