Reddit, an internet-based social news and discussion site, is receiving a lot of flak from users since the adoption of a new comment ordering system. Just recently the new change was made without any prior notice and for the untrained eye the change has now affected the manner in which comments are shown and prioritized within threads in particular; thus, leading to several complaints of censorship and manipulation of the discourse.

The new algorithm was implemented by the Reddit administration and called “Harmony” to decide which comments will be prioritized as the likelihood of sparking positive contribution and lessening aggressive comments.

But, many users say that this system is allowing them to hide the unpopular opinion and encouraging the clean, which Reddit lacks the discussion as it is known for.

The strident grew louder yesterday when some of the most popular subreddits such as r/news, r/science, and r/gaming shutdown. Some of the moderators are volunteers and as a way of protests they have gone on strike and are not willing to work until Reddit has agreed to halt the new system that has been adopted.

In an open letter to Reddit’s leadership, a coalition of moderators stated: Because the Harmony algorithm maintains only ‘positive’ comments, it alters the nature of discourse on Reddit and presents an artificially inflated and potentially misleading snapshot of public opinion on issues which matter.

Reddit co-founder and CEO Steve Huffman has recently taking to defending the new algorithm in the blog post where he said that the new change is intended to make Reddit better by improving discussions quality and being more inclusive for new and old users. “Our goal is be to make people more polite and reason able in their discussions” Huffman stated. “Our approach is based upon the notion that the comments which are posted are not always reflective of the overall nature of the comments made and that we can enhance this for everyone if the positive comments are displayed. ”

However, long-standing Reddit users are of the opinion that the change is a violation the platform’s fundamental tenets. User u/FreeSpeechAdvocate, whose comment on the announcement thread gained significant traction before being demoted by the new algorithm, expressed frustration: Reddit also originally utilized the concept of upvotes and downvotes by the communities to decide the content to show on the front page This new system removes this power from the people and grants it to a mysterious and unknown algorithm.

The issue has also received the interest of communication scholars and researchers that focus on internet interaction. Dr. Emily Chen, a professor of digital media at Stanford University, commented on the potential implications: This shift is a major change from the ways that online platforms manage content. There is the challenge of preventing echo chambers and the suppression of important debates though the aim of maintaining manners is noble.

In the future some users were able to figure out ways of getting around the new algorithm, that is, there are tips on how to use a browser extension in order to return to the previous method of sorting comments. This has resulted into a constant cat-and-mouse game between Reddit developers and individuals who want to keep what they consider as the true spirit of this site.

The counter reactions for change in Reddit show it is not a unique sin of social media sites to face criticism and scepticism while trying to maintain the right of speech and containing abuses. It also suggests the emotional investment most of the users have with the host websites and their willingness to oppose even minor changes that shift the paradigm of the interactions in these new online communities.

As pressure mounts, Reddit’s leadership faces a critical decision: remain committed to the use of the Harmony algorithm or to satisfy the users who complain about comments’ sorting and displaying. The resolution of the recent controversy could set precedents not only for the social news platform, Reddit but for all online consumer communities regarding consumer-generated content moderation.