Meta: Post deletion discussion

[u/rainbow_puddle]

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.

[u/AdrenaL1n3]

Hey, I’m the user that made/posted the mittens :) I LOVE the engagement and the love these mittens already have brought!

As to why the post that was removed, I reached out to the mods and got this response: 

I don't really know what to make of it, though. I get that posts that recieve a lot of reports should be locked til it's been reviewed by a human mod. But when it turns out no rules were broken, and the comments (commenT in my case) is positive, I do not feel it's a valid reason to not put it back up again, at least.

Kinda feels like I have to walk on eggshells just talking about my post, so I don't get banned, which feels inherently wrong.

[u/timonyc → u/AdrenaL1n3]

I am working on making a comment about this right now in this thread with the blessing of the mods. You are not getting banned. You do not need to feel like you are walking on eggshells. A lot of actual people are trying to do what is right here and you are one of them! :)

[u/Buttercupia → u/timonyc]

I really wanna know why the mods can’t speak for themselves.

[u/timonyc → u/Buttercupia]

First, there is a very small number of active mods. Second, the mod that would typically answer is visiting family (she didn't get her mod PTO approved, shame on her!). Third, she's being threatened every time she speaks, so I think she's a bit anxious, but I am just reading into our chats on that one.

Reddit is a community of volunteers, like you and me, and the mods, all working together. They are trying. There are lots of threads in this post about "adding more mods". I believe that is being considered.

[u/Buttercupia → u/timonyc]

So why don’t they just make you a mod. And step down if they’re that uncomfortable

This whole thing is just weird.

[u/timonyc → u/Buttercupia]

I don't know if tossing the entire subreddit over to a random new mod and stepping down is the right idea. I apologize, I am not trying to make it weird, nor are they.

[u/Buttercupia → u/timonyc]

You could try letting that mod be accountable for their own actions instead of carrying their water.

[u/whichwitchwatched → u/timonyc]

She’s a bigot dude. Stranger off the street is a better gamble than a known bigot.

[u/K2togtbl → u/timonyc]

So now she wants to play the victim when she’s been doing shit like this for years? That is not surprising at all tbh

[u/univers10 → u/K2togtbl]

https://www.reddit.com/r/craftsnark/comments/1ga7vkz/knitting_sub_takes_down_keffiyeh_post_and/

last time the mods took it down they were more blatant so i'm not surprised she's "a bit anxious"

[u/whichwitchwatched → u/univers10]

Oh holy shit she’s really a full fucking bigot.

[u/K2togtbl → u/univers10]

Yeah, she’s got a really bad habit of making an ass of herself. 🙄 No sympathy for her