Reddit delivered strong earnings, but the numbers beneath the surface tell a different story. Slowing logged-in user growth and AI-powered search could threaten the platform's long-term value.
It’s a Three-Card-Monte trick. At least that’s the best way I can describe it. One account presents an idea or rebuttal. All the stooge accounts reply in support of it.
The marks (the real human beings) are gaslit into thinking they’re crazy for not buying into the game.
It’s trickier than that too. I’m sure. They don’t all dog pile with the same narrative. Some will have an “okay, but” that generally agrees with the premise but isn’t too suspiciously on the nose.
We’re social creatures. Not being accepted as part of the group is some evolutionary terror we’re not even usually conscious of, but if you open a post, read, and agree with it but then see tons of replies laughing and making fun of the OP and calling them an idiot and a conspiracy theorist it’s suddenly going to be way harder for you to voice that agreement. It’s way easier to join the group pointing and laughing to try to fit in with the crowd or to just stay silent than it is to join up with someone being publicly mocked.
It’s a Three-Card-Monte trick. At least that’s the best way I can describe it. One account presents an idea or rebuttal. All the stooge accounts reply in support of it.
The marks (the real human beings) are gaslit into thinking they’re crazy for not buying into the game.
It’s trickier than that too. I’m sure. They don’t all dog pile with the same narrative. Some will have an “okay, but” that generally agrees with the premise but isn’t too suspiciously on the nose.
We’re social creatures. Not being accepted as part of the group is some evolutionary terror we’re not even usually conscious of, but if you open a post, read, and agree with it but then see tons of replies laughing and making fun of the OP and calling them an idiot and a conspiracy theorist it’s suddenly going to be way harder for you to voice that agreement. It’s way easier to join the group pointing and laughing to try to fit in with the crowd or to just stay silent than it is to join up with someone being publicly mocked.