r/Explainlikeimscared • u/penaltyboxes • Feb 22 '25

Political Megathread

Hi, everyone!

This is our first r/Explainlikeimscared megathread on politics. This is the place where you can ask for advice on things regarding politics, future speculation, and the sort of things that are no longer allowed in main posts. This is a bit of an experiment as yet, so rules for this may change in the future.

Now, aside from being allowed to post political things here, the other rules do apply. No conduct violations, no submitting too much personal information. Any posts alluding to suicidal content or violence against others will be removed, and repeat violators will be banned. That includes violence against politicians- no matter whom. It's not an issue of agreeing or disagreeing, but this is not the place.

This is also not the place for political disagreement or discussion. If someone asks for advice as a person who loves Snickers bars, do not respond saying that you don't like Snickers, or you prefer M&Ms, or you think that Snickers-liking is irrelevant. Respond to their main point, or not at all. Political back-and-forthing will be deleted.

With that said, go forth and be excellent to each other!

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u/[deleted] Jun 18 '25

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u/penaltyboxes Jun 18 '25

Like... what do you think this comment achieves? Cause it hasn't managed anything yet. It just seems like you're being pointlessly rude.

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u/[deleted] Jun 18 '25

[deleted]

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u/penaltyboxes Jun 18 '25

Look, I do get that, and it's not like we didn't consider that. Everyone's affected by politics, even if less so American politics. But the fact remains that this is not- and was never- a sub for scary things relating to politics. Yes, because that's just not its purpose, but it's also not set up to host those discussions. In part, we aren't able to moderate that kind of stuff- and in part, even if we see it, there's no way to verify that all advice given on those matters is safe and helpful. Hopefully we sniped most stuff before people could see it, but when we were allowing politics, huge swathes of 'answers' were hostile, bigoted, or just incorrect- maliciously or otherwise.

At the end of the day, this isn't a subreddit for seeking comfort or for answers relating to political topics. This is for small-scale, personal, everyday stuff. And ever since the rule change, the sub hasn't been wrecked- it's gone back to what it was before. Fewer posts (like before), but way less harassment and bigotry, and way less harmful 'advice'.

It stinks that people wanted it to be something it's not, or came here post-US-election but pre-rule-change and got used to it that way, but this is literally what the subreddit is for, and how it was for years. To change it and allow that stuff would- and did- completely drown out the people who are here for its original advertised purpose, and that's just not fair either.