Are moderators just purely altruistic? Or do they have an ulterior motive?

  • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I moderated on Reddit for years. It was a subreddit that’d been an immense help for me at a vulnerable point in my life and I wanted to give back and ensure it remained a safe space. From there I branched out into communities dedicated to other things I cared about. I think it’s often altruistic, an act of love for something. But also it’s often self destructive and addictive. You feel you’re needed. And you are, it’s a thankless job that depending on the community can get you regularly threatened and told to kill yourself. But also you need to have a life and not make it into an escape or a cause to martyr yourself