Reddit steps up fight against trolling and harassment with new user-blocking tool

By Saqib Shah Published January 7, 2021

Reddit is implementing a new feature that it hopes will protect users from spam, trolling, and harassment. Essentially an update to its existing blocking tool, users can now block and mute individuals that reply in comments alongside private messages.

Now, when Reddit users receive unwanted or abusive comments, they can simply click the ‘Block User’ button while viewing the reply in their inbox. From that point on the profile of the blocked user, along with all their comments, posts, and messages, will be completely removed from view. Additionally, the block is “completely silent” to the blocked user, with Reddit hoping that its discretion will prevent individuals from creating multiple accounts to bypass the tool.

Recommended Videos

“Our changes to user blocking are intended to let you decide what your boundaries are, and to give you the option to choose what you want — or don’t want — to be exposed to,” states Reddit co-founder Christopher Slowe in an announcement posted on the site earlier today.

Reddit’s open approach to its forum-like threads (known as ‘subreddits) has caused much controversy over the years as the racist, misogynistic, and downright nasty behavior of the extreme portion of its community has come to the fore. Last year, its then CEO Ellen Pao resigned after being incessantly trolled over her stance on regulation. Before that, in 2014, the site was embroiled in a celeb photo hack, which saw Reddit users post nude photos that were cause for alarm and embarrassment for the victims.

Despite announcing that more changes “toward improving the experience of using Reddit” are on the way, the site is well aware that its open, “democratic” (if not discerning) nature is integral to its popularity. Therefore, too much change could ultimately alienate its devoted user base. “People, generally, do not like change,” Reddit co-founder Alex Ohanian told the New York Times. “We have to do what is best for Reddit overall.”

Former Contributor

Saqib Shah is a Twitter addict and film fan with an obsessive interest in pop culture trends. In his spare time he can be…

Topics

Computing

How to change margins in Google Docs

Laptop Working from Home

When you create a document in Google Docs, you may need to adjust the space between the edge of the page and the content -- the margins. For instance, many professors have requirements for the margin sizes you must use for college papers.

You can easily change the left, right, top, and bottom margins in Google Docs and have a few different ways to do it.

Computing

What is Microsoft Teams? How to use the collaboration app

A close-up of someone using Microsoft Teams on a laptop for a videoconference.

Online team collaboration is the new norm as companies spread their workforce across the globe. Gone are the days of primarily relying on group emails, as teams can now work together in real time using an instant chat-style interface, no matter where they are.

Using Microsoft Teams affords video conferencing, real-time discussions, document sharing and editing, and more for companies and corporations. It's one of many collaboration tools designed to bring company workers together in an online space. It’s not designed for communicating with family and friends, but for colleagues and clients.

Computing

Microsoft Word vs. Google Docs

A person using a laptop that displays various Microsoft Office apps.

For the last few decades, Microsoft Word has been the de facto standard for word processors across the working world. That's finally starting to shift, and it looks like one of Google's productivity apps is the heir apparent. The company's Google Docs solution (or to be specific, the integrated word processor) is cross-platform and interoperable, automatically syncs, is easily shareable, and perhaps best of all, is free.

However, using Google Docs proves it still has a long way to go before it can match all of Word's features -- Microsoft has been developing its word processor for over 30 years, after all, and millions still use Microsoft Word. Will Google Docs' low barrier to entry and cross-platform functionality win out? Let's break down each word processor in terms of features and capabilities to help you determine which is best for your needs.
How does each word processing program compare?
To put it lightly, Microsoft Word has an incredible advantage over Google Docs in terms of raw technical capability. From relatively humble beginnings in the 1980s, Microsoft has added new tools and options in each successive version. Most of the essential editing tools are available in Google Docs, but users who are used to Word will find it limited.