If you were to develop your own Reddit alternative, what features would you include and what do you imagine it would look like?
Posted by WishIWasBronze@reddit | RedditAlternatives | View on Reddit | 45 comments
If you were to develop your own Reddit alternative, what features would you include and what do you imagine it would look like?
dandylover1@reddit
I would start with accessibility, so that those using screen readers and other adaptive technology could easily access it. It would have a simple layout without hamburger or other menus, etc. just normal links, edit boxes, and so on. It would allow for detailed profiles, and the creation, editing, and deleting of posts, groups/forums, and private messages. Naturally, full moderation tools would also be available. I've only really seen the voting system here on Reddit. To be honest, it probably wouldn't occur to me to include it, but I would do so if asked.I would also ensure that anyone who used the site was over eighteen by a confirmation checkbox. Basically, it would be a site for discussion of all sorts of topics and whatnot that everyone could access. I would also permit the creation of clients for those who prefer them.
SegaGenesisMetalHead@reddit
No fucking automod that’s for damn sure
MigrateOutOfReddit@reddit
Instead of automod, have a configurable system that warns the moderators about potential issues of their choice: content with low score, users who often share content with low score, content containing one or more words decided by the moderators, new comments in older threads, new comments in a specific thread, etc. But force the humans to review the potential issue and deal with it.
uradolt@reddit
If enough people complain about a mod, a bit will auto-ban them. Until their bans can be gone through and checked for legitimacy.
Delicious_Ease2595@reddit
Maybe build a better protocol than ActivityPub, it has to have the option to be censorship resistant
busymom0@reddit
What are its flaws?
New-Connection-9088@reddit
Comment trees. It’s just too efficient compared to forums. I wish there were real Reddit alternatives with comment trees.
Pamasich@reddit
What's a comment tree?
The only thing I can think of is Reddit's comment system, but there are alternatives using that so that doesn't seem to be what you're asking for?
New-Connection-9088@reddit
Nested comments. Forums use chronological comments. Reddit uses trees of comments which branch. The top rated branches are often the most interesting. The alternatives using comment trees are totally inferior. The best one is Lemmy, but the community can best be described is basement dwelling radical Marxists. I tried Tildes but the owner calls himself “Deimos” (god) and acts like it. What are some other alternatives you could recommend?
djfrodo@reddit
I did - Headcycle
Intelligent_Top_7280@reddit
Last time I went there, I thought it was a gore website.
djfrodo@reddit
O.k. Are you sure you replied to the right comment?
Just checking : )
p.s. No gore
Intelligent_Top_7280@reddit
The domain was blocked by my ISP, and it redirected me to a government page where it told me that the Internet is a privilege and is for communication. I also remember distinctly seeing a linked GitHub page that mentioned gore. I assumed the website was named after some sort of famous gore video where someone peddles a cycle and people's heads get chopped off. I think the thread was one of the stickied lists.
djfrodo@reddit
Wow. O.k.
I didn't see that coming.
Headcycle is basically old reddit, simplified.
I wanted to see if I could recreate reddit circa 2016.
You've got a grand imagination : )
julieandrewswikifeet@reddit
I think I get the logic... it's like "meatspin" but instead of meat it's head and instead of spin it's cycle
Intelligent_Top_7280@reddit
Your website seems very polished, it's a shame that it's so empty. Why is it so empty?
djfrodo@reddit
Thanks. If I may so myself - it's very polished and has great features.
Zero marketing. You can create a great game, website, etc. but without marketing or like 100 hardcore users - it's going nowhere.
So...join, tell 5 friends to join and tell those five friends to tell 5...you get the point.
KissMeOutBeforeYouGo@reddit
UI that doesn’t look like shit would’ve been nice for sure.
WishIWasBronze@reddit (OP)
What kind of UIs do you like?
Julian_1_2_3_4_5@reddit
basically lemmy, but somehow make it more popular
BlazeAlt@reddit
We try all the time
smp501@reddit
I’d carbon copy Reddit circa 2012. No auto mod, no bans for activity in other subreddits, no closing subs for being “unmoderated,” or any of that. Nothing that isn’t blatantly illegal gets taken down. Anyone who doesn’t like something they see can downvote and move on.
WishIWasBronze@reddit (OP)
Sounds good
LucianHodoboc@reddit
Something like FunnyJunk, but with a better design, a light background and better moderation tools.
Stunning_Repair_7483@reddit
What I want most is a feature where you can organize your saved pages and saved comments. It can be like a bookmarks format, or anything where I can choose which folders to save which pages and comments'. For example, my privacy subreddit saved pages will be saved in 1 folder, and my retro cartoons saved pages are saved in a different folder. Another example is all my saved pages about phone privacy and security across multiple subreddits can be saved in 1 place. And all saved pages and comments' on nutrition can be saved in a different place etc. You get the idea. It would be so much easier to find the specific saved comment or post and much faster too compared to what Reddit has now where it lumps everything all together.
dbeast64@reddit
For what I use Reddit for, Boost was perfect for me.
I'd make one in it's image
Die4Ever@reddit
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rubenmayayo.lemmy&hl=en_US&pli=1
dbeast64@reddit
Tried it, didn't like it
BlazeAlt@reddit
Thanks for posting it
WishIWasBronze@reddit (OP)
Boost?
FanClubs_org@reddit
It would have a general discussion area with niche communities for that old-school forum feel. It would look an awful lot like FanClubs.org 😁
0001u@reddit
I'd limit how many downvotes a user can dish out within a certain amount of time. I've never put enough thought into what might be a suitable quota but let's say, just for an example, that a user could only downvote one post and/or one comment per 24-hour period.
It would make people less likely to downvote things just because they don't like or agree with them.
SterquilinusPrime@reddit
I'd run it like my BBS in the 80s and 90s.
People would be directed to the war board, and have their material moved there, when hostilities inside the rules takes place.
No bigotry allows against groups not defined by what they say/think/do as it relates to trespass. Bias against religious and political groups being allows able, as it's not mindless bigotry, but objection to how others believe the world ought to be, which is defined by the label they have chosen.
No permabans, maximum ban being a year and a day. One may be banned from replying, or banned from all access on the site.
Certain words would alert ops to review text and apply the rules. A bot might reply with text on how words sell social narratives and to choose your words inside the world you want to exist.
No anti-vaxxer, crystal kissing, flat earth drivel.
In the BBS days the SYSOP would create message bases on a limited number of subjects. Today anyone can create a new message board on reddit, about anything. I'd create these front page message base: General, War, Complaints, and Gripes, Sex, Music, Computers, Buy/Sell/Swap, PCMR/PCGaming, One Shot RPGs, Science, Snopes, Creative Writing, RetroGaming, Tinkers, Food, History, and Verbal Vomit. Other subs, like news, and whatever would be created by users, or not.
I'd also add a software area, that was part review/description and part link/apt-get/winget instructions.
And what we used to call Doors, which are online games. Murder Motel, D&D, Planets, Drug Dealer, and so on. Multiplay games, limited number of turns in a game each hour and each day. With scores for the popular games as a side bar, with other information, as you browse the messages.
A IRC server private to the BBS/RedditAlt. It would remove IP and related information from /whois and such. Kick ban following the site rules discussed. The IRC server would also be the mechanism for direct messaging, and possibly for MUDD-like games, or trivia games. A battle of the witts game where one can gamble time or bans would really be a fun experiment.
Then I want to pour cheese on that. The over all aesthetic? Yellow legal pad with illustrations and varying drawn typesets. In the margines, and the bottom, playing amongst menus, commands, stats, drawing reminiscent of knights fighting snails, with the humor of Sergio Aragones.
I would consider time limits, like we had back in the day. Idling more than 5 minutes would log you out. The idea to encourage you do something else, too.
Reposts 2 weeks apart labeled, reposts inside of 2 weeks removed.
I'm not anti-porn by any means, but it's not something I want to be associated with propagating, outside of my small circle of friends who like to be grossed out by eels eating chocolate ice cream regurgitated by tinker bell with rick ashley dancing in the background. Porn, and some other visual content of sexual natures would be banned. There are plenty of places to view chicks with ducks kissing elsewhere, mang. No Hot Girls (or boys) Of Nickelodeon shit. Not kink shaming, but no feet subs either.
Posts having TTLs unless made sticky.
No email address or other ID requirement. IPs that become associated with banned accounts, or accounts that have been disciplined due to patterns of abuse would have the ability to create new accounts from that IP disabled. Accounts found to SPAM or run bots, outside of IRC control bots, deleted, and the IP banned for a year and a day.
Amusing exchanges between users and management will be made public, and mocked.
GoodDogBrent@reddit
visible up/downvotes
different up/downvotes. an option to vote for autheticity/truth (downvotes would indicate a lie and misinformation.)
the user would get flagged as a misleading/lying user
other categories for vote would be how humorous it is, how informative, etc. all up/downs would be visible and somewhat tracked. so if a misleading user is getting upvoted by bots then that trend would also be visible.
awalktojericho@reddit
It would definitely have a functional search feature, for sure!
WishIWasBronze@reddit (OP)
What would be a functional search feature?
djgreedo@reddit
It would just be Reddit from ~12 years ago before it got flooded with the unwashed masses and their attention-hungry social media garbage.
tasteofpower@reddit
It would be open and free. Would have karma.
Sproketz@reddit
I'd make it so you actually have control over what you see. Keyword blocking and highlighting. Topic blocking and highlighting. I'd put you in charge of your feed and the priority of what is shown in it.
Kopeshan@reddit
Remove the ability to downvote under 0 replaced by a system to remove any aggressive or insulting comment.
Careless-Network-334@reddit
AI Mod and only AI mod that can decide only one thing: is the comment on topic with the sub or not?
If yes, leave.
If no, remove.
Walawacca@reddit
Blackjack and hookers
NuminousDaimon@reddit
Get a Marketing/ PR Guy to be in charge and the people that code it will focus on coding not doing market research or promote it 😉
mrlr@reddit
I did. In 1984. On a Commodore Vic-20. It had multiple rooms (subreddits), private mail and an online game. Users could start their own rooms and make them public or private. It was very popular with each user spending an average of 70 minutes on it.
LibertyBrah@reddit
I would make it look like a mix between old Reddit and 4chan. I would also add a reverse button in the text box. It's so frustrating accidentally clicking a button that deletes my text instead of copying it only to not be able to restore it due to Reddit lacking a very primitive feature.