Reddit in its early days was based around free speech absolutism, and it had subs like /r/CreepShots, /r/WatchPeopleDie, /r/CoonTown and so on. But the current CEO being once the moderator of THAT sub in question.... that I didn't know!

[–] zalack@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Alright I'm going to go out on a limb and say that /r/WatchPeopleDie shouldn't be lumped in with that other human trash.

Every month or so I would get morbidly curious and scroll that sub for ten or fifteen minutes. Firstly, the comments and posts never seemed... I don't know I have the right word... sociopathic? gleeful? cruel?

The tone of the whole sub was much more somber. I always came away from that sub with a stark reminder that we are so so fragile, and our future can get snuffed out by the universe -- sheer random chance -- at any moment.

To me it was a reminder to live more in the present. Don't take tomorrow for granted, and I saw a lot of the sort of thing in the comments.

A lot of the videos were just random shit, like pedestrians getting hit stuck by a rogue tire flung from a car crash 500 feet away. Just totally senseless and sad... but in a way that helps put what's important in perspective.

[–] Stumblinbear@pawb.social 1 points 1 year ago

I only went to that sub a couple of times. All I've learned is to stay away from forklifts and ferris wheels.