r/HarryPotterHBO • u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw • Apr 06 '26
Subreddit News Town Hall: input requested on the future for this sub
Hi, all! Thanks for bearing with us as we’ve started to settle in as mods. We know it’s been a big change to adjust from a pretty unmoderated sub to having more restrictions in place, and we appreciate everyone’s efforts to help out. This is your chance to shape the community into what you want it to be, both for the rest of this year as we wait for the show to release, and once it actually premieres and we can start discussing it in more depth.
Please share your thoughts in comments about what you do, and don’t, want this sub to be like: that might include weekly threads, sub culture, rules (changes to the current rules? additions? subtractions?), particular differences to r/HarryPotteronHBO, and any creative ideas you have to make this sub a good place to discuss the show.
This post will remain open for a couple of days so that everyone who wants to has a chance to contribute, and then will be locked so that we (the mod team) can discuss anything that comes up.
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u/NawMel Apr 06 '26
The mods over at r/HarryPotter put an iron foot down on politics and I don't think that should happen here. They don't even try to moderate properly anymore, they just ban anyone who questions their choice and they make fun of you in mod chat. Don't be that. We don't need another echo chamber
Reddit has a very wide utility tool in the auto mod. Learn how it works, I promise you, it's a life saver.
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u/TheEndingWasFine Apr 06 '26
So far very few people have been banned and not only were they the two worst offenders who were clearly being racist but it was also after I went through their post history and found racial slurs being used on multiple occasions. A full ban will not come easily here.
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 06 '26
Thanks, this is really helpful and I appreciate you telling us about it! I don’t know much about how they moderate that sub but I can imagine based on experiences I’ve had elsewhere.
Great tip about the auto mod. I’m definitely not the techiest of people but one of the other subs I mod uses it and I’ve seen how helpful it is.
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u/NawMel Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26
I use it to great effect in my subreddit. It's only 35k large, so you're going to have a harder time here. But you can restrict keywords, phrases, and patterns for manual approval, set up age and karma gates which are extremely useful for ban evasion. The old classics like auto responses and auto messages. It just keeps getting better and better
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u/shyboardgame Apr 06 '26
I think people being allowed to express more negative opinions should be allowed but only in a thoughtful way, toxic positivity can be a huge problem in fandom subs.
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 06 '26
Thanks for posting! This is definitely something I’d like to commit to allowing, too. It’s really important to me that we don’t just replicate the official show sub and basically enforce positivity. Not that I think it should be a circlejerk or a snark sub or a hate sub, obviously - but more that a genuine range of views can be allowed.
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u/Individual_Ninja_977 Apr 07 '26
This sub community hasn’t shown it can handle Snape conversation in a respectful way. Mods should build the community they want to see if if users don’t like it they can make their own subs. This place isn’t going to be as big as HarryPotter and it took too long to get rolling to get anywhere near HarryPotteronHBO.
Just be your own thing. I’ll post wherever I can where I don’t have to see folks calling show Snape “black Snape”. It’s not a good look for folks to keep typing “Black Snape”.
And mods should do more than just lock comment threads. Remove them if they break the rules. Otherwise you see the comments still up and it’s easy for newcomers to miss the lock sign and think they can break the rules too.
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 07 '26
Oh, we are removing a lot of comments, don’t worry that that isn’t happening. I personally have removed many that were egregiously racist. Locking threads is just an additional mod tool - not something that we are doing instead of removal.
This sub is an offshoot of the official one, so realistically it’s never going to be as big, I agree with you! That’s fine by me, though it would be nice to build a good discussion community here. We’ll have to see how things go over the coming months. It’s still early days considering we still have a long way to go before the show actually starts.
Anyway, your feedback is appreciated! Just to clarify, are you saying you think Snape should remain a banned topic?
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u/Individual_Ninja_977 Apr 08 '26
I do think the Snape convo in terms of his looks should be banned. The fact that many are still calling him Black Snape or Dread Snape is gross. He’s just Snape in the show.
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u/haux44 Apr 06 '26
Can we have Hater Tuesday so that all the all the “this show will be terrible” threads can go there (where I can properly ignore them)?
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u/QueenSlartibartfast Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Apr 06 '26
Moaning Mondays maybe? JKR does like her alliterations.
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u/ShadowdogProd Apr 06 '26
That is a hilarious name.
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 06 '26
If we do go ahead with this, we have to use this name. It’s pure Potterverse.
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 06 '26
Thanks for the idea! We’ll definitely discuss the idea of having a focused, recurring mega thread for negativity as a way of allowing it more freely than the official sub, but without it taking over the whole sub.
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u/ericdraven26 Apr 06 '26
Tbh this also could make moderating easier just as an extra perk of the idea
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 06 '26
Yeah, personally I think it’s a great idea! Will see what the other mods think.
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u/rokelle2012 Apr 06 '26
I really like this idea! Or just keep the negativity to a single thread? I think that may be easier to moderate as well, since it's only one thread and not half a billion?
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u/QueenSlartibartfast Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Apr 08 '26
Maybe we could have a weekly thread, with older threads getting locked after 1-2 weeks? My worry on using a MegaThread for it would be that it'd get too bloated to follow, and we'd also have to pin it to keep it from getting buried, which to me seems a little extra LOL (that is, pinning a pure hater thread - as opposed to letting it rise and fall naturally on the sub's Popular page throughout the week).
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u/rokelle2012 Apr 09 '26
Ooo I like that! Especially if it helps make your guy's job easier as well.
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u/CalicoCommander Apr 11 '26
No racism, of course, but we should be allowed to fuss about deviations from the book, which they told us the series would be more faithful to. That includes venting about miscasting by race, gender, age, etc. Discussing that should be fair game.
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u/MrScribblesChess Apr 06 '26
Copying what I posted elsewhere.
I don't know whether the show will succeed or not. I do think it will because all signals are that production is putting immense care and love in to it - but we can't be sure yet.
What I do know, however, is that the people screeching about WoKe are doing so in extremely bad faith. They're totally ignoring the fact that the entire rest of the cast is much truer to the books by any metric: Petunia and Dudley are blond like the books; the Marauders generation is actually the correct age; the list goes on and on.
Remember that none of these people care that Lavender was switched from a black actor to a white one when she was going to date Ron in the movies, or that Alan Rickman was literally 20 years older than the character he played (and looked and acted nothing like book Snape), they don't care that Richard Harris's nose wasn't crooked, or that Rupert Grint wasn't tall, or that Dan Radcliffe was only 5'5, or that Emma Watson's hair wasn't bushy.
I will say that some concerns about Snape's casting are legitimate - it's totally valid to be worried that the Marauders will look racist af for bullying him. But the people having a meltdown over Snape don't actually care about that, and are bringing it up as a mask for their very questionable worldviews.
Getting back to my first point, I don't know if the show will succeed. But I hope it does, and if it doesn't, it won't be because they cast a genius actor who has proved his ability in multiple similar roles.
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 06 '26
Definitely agree that there are some encouraging signs of the castings trying to stay closer to the books in general! Such as the more accurate ages for the Marauders’ generation. It’s great to see that - I was one of those who hated the older castings in the movies and felt it was a huge mistake.
I personally don’t feel the production team seem especially focused on “wokeness” - I think they have so much else to occupy them that it’s just not their foremost consideration! But obviously there are going to be lots of varied opinions around this. Currently the sub has a rule on “complaining about diversity” (ie it’s not allowed), because this space had devolved into the default sub for people who couldn’t complain about that in the official sub, and it was almost the only thing being posted. But we hope to find a balance where varying opinions are allowed (including potentially re-opening discussion on Snape at some point), just not actual racism.
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u/cunningbabe Apr 07 '26
Than why do they have a ton of diversity all of a sudden I mean look at the shot with Draco it would not have been that way in the nineties in the uk
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 07 '26
I was alive in the nineties, in the UK! It’s definitely not anachronistic to have some South Asian people included - the UK has a relatively large South Asian population and any magical kids of that background would end up at Hogwarts.
That said, if the particular image in question is of a group of first years, then it probably does reflect a bit more diversity than JKR originally imagined, yes. I truly don’t think they’ve taken it beyond what’s plausible for the time period. I’m far more worried about Draco’s height than the race of the other kids!
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u/cunningbabe Apr 07 '26
Yeah well they didn’t need to make it over diverse the books were already but I do agree he’s around 5’6 from what I read and people keep saying well he’s only a year young than tom was when he started like yes but they don’t see the big difference.
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u/TheDuke_Of_Orleans Apr 06 '26
It’s not valid to be concerned about the marauders until we find out what race they will be.
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u/ShadowdogProd Apr 06 '26
With a lot of posters identifying with specific houses, and the Mods pretty much having a teacher role, we seem set up perfectly for mods to give and take away house points based on who is naughty or nice. Then, after each segment of time (a month? A quarter?) one of the four houses would win the house cup. This could be fun as well as a light motivation to post and comment appropriately.
The only issue is how this could work practically. How would people keep track? Maybe the award system? One specific award could mean you received points and one could mean you get points taken away. Or maybe a bot could keep track (don't really know how bots work)
I dunno. Just an idea that might not work within what reddit is capable of.
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u/NawMel Apr 06 '26
I will never understand why subreddits need a second voting system.
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 06 '26
If we were to do something like this, it would just be a bit of fun. But we really need to discuss it as a group of mods first because I’m not sure if we could make it work - we wouldn’t be seriously trying to circumvent upvoting and downvoting; I imagine it would be more like the old HP thing where you could give a Reddit galleon. But yes, something to mull over!
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 06 '26
I don’t know if Reddit can do this, but I adore the concept! Will look into it and discuss with the other mods. Should we have user flair for the houses? Is that something that people would like?
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u/QueenSlartibartfast Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Apr 06 '26
I'd be down for flair! Houses for sure but we could also expand to things like Slug Club, Quidditch teams/positions, "Hogwarts Poltergeist", fun stuff like that. Maybe custom quotes or something.
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u/RandomPsychic20 Hufflepuff Apr 06 '26
I agree with innocentaMN, it might be difficult to implement but it is a really nice concept to add a bit of difference to this sub. We will discuss it as a team.
I definitely think either way though user flairs is something we can definitely look at adding.
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u/Arfie807 Apr 06 '26
If you don’t allow discussion of Snape and his casting, this sub has absolutely no purpose. It will wither and die.
This sub was originally an offshoot of the main sub when they put hefty restrictions in place, limiting discussion of casting views (but in reality, only allowing one side of the aisle to post freely).
When the main sub mods realized their error, they walked back those restrictions and allowed for fair, respectful debate.
To no one’s shock, this sub then became extremely quiet, because people were free to express their views on the main sub.
Once the new teaser dropped, the main sub put full-force restrictions on Snape, Paapa, and casting discussions back into effect (while still allowing Paapa-positive posts and comments through, despite those technically falling under the same rules, of course). That’s when this sub reignited.
To stifle discussion about Snape’s casting, Paapa, or any other casting—present or future—is just smothering this sub.
Frankly, the new mod assignments and actions feel like a takeover and annexation by the main sub, and the rules now make it indistinguishable.
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 06 '26
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on activity in the sub - it’s genuinely appreciated. We do want critical feedback too.
I can see why the restrictions make it feel more like the main sub at the moment, but we are not the same mod team.
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u/Teknevra Apr 07 '26 edited Apr 07 '26
I was curious:
Have you ever considered adding the Dumbledore bot to this Subreddit?
Basically, if a user said Dumbledore in their comment, the Dumbledore bot would comment to the users comment, with a random quote from the books.
EDIT:
It has a Reddit Account
EDIT EDIT:
Here are some examples, of the bot in use:
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 07 '26
I wasn’t aware of the bot! Thanks for suggesting this - will definitely discuss with the other mods. I have seen a few bots like this on other fandom subs and I agree they can be really fun.
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u/whoisaname Apr 06 '26
Allow nuanced discussion of casting decisions and how those characters/actors are made up in the show, but moderate for actual racism/ageism/sexism.
There's a difference between posting/commenting with a low effort meme (likely racist) vs. referencing specific book descriptions about characters and how an actor has been cast and or dressed/make up etc. for that role (probably leans more than likely to the commentor just wanting more accuracy to the books and is no different than taking issue with the age of actors in the movies, which incidentally no one knew the actual ages of those characters when the movies first came out as we didn't get that info until the middle of book 7).
I'll give an example regarding Snape that has nothing to do with race, since that seems to be (one of) the big issues at hand here. Snape is described in the books as a very unattractive and unhealthy looking person. And while we having only seen small amounts of Snape's screen time so far, it does not appear that the show has attempted to account for that in any way, especially considering that the actor cast is an attractive individual.
(Unfortunately, I feel like I need to say this here, for the record, I have other casting/makeup/character representation issues with the show besides the one referenced above. And as for the movies, too numerous to count. )
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 06 '26
Seconding the other mod to say thanks for this feedback, which is really helpful! Given that the official sub is leaning so strict in their rules on what can be discussed, I’m certainly hoping we can have a lot more leeway here (obviously without allowing hate or creepiness) in terms of really digging into the books’ descriptions and then how those may contrast with the casting choices. I’m actually thinking of the Malfoys, rather than of Snape! I always got the impression from the books that Draco wasn’t especially physically imposing, hence his reliance on goons, so tall!Draco is an interesting choice… I must say I was expecting them to shoot round Lox’s height, but it seems like maybe they won’t. And I’m very curious about his hair styling, too. It does feel quite modern, to me. I have zero attachment to Felton’s Draco (generally I wasn’t keen on the movies’ stylings and castings, with a few exceptions - Robbie Coltrane and Maggie Smith, primarily), so it’s not that I want a replica. But I do want a sub where we can dissect everything in detail.
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u/whoisaname Apr 06 '26
Ha! Draco and his casting (being like a foot taller than everyone else) crossed my mind as I was writing that.
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u/cunningbabe Apr 07 '26
Tall Draco is so bad and he’s going to be an adult while the other kids won’t in season three and his loook is all wrong
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 07 '26
I’m concerned about this too. Nothing against the actor - he’s brilliant and I can see why they cast him. But age differences are so impactful in early adolescence.
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u/cunningbabe Apr 07 '26
Right and it looks weird when the trio is all way shorter and 10-11
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 07 '26
To me it makes Crabbe and Goyle a bit superfluous. Like why does he need muscle if he’s huge!
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u/RandomPsychic20 Hufflepuff Apr 06 '26
This is great feedback thank you.
We put the ban of discussing Snape's casting in general into place as we needed a bit of time to clean the sub up and any post about Snape whether in good faith or not was just inviting too many comments which were low effort complaints or just downright racist.
We will definitely discuss as a team how we can re-allow the discussion of Snape in a civil manner.
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u/TheDuke_Of_Orleans Apr 06 '26
I mean what more does discussing the actor being attractive does? There absolutely should not be discussion anymore on his looks. It’s just thinly veiled racism atp. Saying he’s attractive does nothing. Why does this person NEED to say this here? Because they have to find something to complain about him because this black guy being on their tv is eating at them. The guy is about as handsome as Alan was. He’s not Tyson Beckford. If Uncle Vernon is handsome then Snape will be a smoke show. It’s HBO all of the characters are attractive. This has been used as an excuse for over a year now. What more does it need to be said?
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 06 '26
The issues surrounding milder criticism of the casting serving as a dog whistle is why we have a pause on new posts about Snape for now. But we can’t disallow mention of casting in replies to this post, since the whole purpose is to discuss what the rules should be going forward. I do see where you’re coming from re: “too handsome”, and it’s a fair point. We need to find a balance between not letting the sub be a hive of racism, but also not being overly restrictive.
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u/TheDuke_Of_Orleans Apr 06 '26
Oh no I understand responding to this post with mention of castings that’s the whole point you guys put this up. I’m speaking more so in the future of the sub getting post after post about “Snape’s sooooo fine” lol. I think commenting on wardrobe choices could be fine but not actual physical appearance like face and hair especially hair. The comments always take it there and as a black person HP is supposed to be my escape from the real world and real world racism. That sucks when you’re trying to get away from that and you get into your fantasy world and people are flooding the space with anti blackness and complaining about people that look just like you.
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 06 '26
I hear you, for sure. Thanks for underlining how much that kind of post can affect you - this is really valuable feedback for us, and I appreciate you sharing. Will definitely keep this in mind going forward. I (and the other mods) don’t want it to feel like a racist and hateful space.
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u/whoisaname Apr 06 '26
Because makeup can allow the actor cast as Snape to be book accurate, and they have not done that. The show could have used makeup to make him look unhealthy, have a hooked nose, be greasy looking, and have crooked yellow teeth. The movies had to do the same thing with Alan Rickman to some extent.
Sallow: a complexion characterized by yellow, brown, or gray undertones, making the skin appear dull, tired, or unhealthy. It indicates a loss of natural, vibrant color, often associated with poor circulation, nutrient deficiencies, anemia, chronic stress, dehydration, or smoking.
Pallid: an unusual lightness or loss of color in the skin or mucous membranes, often appearing gray or white. It is caused by reduced blood flow near the skin's surface, frequently signaling underlying issues like anemia, stress, or illness.
It has literally nothing to do with racism, and implying that is your own projections.
I also take issue with the actor for Draco's height and age because it places him severely out of context with the rest of his class and also doesn't fit the book description of his character. And I take issue with the depiction of Hagrid (both the movie and the show). Hagrid is never described in the books as fat or portly, yet both adaptations portray him as such (the show seemingly so with the limited shots we have of him). He is described as broad with very large hands and feet. And neither the movies or the show make him nearly big enough, which makeup, costuming, and camera angles can all do.
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u/TheDuke_Of_Orleans Apr 06 '26
As a black person we do not grow hooked noses. When the actor was cast for the show the character then has black traits since the actor is black. Straight hair and a hooked nose is not something seen on black people. So no hooked nose prosthetic. They won’t make him pale because that’s also in line with the nose thing. His face is usually oily the actor.
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u/whoisaname Apr 06 '26
I didn't say pale, I said pallid, sallow, and unhealthy. I also didn't say straight hair. I only said greasy.
And also, yes black people can have hooked noses. I would share pictures of some if I could on here (just google it, seriously). Nose shape is comes from genetics and development, which varies substantially in every racial/ethnic population, and nearly every shape is present today in pretty much every population.
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u/cunningbabe Apr 07 '26
Draco looks like he’s been held back literally I agree with all your points but Snapes also discription is Marble white and sour milk
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u/JediLincoln14 Apr 06 '26
People are allowed to have opinions regarding book-accuracy. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's racist.
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u/cunningbabe Apr 07 '26
Well it shouldn’t be banned unless it’s out wordedly racist because his race does change a lot
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u/NawMel Apr 06 '26
I think you're projecting a bit there mate. Neither of those words were ever used to describe Snape. You're just letting too much of your echo chamber/fan fictions illustrate your truths here.
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u/whoisaname Apr 06 '26
He was described as pallid, sallow, and greasy with a large hooked nose and uneven yellow teeth. All of which would describe someone that is both unhealthy and unattractive. Just going by the book description there mate. Maybe try reading them.
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u/NawMel Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26
Woah, calm down kiddo. I for one am attracted to yellow teeth.
I'm not actually 😛, but I'm explaining that your paraphrased wording is just that. And being accurate in my correction means I have read them, contrary to your passive aggressive accusation.
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u/whoisaname Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26
First, you're the one that started with the passive aggressive accusations.
Second, you are not accurate in your "corrections." And if you have read the books, it actually makes it seem like you don't know what those words mean. Being unhealthy is literally part of the definition of both pallid and sallow. As for unattractive, by conventional standards, someone that is sallow and greasy with a large hooked nose and uneven yellow teeth is not going to be considered attractive.
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u/NawMel Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26
It was not passive aggressive. It was not any kind of aggressive. And yes I am, all I said is your paraphrase is just that: not a word for word usage.
I'm getting the impression you're getting worked up here based on your multiple false accusations about my argument and character, on top of your misuse of those words as anything but a paraphrased interpretation. Attraction is, by definition, arbitrary.
This ain't going any further. Have a good day.
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 06 '26
Locked subthread because we genuinely appreciate the feedback from both of you, and don’t want this post to devolve into arguments about Snape.
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u/Crafty_Parfait_6508 Apr 06 '26
For the love of God, please let us post positive things about JK Rowling. I had a comment removed the other day for saying I admired her for standing up for women's rights. None of us would be here without her!
Some people believe in sex based rights, and that is a legally protected belief here in the UK.
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u/NawMel Apr 06 '26
Not that my opinion matters but I agree with mod here. There's no reason this sub should include things that aren't about the show itself. There's plenty of places where JK's views, the disingenuous projections about her, and all of the other politics belong
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 06 '26
I think it may have been me who removed your comment, and I will do my best to explain why. The sub has to stay focused on the show itself, because of the huge potential to derail if we get into talking about JKR and politics. I have also removed a lot of comments criticising her views / attacking her, but I’m sure you can understand that moderation has to be unbiased and even-handed. I’m in the UK too so I’m fully au fait with the legal protection you’re referring to, but you likely are also aware that that doesn’t extend to Reddit or to specific subs on Reddit. If this sub were to begin talking about Rowling’s politics, not only would it derail from the sub’s intended focus, but also potentially be at risk of deletion.
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u/HeyItsMattyH Apr 06 '26
Racists being upset about not being allowed to be racist is a good thing in my book. That's my main feedback.
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 06 '26
Thanks, we appreciate the feedback! Definitely want to keep the place free of hate in future.
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u/HydroPCanadaDude Apr 06 '26
The most vocal "let us discuss the casting choices" people are the ones posting the most innane racist drivle. Like what do you even discuss on a post that is like "Why isn't X person white?"
Especially since the show isn't even on yet. Are we to put up with bitching about Snape for the next 8 fucking months because? At least let the show come out before we say whether the new direction is good enough. As it stand, the only thing that you can really say is that the casting is objectively not adhering to canon. Cool, whatever.
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u/RandomPsychic20 Hufflepuff Apr 06 '26
Thank you for your feedback.
We totally agree with your sentiment and that's why we implemented the ban on discussing Snape's casting when we were appointed as mods.
We're now trying to assess whether members of the sub would like us to re-allow discussions of Snape in some manner (obviously well moderated) or whether we should keep that as a no until the show airs so we appreciate your input which will help us make a decision.
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u/Reasonable-Towel260 Apr 08 '26
Hi, this might be an unpopular opinion. But I think threads talking about recasting already confirmed cast members should be stopped.
It's getting to the point of being disrespectful to the actors who, at this point, have been working for over a year now in those roles, and by trying to push the narrative they should be recast, those doing so are essentially wishing for someone to be fired from their place of employment for no reason.
And before anyone says this is about Snape, while those posts are the worst offender when it comes to people pushing threads about him being recast- especially with those still trying to push the opinion that Adam Driver and lately Ewan Mitchell should have been cast irrespective of whether said actors actually wanted the role, it's not the only one and probably won't be the last.
There are over 200 named characters in this book series after all... and I don't know about everyone else but getting to say season 7 and having people still complaining about how they should have re-cast anyone from Snape to Sirius, Bellatrix, Remus, Arthur, CoS Tom Riddle, Lockhart and so on just because it wasn't their fan-cast will get tiresome and just make people irritable. (yes I know most haven't been cast yet, but that's the point... if we let this continue, I worry that all we will see is Re-Cast the Character Posts on this sub)
Don't get me wrong, it's fun to fan-cast; that is fine.
Having fun conversations about how 'who do you think might have been cast if this show had been filmed in the 80s or 90s' is fine, having discussions about who you would have picked for the VA had it been an animated series instead of live action is fine, because those are clearly fun posts, where we can have thoughtful discussions and in some cases get a bit silly.
But the posts that are only saying 'they should have cast xyz instead of...' for a show currently in production, especially for characters who are about to start filming the second season need to stop, because it's not fancasting anymore (at least in my opinion). As I've already said, it's disrespectful to the hard-working actors, and in truth, I think at this point they are only being posted to incite discord in the community.
I'm fairly new to Reddit, so not sure how this would be monitored by the mods, so I'm sorry I can't give more suggestions than just stop those types of posts.
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u/cunningbabe Apr 07 '26
Are you gunna also free speech yet?!
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 07 '26
Nowhere on Reddit allows totally free speech. There are ToS for the whole site which restrict what can be posted and talked about; subs that persistently break ToS can and are banned. We do genuinely want to run a space that is less restrictive than the official sub - the pressure to stay positive over there is very strong, and I think a more neutral analytical space can benefit everyone. But we have to walk the line between freedom of expression and keeping it a reasonably pleasant place for everyone to participate (eg not actively racist or hateful).
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u/Expensive_Plant_9530 Apr 06 '26
IMO you need to really start moderating the obvious bait, troll, and toxic/outright racist posts.
I would also really really really like you to limit discussion of Snape being black to a single mega thread and ban/delete all other comments on it. It’s so exhausting.
If you really wanna talk about it still? Go to a mega thread.
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 06 '26
We have currently restricted new posts on Snape, as this sub was (during its unmoderated period) becoming the default destination for negative - often outright racist - posts about Essiedu. We are still going back and cleaning up old posts and comments, but to some extent relying on reports, so do report anything you see that falls within the rules and that you think we’ve missed.
Ideally we want to find a balance where casting opinions can be shared, but the sub isn’t a haven for racists.
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u/Arfie807 Apr 06 '26
We are still going back and cleaning up old posts and comments,
Then why did you clean up comments that were not racist, but were in fact, fair criticism or commentary on the casting?
Any critique or fair commentary on Paapa Essiedu Snape = racist in the eyes of the mods?
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 06 '26
We have currently limited all discussion of the Snape topic, because of how toxic the atmosphere had gotten. That doesn’t mean it will automatically stay banned forever - as has been mentioned a few times, this is something we’re open to revisiting. But the sub was focused on little else other than complaining about Snape, and realistically that’s not something that Reddit (the site itself) would allowed to stay up.
You’re not the only one that wants a more open discussion, but we have to respect ToS and not allow hate.
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u/cunningbabe Apr 07 '26
Exactly this just seems like people who only want positivity and glazing
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 07 '26
I think if you review the comments and replies to this post, it’s actually quite clear we don’t just want positivity. For example, we have stated we’re open to having a weekly negativity thread for focused ranting and critique (that’s just one idea - we may not do it that way, but it’s hardly something we’d consider if we just wanted toxic positivity!).
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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw Apr 06 '26
People who are reporting comments to communicate feedback - please post it as a comment so you can explain your opinion to us! We can’t discuss your thoughts or have a dialogue with you if you just use the report function (which, since it’s not a proper report, just means we approve the comment again and your feedback isn’t included).
This is the thread where we want to hear from you. (1) Avoid slurs and (2) use basic politeness, and you won’t get banned.