For those who don't know, retrogaming on Reddit was a labour of love, there is a multireddit, m/retrogamingnetwork that networks over 60 subreddits under one banner giving the audience, banner, and reach of a big subreddit to some very small and niche spaces.
I bopped onto the main subreddit to grab their discord link for https://sub.rehab/ and was amazed to see the sub open. There's a stickied post from "your new head mod" - they've made some changes already, ones that would stir debate if the userbase was still there to know about it: Reveddit Link
To quote the post opener:
First of all, you all know me probably at this point, but I’m Chalupacabra. We’re in the process of readjusting the mod team, so it’s not fully set up yet, but I’m your new head mod. It’s a process that’s been in the works for a bit now, I’m sure you’ve probably noticed some of the changes the team and I have put together to try to mix things up a bit based on what y’all told us you were interested in seeing.
And if there's any doubts as to what the community "were interested in seeing" we had voted 88% in favour of a total blackout.
On the one hand I'm glad I don't have anything to miss on reddit anymore, I'm not interested in being part of communities run by people more interested in themselves than anyone else, but it's sad to see something that should have died peacefully be zombified instead.
@pterodactyl: In practice, the subreddit was and is run pretty much democratically between the mod team, so Chalupacabra being formally head mod doesn't make much of a difference. He was a bit perplexed at the decision as well, for what it's worth.
Now, I'd have been "ride or die" about sticking to the blackout, especially given the response in both the subreddit and the Discord. But I'm stubborn and principled. Since I was already stepping down, I wasn't going to assert fiat over the decision.
@pterodactyl: The decision to reopen was taken based on an assessment of the response by the Reddit admininstrators and deciding that we didn't want the subreddit falling into the hands of people who might use the subreddit to push malignant political positions, which are far too common in video gaming.
Notably, this was *not* a case of the mod team wanting to cling onto power at all costs like some people would cry. I want to nip that idea in the bud.
@pterodactyl: As for myself, I decided that spez's response to the blackout was so overwhelmingly contemptuous that I felt there was no alternative but to leave Reddit. But I'd already been disillusioned with the direction of Reddit already, so it's easier to make decisions like that when you're practically on the way out as it is.
As mentioned in the post explaining the reopening, I have been conversant with and have full confidence in the moderators that have remained.
It's cool to see you here! Thanks for giving the full story. I still don't agree with the decision to open up against the community's wishes but I am glad that you chose to step back rather than being pushed to. I know the discord is there and I see people starting to come together on kbin/lemmy too so I hope we get a positive space in line with the ethics many of us share again soon.