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Did bad moderators ruin Reddit’s biggest art group?
A very large art group on Reddit has closed its doors. This happened because the people in charge, called moderators, treated an artist unfairly. Many people are angry about how this situation was handled.
What Happened to the Artist
An artist named Hayden Clay (“Strawbear”) shared a picture of his art. He made a small mistake. He told people he had copies, or “prints,” for sale. The rules say you cannot sell things there.
Instead of a simple warning, the moderator did three bad things:
- Kicked him out: The moderator banned Hayden forever immediately.
- Erased his work: When Hayden asked why, the moderator deleted all of Hayden’s past art from the group.
- Used bad words: The moderator used mean language and told the main Reddit bosses that Hayden was harassing them. This got Hayden in trouble with the whole website.
Why People Are Angry
Hayden showed everyone what happened on X (formerly Twitter). Over 100,000 people saw it and felt it was wrong. They believe artists should be treated with respect. “God forbid an artist wants to survive,” Hayden said.
To show support, other users went to the art group and posted the word “print.” The moderators banned them too. They even reported these users for harassment.
The Group Shuts Down
Because so many people were upset, the moderators locked the group on November 26.
- No one can post new art.
- The moderators have not apologized or explained why they acted this way.
- Old posts are locked so no one can comment.
This Has Happened Before
This group has a history of being unfair. In 2022, they banned a different artist named Ben Moran. They said his art looked like it was made by a computer (AI), even though Ben proved he drew it himself. The moderator told him to “find a different style.”
The Lesson
This situation teaches us that leaders in online groups must be fair. When leaders use their power to be mean instead of helpful, the whole group suffers. Right now, one of the biggest places to see art is empty because the leaders refused to be kind.