I moved to Voat because of the censorship and full-blown SJW ideology on Reddit.
When I first started, it was amazing.
Now everytime I post I am downvoted like crazy. As we all know, I don't care about the downvotes, but rather, the racism and other views that seem to dominate every sub now.
To be clear, I am all about free speech. I support the right to write racist (or whatever) comments.
However, what scares me is how the majority of Voat seems to now agree with some of these views. It is very suspicious and it was not this way before.
To me, it was done on purpose. Reddit is full swing SJW. Voat started out moderate, but now it is just another extreme.
Think about news. It's either extremely conservative or extremely liberal. It's as if 'they' don't want you to have any moderate news source. Why?
It keeps people divided. It keeps things emotionally motivated. And it gives you a false sense of what's really going on.
So, in this Internet culture, you can now be offended by everything, or on the other side of things, you can blame everything on minorities.
In reality, it's all much more complex than that.
The conspiracy is that Reddit (or whoever controls things) let Voat prosper as long as extremist views were promoted. Moderate news will make people think and care about each other. We have to keep hating each other!!
I hope I'm making sense. I'm venting because voat was my last hope. If you don't believe me, check my post history.
I now believe that free speech is really gone. Sure, say what you want, but every online tactic has been made to silence you.
So here I am. Back on the conspiracy part of Voat, just like I was with Reddit when it all began.
Edit: there is still good on Voat, but I have a prediction that will continue to fade. And I don't think it's just a matter of it getting bigger
Edit 2: I honestly learned a lot from this discussion. I am glad most were respectful and I definitely am thinking a lot.
I realize that I do have a lot of up votes in my post history, but I spent nearly on this summer on Voat. I noticed the shift recently and have not commented as much and have deleted stuff. So sorry if that is misleading
A lot of people tell me I must be the change. Agreed.
A lot of people said they felt similarly. That's nice to know I'm not alone.
Thanks for letting me have a voice.
As 017c explains, "It feels a bit too sudden and too organized.
The amount of UK slang and the fact that every website links to UK nationalist party also makes me a bit suspicious. The again next general election is years out. Maybe a organized push of right with groups in Europe in general? Or a false flag operation?
It just feels all too sudden and too organized to be just people switching from Reddit to Voat."
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rsa ago
You mention a few different things you see here that you don't like. Let me try and help analyze.
Downvotes: Though you don't care, you brought it up. My observation: the majority opinion is that downvoting is mean, and should be reserved for spam. I personally disagree, that it hides non-interesting content, which is what I browse for- not to give everyone an equal voice, no matter how little I want to read it. I do get the impression that voaters will up/downvote if the opinion of the post conveys an agreeable/disagreeable opinion without regard to its merits, but that will always happen a little.
Racism: It's mostly limited to certain subverses. But yes, it is here. I don't personally feel it's necessary to change how it is.
Other views: Of course a site like this has a hivemind. Just like reddit.
News: You beg the question. Politics should go to v/politics! Not being moderate seems to me testament that sensationalism is still what draws a click for a vote. Trouble here is, if the mods were to try wrangling down bad content it would be "censorship."
They: You mean vote manipulation? Users on reddit posted video of their new comments being downvoted by bots within seconds of posting. I went into your comment history, and I see no reason to believe that you are being persecuted. Don't take it personally.
Your comment history: The vast majority of your posts have 0 downvotes.
Here are links to every post of yours that has less than 0 votes from the past month/10 pages of your comments, with my editorialism. complaining complaining insulting complaining complaining single-downvote single-downvote single-downvote/should've-upvoted-not-commented
You did make other comments that had more than five downvotes with net positive upvotes. I would have to agree that your comments were controversial at best; that the votes reflected that accurately.
The "single-downvote" comments you made were in a thread similar to this, where someone else was asking for an example of the complaint you made about voat. You started a self post, but had no examples to give.
As I read through your posts and comments, I realize you are making up controversy and being divisive yourself. It is complaining, plain and simple. Be the change you want to see by voting up/down and...
PLEASE, be skeptical and use concrete examples in any argument you have. Even if it is on v/conspiracy :)
polkadotgirl ago
I don't think I should have added the downvote thing because people are too focused on that.
I really am not even concerned if I do get downvoted.
Also I delete a lot of stuff I post eventually.
I wanted to create more of a discussion and I think I succeeded. Plus I posted to hear alternative viewpoints.
It worked.
rsa ago
I am concerned because posts like this are practically by definition shitposts. Complaining about shitposting is still shitposting.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
polkadotgirl ago
I guess a discussion piece is a shitpost. Sorry.
rsa ago
Can you say that anything concretely constructive is coming about through this thread?
I see a lot of discussion with no recommendations for solution. Even the problem is not concretely laid out by any poster.
I hope to add to the conversation, by repeating that voting is one tool of change, another is posting quality content. I argue that you should see this thread as a distraction from making the site a bastion of interesting and educational content.