Reddit announced on Wednesday that it is updating its blocking tool in order to accommodate to their users’ preferences on blocking undesired comments as well as users. Considering that the online news company Reddit has gained a name for itself in the past few years, it’s time to update the system in order to improve the users’ experience.
The details of the new update released early on Wednesday included the company’s goal to make Reddit harassment-free, said co-founder Christopher Slowe. The feature will now allow users not only to block people from sending further messages to their account, but also will let users choose what they want to be exposed to, and what they don’t.
And as the online community has proven to be aggressive and demeaning, the company has already taken a few steps forward into cleansing its platform from any kind of harassment. Previously on Reddit, there were forums only focused on racist topics, or degrading obese people and people with special needs.
Yet, the company has already taken care of shutting down these discussion forums focused only on negative topics. Remarkably enough for Reddit, 2015 marked the final year for most of the hateful forums on the company’s website as they were banned from discussion forums.
It’s important for such companies to take care of their users and make them feel safe when navigating through Reddit, because it increases the client’s expectations about the company. According to Slowe, Reddit’s co-founder, the company’s openness can sometimes take a left turn when it comes to satisfying its users, and that’s where harassment steps in.
Making the Internet a harassment-free environment one website at a time
The new update not only comes with Reddit’s team excitement but also with new features making users more protected against humiliation, trolling and stalking. It’s worth noticing that unlike other online forums, Reddit users don’t know when they have been blocked, which is beneficial to both users, as it doesn’t create further responses.
So the new update may serve users to recognize people known to harass others, and blocking those users without them ever knowing. Slowe also claims that this new feature is only the beginning of what is yet to come for Reddit’s makeover.
The company is set to fortify its weaknesses in comparison to previous years, as Reddit is off to a great start by the new blocking tool. The changes on how users experience being blocked, as well as the customization of the user’s preferences regarding the matter, were built around the user, said Slowe.
Source: TechCrunch