Reddit’s new blocking feature, intended to keep the angry in check on certain threads is likely to cause a problem long term for the site’s viability. Reddit has a reputation for some nasty-bad shit when it comes to threads and discussions in the community. There are certainly trolls in the weeds. If you are someone with thin skin (like me), Reddit may not be a good place for you. Early Reddit hire Chris Slowe was quoted as saying, a recent infusion of VC capital will allow Reddit to deal with “…fundamental product problems such as this.”  I’m not sure this is a product problem; it’s more a people problem. And it’s a problem that gives Reddit its biting community credential.

The misogynist and racial stuff is shit. That stuff has no place anywhere. But some of the nastygrams are just people trying to be funny. It’s hard to be funny for some people without being an asshole. And that’s okay. Been there. My fear is, if Reddit becomes too sanitized, with an intention of becoming a third the size of Facebook, it will lose its identity and become boring kudzu in the online fields.

Let Reddit evolve. Let it stay smaller but more powerful. Its tight community will police itself and evolve. Says me. Peace.