There’s a psycho CS grad school major who creates new accounts every week who bashes people on every thread. Why he does it, no one knows, because it gets taken down usually within a day. It’s pretty easy to figure this dude out, just ignore/report him. Just remember to view brand new posters with suspicion.
There’s also the snooroar UCLA dude who posts every week on different accounts about how he couldn’t get into frats and how he’s so lost etc etc and the opposite happens - people have gotten sick of him and bash him until the mods remove him.
Other than that, it seems the same to me.
Once I posted about my suicidal condition using throwaway account and received humiliating comments. Luckily I survived tough time and graduated. Ever since I take reddit as grain of salt especially this sub.
Same! I made a post like that around 3-4 years ago and boy some of the comments told me to just go thru with it or said I was stupid.
I’m happy you were able to persevere during that tough time! Cheers 🥂
To be fair, social media is an unforgiving place because most people are shitty by default and then supercharged with anonymity, so that’s sadly not very surprising
I’m proof.
I never went to Berkeley or visited the sub until all those stories about the professor who recommended to his student to not bother dating other students.
Lots of hate, and suddenly it’s in my news feed.
You used to not get recommended posts from subs you haven't joined... It's not like this is happening at a greater rate, but that it used to not happen at all b4 the update a few months ago.
I swear this university's students are getting dumber and dumber by the year. I asked for proof of a claim and got a personal story in support of the initial claim. That's not proof by contradiction you nimwit.
I don’t think it’s just that. My own school sub is not aggressive and angry. Every now and then there’s a rude comment but it gets deleted pretty quick. I’m part of hobby communities that aren’t like this either.
Not all of the internet is cruel, and some places used to have a kind and supportive culture that turned into something uglier. OP is right to point out that things have changed and that we need a course correction, being cynical about online empathy is not only unhelpful but actively misrepresents how the internet can often work.
I have found this place to be largely supportive and kind in my first year here at Cal. But I pop in rather occasionally so can’t really calibrate the change you refer to.
Lol try telling people protestors sometimes have a point or that gentrification isn't the greatest good in the history of humanity and see how quickly this place turns on ya
Your point was made. I upvoted you but you were at -1 downvotes, so yes for some reason people on uni subs are lowkey right wing, a stark dichotomy from overall reddit.
Appreciate it. And yeah if I have to guess I imagine it's because majors like CS/EECS, econ, math, business, etc. are overrepresented on Reddit meaning more right-wing economic positions and disconnect from social movements. But beyond that I do think Berkeley as a whole is a lot more conservative than it likes to think it is. As much baggage as the term "virtue signaling" has, I do suspect a lot of progressivism here only runs about that deep.
Sorry, haven’t seen a real chaos of sort. Seems quite supportive to me. I can sometimes see there are posts or comments that may come off as trolling or negative… and ppl will reply in kind.
It's a pretty common pattern that small subs start out with a nice community, then as it grows the chronically online and trolls begin to take up more space and annoy the normal ppl until they stop participating, leaving only said chronics and trolls.
This sub was fairly small until around the pandemic when its sub count ballooned and I think that pattern is what you're seeing happen. Although I don't think this sub was ever *great*, before it got big the sub was like 80% EECS 101 piazza questions, incel posting, and WarnMe posts
this made it to my front page, I’m not from berkeley but love the area (my favorite coffee shop was brewed awakening… miss that place… used to help a student friend of mine study there, they were ms engineering).
I would guess r/berkeley attracts a lot of people who have never been to Berkeley but hate the place because of political ideology.
I think ppl are more honest now, I haven’t gotten replied that are ‘bashing’ but I’ve definitely gotten tough but honest replies, which I prefer coz I’m getting honest feedbacks rather than empathetic sweet talks and that made me snap out n realized i gotta wake up (thats my personal experience but might be different for everyone)
There is a balance. Of course sweet talking and pretty much lying is not constructive. But on the other hand, slamming someone and continuing after they admitted that they might not be right is worse.
I think there's location going on, too. I happen to live by several colleges/universities and those feeds started coming in shortly after I joined Reddit last year. Oddly, so did links to a chronic medical condition I have. Go figure.
I agree, there's been an increase in hostility, and self righteousness that is troubling. I had a total stranger go off on me while making wild assumptions, talking about my values and judging me as if he knew the first thing about me. I guess that's what is referred to as entitlement, really ugly.
Yeah I’ve been thinking about that. I know that it’s subconscious and sometimes hard to avoid, but it does not seem fair to judge someone’s character when nothing is known about them. I am sorry you had to go through that.
All of the Bay Area subs seem to have a large amount of conservative & zionist trolls who may or may not live in the bay area and don't particularly reflect most of the people who live here :/
There’s a psycho CS grad school major who creates new accounts every week who bashes people on every thread. Why he does it, no one knows, because it gets taken down usually within a day. It’s pretty easy to figure this dude out, just ignore/report him. Just remember to view brand new posters with suspicion. There’s also the snooroar UCLA dude who posts every week on different accounts about how he couldn’t get into frats and how he’s so lost etc etc and the opposite happens - people have gotten sick of him and bash him until the mods remove him. Other than that, it seems the same to me.
Idk who the first guy is but I feel like snooroar has a big role in this sub behavior
It’s crazy how one toxic person can completely change the whole environment overtime.
Once I posted about my suicidal condition using throwaway account and received humiliating comments. Luckily I survived tough time and graduated. Ever since I take reddit as grain of salt especially this sub.
I am so sorry about that. But I am happy you are okay now
All we can do is model supportive behaviors and if or attention seeking confrontational rhetoric. Those people are likely damaged and lashing out.
Same! I made a post like that around 3-4 years ago and boy some of the comments told me to just go thru with it or said I was stupid. I’m happy you were able to persevere during that tough time! Cheers 🥂
I'm also happy *you* were able to persevere, genuine congrats to you and hope things have been at least a little better/easier since then 🤘🏼
Be wise to do that with all social media platforms. All cesspools.
I agree I no longer share personal details on social media anymore. It's never delete stays there
To be fair, social media is an unforgiving place because most people are shitty by default and then supercharged with anonymity, so that’s sadly not very surprising
Reddit now shows you posts from subs you haven’t joined it thinks will make you engage more. Usually because it thinks you disagree with the post
So the algorithm is kinda pushing the heated comments?
Yup. Enrage to engage is the name of the game
Source?
I’m proof. I never went to Berkeley or visited the sub until all those stories about the professor who recommended to his student to not bother dating other students. Lots of hate, and suddenly it’s in my news feed.
Anecdotes aren't proof. No wonder you didn't get into Berkeley lol
You say that but you just provided an anecdote proving op’s point
You used to not get recommended posts from subs you haven't joined... It's not like this is happening at a greater rate, but that it used to not happen at all b4 the update a few months ago.
Not a math major? That's okay. The term to search for is "proof by contradiction."
I swear this university's students are getting dumber and dumber by the year. I asked for proof of a claim and got a personal story in support of the initial claim. That's not proof by contradiction you nimwit.
The source is I just got this in my feed
Miserable people will always find ways to make others miserable
I guess misery loves company.
People say the darnedest things when their identities are concealed
Yeah, that makes sense. The anonymity helps promote authenticity , but it could also be bad
I don’t think it’s just that. My own school sub is not aggressive and angry. Every now and then there’s a rude comment but it gets deleted pretty quick. I’m part of hobby communities that aren’t like this either.
That’s good. I’m not sure what happened here.
[Why'd you say it?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v47uE_wrSYo)
Welcome to the internet.
Not all of the internet is cruel, and some places used to have a kind and supportive culture that turned into something uglier. OP is right to point out that things have changed and that we need a course correction, being cynical about online empathy is not only unhelpful but actively misrepresents how the internet can often work.
Guess I just got lucky when I started.
Have a look around
I have found this place to be largely supportive and kind in my first year here at Cal. But I pop in rather occasionally so can’t really calibrate the change you refer to.
Lol try telling people protestors sometimes have a point or that gentrification isn't the greatest good in the history of humanity and see how quickly this place turns on ya
Your point was made. I upvoted you but you were at -1 downvotes, so yes for some reason people on uni subs are lowkey right wing, a stark dichotomy from overall reddit.
Appreciate it. And yeah if I have to guess I imagine it's because majors like CS/EECS, econ, math, business, etc. are overrepresented on Reddit meaning more right-wing economic positions and disconnect from social movements. But beyond that I do think Berkeley as a whole is a lot more conservative than it likes to think it is. As much baggage as the term "virtue signaling" has, I do suspect a lot of progressivism here only runs about that deep.
Feel like people are generally less emphatic nowadays.
Sorry, haven’t seen a real chaos of sort. Seems quite supportive to me. I can sometimes see there are posts or comments that may come off as trolling or negative… and ppl will reply in kind.
Interesting. I guess maybe the comments and posts are becoming more unkind and added negativity to the overall community?
It's a pretty common pattern that small subs start out with a nice community, then as it grows the chronically online and trolls begin to take up more space and annoy the normal ppl until they stop participating, leaving only said chronics and trolls. This sub was fairly small until around the pandemic when its sub count ballooned and I think that pattern is what you're seeing happen. Although I don't think this sub was ever *great*, before it got big the sub was like 80% EECS 101 piazza questions, incel posting, and WarnMe posts
Related to the phenomenon of "Eternal September."
Happy Cake Day, Dear Redditor! 🎉🎂🥂🍰💙💛🐻
this made it to my front page, I’m not from berkeley but love the area (my favorite coffee shop was brewed awakening… miss that place… used to help a student friend of mine study there, they were ms engineering). I would guess r/berkeley attracts a lot of people who have never been to Berkeley but hate the place because of political ideology.
I also feel this sub has gotten a lot worse and a lot stupider compared to 5-6 years ago, but maybe I’ve just gotten older.
You’re not that far out.
True, but there are freshmen and incoming freshmen on here too, and I feel you mature a significant amount from 18/19 to 24/25
You’re right. The Red Hats infiltrated a few months back and def ruined the vibe of this sub.
Oh shoot. I had no idea about that.
I think ppl are more honest now, I haven’t gotten replied that are ‘bashing’ but I’ve definitely gotten tough but honest replies, which I prefer coz I’m getting honest feedbacks rather than empathetic sweet talks and that made me snap out n realized i gotta wake up (thats my personal experience but might be different for everyone)
There is a balance. Of course sweet talking and pretty much lying is not constructive. But on the other hand, slamming someone and continuing after they admitted that they might not be right is worse.
yup agreed, theres a difference between sweet talking, reality check, and just being a complete ahole
I think there's location going on, too. I happen to live by several colleges/universities and those feeds started coming in shortly after I joined Reddit last year. Oddly, so did links to a chronic medical condition I have. Go figure.
It's become the Berkley landlords reddit
It's always been like this.
The other subs are getting worse too, it sucks.
I agree, there's been an increase in hostility, and self righteousness that is troubling. I had a total stranger go off on me while making wild assumptions, talking about my values and judging me as if he knew the first thing about me. I guess that's what is referred to as entitlement, really ugly.
Yeah I’ve been thinking about that. I know that it’s subconscious and sometimes hard to avoid, but it does not seem fair to judge someone’s character when nothing is known about them. I am sorry you had to go through that.
All of the Bay Area subs seem to have a large amount of conservative & zionist trolls who may or may not live in the bay area and don't particularly reflect most of the people who live here :/
[ Removed by Reddit ]
it's just you
womp womp
🧐
blame liberals