Powermod of over 1000 subs. Permanently online. Bans users for no reason and posts inflammatory comments and pins them in threads. One example - Do you remember the r/Art drama where the artist got her art removed by a mod who said it was AI art (it was not) and berated the artist for her style? Yep, that's awkwardtheturtle.
Basically the worst of the WORST of reddit mods with no life outside of reddit.
Oh that's interesting AF. I haven't REALLY been active on reddit for many years up until the recent drama, but even that shitstorm got my attention. Hadn't realized it was that guy.
That info from the petition saying awkwardtheturtle is another user is something that went around for a while, but it wasn't true (unless there's been a turn in that story).
awkwardtheturtle posted a selfie in the "centuryclub" subreddit (which only allowed people with over 100k link or comment karma in), and the person in the selfie definitely wasn't the person people suspected awkwardtheturtle was.
The "proof" so many pointed to (including the petition) was a Vox article which was just repeating stuff from a Daily Beast article. The Daily Beast article never said the two were the same person, but the Vox article assumed they were. Probably because the head mod on a lot of subreddits that other person mods is/was awkwardtheturtle.
lmao the sheer amount of entitlement on him. Truly a leopardsatemyface moment. Imagine tying your entire identity to being an unpaid lacky for a website that doesn't give two fucks about you, to the point that when you're let go you go nuclear.
It always does make you wonder how these people have the time to actively moderate 100+ subreddits without any compensation. That is, unless there are some under-the-table deals that we don't know about. I think moderators have been caught taking bribes before.
I thought the most remarkable thing was the "moderator" proclaiming their innocence by stating they hadn't been to the sub in question for at least six months and never talk to the top mod.
Turtle doesn't mod for shit, nor do other mods with 1000+ subs. These people see themselves as 'community leaders' who set up org charts and make all the lower-rung mods do all the work for them. It's incredibly toxic.
Unlike Reddit, you can see who "reduces" (downvotes) comments and threads. In a comment click on more -> activity -> reduces. Yes, it is all the same person.
Because you're literally browsing a magazine about that other site?
I agree that this particular mod getting banned isn't directly related to the migration efforts, but the overarching drama it's connected to is the main reason people are leaving Reddit for Lemmy. IE: admins becoming hostile towards moderators, developers, and redditors, resulting in an environment that the whole userbase is trying to flee. So even though I don't care about this "power-tripping asshole mod" (as another Lemming described him), I get how some people here might find the post useful and relevant.
Apparently awkward was responsible for a lot of the John Oliver spam in the subs he modded. Might be why he's finally gone now. He even contacted John Oliver on Twitter to cry about his suspension and ask for help lol See pic related
Just shows how there is no "correct" side in this story. Awkward being a terrible power-hungry mod on one hand, and Spez deciding to prioritize on profit over community and usability on the other.
This is what it looks like if your only way to power trip and the only thing you have in life is being a mod of reddit and it gets taken away by your beloved corporation.
This kind of person is the reason why I decided to mod one specific sub. Because I saw the shitshow that one person can make on a sub when going on a power trip. Once the dust have settled I'll give it to someone reasonable who wants to do it full time.
You should be cautious if one of the powertripper we have now is the admin of a sub you like. I think the max I've seen was 40~60 subs? What good do you think can come out of it?
btw, as someone mentioned, he is fuelling his own fire on /m/politicus, making it a rageclick fest all over again. This is the reason why I left reddit btw, because all the subs slowly turned into a rageclick show.
When you mod you set the tone, if you don't want a mirror of reddit then step up and set the tone yourself.
To be honest, I'm kinda okay if this powermod gets unbanned - as long as all the folks who got permabanned without reason also get a fair hearing to get unbanned.
Is turtle just copy/pasting replies they've previously received from users they banned for whatever dumb reason? It literally reads like any of the threads I've seen complaining about their moderation.
I was banned the first time I commented. I said a photo someone uploaded was lovely (not a top level comment). I got a 30 day ban immediately. I messaged back, apologising that I had missed that rule. The mod said “no arguing with the moderators” and then permabanned me. Wtf?!