Navigating the Future of ‘How Would You Feel?’ Posts on AskReddit

In recent weeks, we’ve been inundated with opinions regarding the prevalence of posts beginning with the phrase “How would you feel about…?” It seems this particular format, often used to present a concept or phenomenon, has sparked quite a bit of conversation. As we strive for engaging discussions on AskReddit, it’s important to reflect on what kind of content truly contributes to meaningful dialogue.

Many posts labeled with this phrasing tend to fall into the category of “shower thoughts”—thought-provoking musings that may seem appealing at first glance but often lack depth and discussion potential. While catchy titles can certainly attract attention, our primary goal is to foster interactions that involve in-depth conversation and exploration of ideas. Hence, we have decided to implement a ban on these types of posts going forward.

However, we understand that the boundary between a shower thought and a genuine discussion question can be a fine line. For instance, consider the difference between the following examples:

• “How would you feel about a button that allows you to return to your previous scroll position on Reddit?”—This is fundamentally a suggestion for a feature rather than a question that invites robust debate.

• “How would you feel about dating someone who earns significantly more than you?”—This question opens the floor to varied perspectives and thoughtful responses, embodying the essence of discussion.

At AskReddit, our philosophy leans towards maintaining objective rules. This ensures fairness in moderation, allowing us to uphold consistent standards without the interference of subjective judgment. However, we also acknowledge that a blanket ban on specific question formats may not always align with the intent behind our guidelines. If you believe that your “How would you feel?” post encourages substantial conversation rather than serving as a mere rhetorical prompt, we invite you to reach out to us for a manual review.

We appreciate the constructive feedback we’ve received from our user base—your insights are invaluable to us. They help shape and enhance the AskReddit experience. Should you have any further comments or suggestions, do not hesitate to share; we are committed to continuously improving our platform.

Warm regards,

The AskReddit Moderation Team