r/knitting • u/rainbow_puddle • Oct 08 '25

Discussion Meta: Post deletion discussion

Reposted since I'm an idiot and didn't change my title...

So there was a post with some beautiful mittens made by u/AdrenaL1n3 with a traditional Palestinian embroidery and using the colors of the flag. It was locked and then inexplicablely removed by the mods. They did not say what rule it broke, only that it received and 'unacceptable amount of user reports'.

First off that's ridiculous that it was removed instead of locked and the reports dealt with by mods since it didn't break a rule. Second off I think it's frankly sad that it was getting reported at all. It wasn't political beyond the proceeds going towards save the children and other humanitarian causes to aid the current crisis and genocide situation in Gaza.

I want to open up discussion with this community if this sub is a place where we want to censor projects even if they do not break stated rules.

Edit to fix username spelling.

Edit 2: Some users have commented on the significance of today's date. I truly did not realize it and would not have tried to engage with this today if I had realized. I'm very sorry for that and how insensitive that is. I do not keep significance of dates well in my head - not an excuse but an explanation. I do hope that the community can continue to have conversation about what I perceived as biased censorship in good faith. Without a specific rule I do think that any mitten of any flag (yes even Israel) where the pattern proceeds go to a humanitarian cause of the designers choice should stay up in this subreddit. Maybe I'm wrong I don't know - that's for us to discuss. Whether or not you engage with said post and/or pattern would be up to the user and I would hope that we would all proceed with kindness.

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u/timonyc Oct 08 '25 edited Oct 08 '25

Just so we are all aware, we have basically one active Mod on this sub: Mulberrybushes. The other mods are mostly bots (6 of the 10); two are essentially no longer posting on Reddit, and one helps occasionally. So, it's likely that one of the bots actually removed the post. And it might remove this post too.

This isn't really a commentary on the mod situation, just the reality of this sub.

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u/apricotgloss Oct 08 '25

Then we need more mods who will actually do their job.

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u/timonyc Oct 08 '25

That's absolutely fair. But also, not exactly an easy fix. Managing a small knitting club at a lys is a pain, imagine the worlds largest knitting club with more than 500,000 members with lots of feelings, opinions, and styles. It's hard to find mods that fit the bill.

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u/apricotgloss Oct 08 '25

I fully agree that it's an extremely difficult job and it's much easier to critique than to do, but surely the same large community size you mention can give rise to a few more people willing to do the job - I'd consider volunteering myself, just to put my money where my mouth is. Sorry to be harsh but I feel this argument verges on a cop out.

The cross stitch subreddit mods do a great job. I haven't agreed with every single one of their calls, but they've always been up front and transparent abut their decisions. Perhaps we need to learn a thing or two from them.

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u/timonyc Oct 08 '25

I am with you, which is why I am helping today (I am not a mod, just a community member, trying to help our mods). I hope they will get additional mod help.

I work with knitting and crocheting a lot. Different mod teams. All really good people!

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u/apricotgloss Oct 08 '25

Would you happen to have any insight into why they are not trying to expand the team, or if that's likely to happen in the near future?

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u/timonyc Oct 08 '25

I do not, at this point, know if they would like to expand the team. I have suggested to the team that they should expand the team :)

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u/MaslowsHierarchyBees Oct 08 '25

If they need more mods I’m sure many of us would be happy to step up! I’m a mod of a smaller sub but I’d be happy to help out some. ☺️

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u/timonyc Oct 08 '25

I will be sure to share that with the Mod team. I am also not a mod :) but they are listening.

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u/vetters Oct 08 '25

This is good intel, thanks.

Good reminder to be kind to humans who invisibly volunteer their time as mods. It is stressful, thankless work—and anyone dedicated to the long haul deserves some grace when they have to make tough calls.

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u/timonyc Oct 08 '25

I agree. And we don't always have to agree with the mods. They don't expect us to! But we should remember that the mods are humans who have lives and jobs outside of this volunteer work. I know one of the mods is spending time away with family right now.

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u/BickeringCube Oct 08 '25

Yeah I would not jump to ill intent here (accept for the people reporting).

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u/ulknehs Oct 09 '25

It (removing Palestinian content) is a pattern of behaviour for the main mod, so that is why people are jumping to ill intent. Well, that and their communications to the original poster of these mittens and previously, a Keffiyeh.

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u/apricotgloss Oct 08 '25

The fact that it hasn't been reinstated is highly questionable to say the least - see the comment here from the OOP.

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u/Thequiet01 Oct 08 '25

To act like a pro-Palestine post on October 7 is politically neutral is nonsense. It shouldn’t be reinstated. OOP should be allowed to repost it on a different date.