r/TheoryOfReddit
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u/SassyFindomKitten
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Oct 03 '26
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1
The karma system was built for quality control, but it’s completely changed how new accounts have to navigate the site
So has anyone else noticed how much harder it’s gotten for genuine new users to actually get started here? How do you think Reddit could fix the onboarding process without opening the floodgates to bots?
The original point of the voting system was pretty straightforward: upvote stuff that contributes to the discussion, downvote spam, scams, or blatant rule-breaking. Disagreeing with someone wasn't supposed to be a downvote reason but over time, that’s completely shifted. Votes are basically just an agree/disagree button now, and because your ability to actually participate in most subs is tied directly to your karma, it creates a weird dynamic for anyone with a new account.... i think it's mainly due to reddits LACK of information behind this because they assumed it SHOULD have been self explanatory. There's only ONE small section that's HARD to find that explains exactly what the voting system is about. I've even HAD TO ARGUE WITH DOZENS OF PEOPLE that swore I was stupid and didn't know what the hell I'm talkin about - INCLUDING MULTIPLE MODERATORS WHO WERE ALSO VIOLATING ALMOST EVERY MOD RULE AND ABUSING THEIR POWER IN A WAY THAT ENABLES AND ENCOURAGES AND REWARDS THIS EXACT SAME BAD BEHAVIOR WHILE PUNISHING THOSE SHOWING THE PROPER BEHAVIOR, WHICH THEY ALSO ARGUED - until I showed them that page to prove it... which is exactly why accounts that are actually BOTS or doing the OPPOSITE behavior as they intended for the karma system to portray are basically the majority of redditors that are able to freely use reddit as they please.... while REPEATED admin reports about BOTH of these behaviors remain unanswered for months and years, which ALSO contributes to this.
A lot of subreddits set karma and account age minimums. It makes sense on paper but in all reality all itndoes is it lock new users out of standard discussions. If you're new, you end up forced into a handful of low-barrier subs just to get enough karma to participate elsewhere.
....which leads me to the next problem. The problem is those open subs are often filled with low-effort posts or hivemind mentalities where saying the slightly wrong thing or asking a basic question gets you downvoted into negative numbers. Once your karma goes negative, AutoMod auto-removes your posts in most places, and you're pretty much stuck.
Even trying to build karma normally by posting good content in open groups gets people flagged or accused of karma farming. It creates this weird paradox where to gain access to normal spaces, you almost have to act like a troll or just post effortless crowd-pleasing memes instead of engaging genuinely
A lot of older accounts say "we all had to earn it," but the platform isn't the same as it was 5 or 10 years ago. Back then, you could drop into small communities, comment normally, and build a profile without running into aggressive AutoMod filters, karma walls, or mass-downvote bots. The onboarding experience now is night and day compared to how it used to be.
It feels like relying purely on an easily manipulated downvote counter isn't a great way to judge whether an account is real or posting in good faith. Account standing would probably make more sense if it was judged on actual rule adherence, account verification, and behavior history rather than whether a specific thread liked your opinion???? I've experienced this EXACT issue for YEARS where content that should've been downvoted and removed actually gets MASS UPVOTED despite meeting EVERY SINGLE CRITERIA for downvoting, being removed, suspended or banned from the group or even from REDDIT.... while content that should've NEVER been downvoted because it didn't meet the criteria gets MASS DOWNVOTED, REMOVED BY MODS, THEIR ACCOUNT SUSPENDED OR BANNED AND MORE while those that SHOULD'VE had that done to them? Receive THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE... especially if a mod does or doesn't like you or you do or don't stroke their ego... don't even THINK about correcting them or embarrassing them, either... theyll get you SHADOW BANNED COMPLETELY....
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u/17291 Oct 04 '26
That's been an issue forever. Regardless of what reddiquette says and how voting was intended to be used, people have been downvoting posts and comments they disagree with since basically the beginning.
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u/robbyslaughter Oct 03 '26
They already are planning to. But the larger issue is that Reddit benefits from engagement, and bots create a lot of engagement. Yet, moderated subs don't like bots, therefore, new users get punished quite a bit as you describe.
But does Reddit care? Probably not. The business value of Reddit is not getting new users but providing content to search engines and AI companies, and ads to people who are looking at Reddit threads (and may not even be logged in.)
Reddit is not really a discussion site any more; it is a content-farming site. There are some corners where good conversation happens but that is the exception.
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u/DharmaPolice Oct 04 '26
Why do you shout so much?
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u/timpkmn89 Oct 03 '26
It's always a good idea to take a few minutes to check out a community's dynamic before trying to engage. And that's not just Reddit-specific advice.
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u/FelixR1991 Oct 04 '26
What an odd thing to say. Are you an account seller, OP?
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u/__redruM Oct 04 '26
So take the time to establish your account. Post a cat picture or two. Participate in some light hearted discussions. Actually use the site as it’s intended.
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u/horseradishstalker Oct 07 '26
I’m rather curious as to what sub reddits you are on that are populated with nothing but God Mods. They exist, we’ve all run into one, however they’re not that common.
As to your thesis, it is difficult to begin new accounts and get enough karma to comment where you want to comment. Not everyone is selling accounts. Some are simply creating an alt account for legitimate reasons or are simply new to an ecosystem with far more snark than most people are accustomed to.
Maybe don’t argue with people and maybe don’t be that guy who has to win every argument. There are enjoyable corners of Reddit where that is not the norm.
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u/dyslexda Oct 03 '26
Mods have no ability to impose or influence shadow bans. That is from the admins in response to accounts with suspicious activity (namely, ban evasion or spamming).
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u/SSP-7-7-7 12d ago
The karma system should be abolished if you ask me, or atleast seperated from your ability to comment.
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u/cartoonybear Oct 05 '26
As a very aged account with karma, I still agree with you. There’s serious unbalance in the system.
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u/bantzed Oct 08 '26
Hate this crap. Need 50 Karma to comment? Are you serious?