/u/nter has been using their moderator status and powers at nine different subreddits to harass me personally since November 2018. Over the last couple of weeks this harassment has escalated to attacking those who dare mention my name in one of the subs u/nter moderates or who /u/nter decides is associated with me.
I have tried public mediation, private mediation, direct appeals, contacting reddit admins, and everything in the /r/ReportTheBadModerator appeals wiki page without success. /u/nter simply continues to escalate.
I don't know what relief y'all will be able to bring about, but at least with this post I'll have somewhere to point people who ask me why I'm banned without apparent cause in various subreddits u/nter controls or their posts mentioning me or linking to my sub(s) have been removed.
My first contact with /u/nter, I believe, was on October 6, 2018 and it didn't exactly go well. They responded to my r/Cash4Cash post in which I was looking to buy Bitcoin Cash. Not only did I find their entire tone condescending, but their questions (ie why I wanted to buy BCH) were both irrelevant to the transaction and, IMO, highly invasive. And I had no problem informing them of this in our PM exchange. Still we managed to successfully complete and confirm the trade.
For the next month or so my only interaction with /u/nter was when they would respond to my scammer submissions to the USL (r/UniversalScammerList). Given the tone of our first inteaction I did my best to not only be civil and polite but nearly obsequious - one example interaction.
Then in early November 2018 came the great USL v GCTrade battle.
In short, I had been made a mod of r/GCTrade by /u/chrismont due to my activity level and success in other gift card trading subs. In an attempt to clean up GCTrade I applied for (and was granted) membership in the USL.
I made the decision to unban someone in the sub that remained banned on the USL and nter reached out personally asking me why (from their named account, not the USL mod named account). I, again, found their question irrelevant and invasive so gave them a throwaway response that they interpreted to mean I was violating reddit rules.
u/nter therefore reported me to the reddit admins who decided that I had violated no rules and informed me of this decision. Despite being informed of this ruling, u/nter continued to spread the rumor that I was a reddit rule breaker.
That situation died down in a few days later and I went back to only interacting with /u/nter when they responded to my USL reports or they requested info on behalf of the USL.
Again, I was beyond polite and civil in these communications.
On November 25, 2018 I started a new subreddit dedicated to discussing trading on reddit - r/RedditTradingTalk. Although /u/nter didn't (publicly) comment in the sub many of the people that backed them in the USL v GCTrade deabcle were very outspoken in their disagreement of /r/RedditTradingTalk's policy of publicly discussing bad trading behavior - by both users and mods.
From that point forward, any time I would answer someone's question in one of /u/nter's subs with a link back to the appropriate information in RTT it would be removed based on made up rules.
An early example-
On December 20, 2018 someone posted a reminder to check the USL before trading in /nter's r/BitMarket. I responded with a link to a post in RTT about the Reddit USL in Context Chrome extension which makes this easier to do.
/nter removed it citing /r/BitMarket Rule #4 which reads-
No advertising outside the sub.
I Pm'd asking if it was okay if I link directly to the extension in the Chrome Store instead of to the RTT post explaining it, and they assured me that would be fine.
So, clearly they did not see this as advertising, but just didn't like that I linked to a subreddit where someone else had called them names and I refused to remove them. (Note: I don't remove comments calling other people names, either.) Screenshot of PMs.
On December 27, 2018 u/chrismont made a post in RTT titled Corruption in the mods of r/UniversalScammerlist ? (original post visible on removeddit) specifically calling out nter and two other USL mods for the USL v GCTrade scuffle mentioned above.
On December 31, 2018, /u/chfreak posted their Petition to remove nter (as r/slavelabour mod). As can be seen in the thread, I initially supported /u/nter following the "it's their subreddit" concept. However, things turned around when /u/nter let their hypocrisy fly by refusing to provide any evidence of /u/chfreak's wrongdoing while claiming harassment and trolling when someone provides proof of their wrongdoing. So, I called them on it.
In all of the above linked threads you'll see I'm avoiding name calling and insults and trying to remain civil while seeking the truth of the situation. But this doesn't matter to /u/nter. I didn't remove someone else's posts with insults so therefore I am the enemy and shall be punished.
Through the first three months of 2019 I simply tolerated /u/nter's constant attacks on both me and my subreddit. But then on April 7, 2019 things escalated dramatically-
Most recent examples-
In /r/SignUpsForPay /u/krisholl who is on the Universal Scammer List posted and I tagged /u/nter to determine if this was permitted in the sub.
I then continued a civil conversation with /u/krisholl about whether they deserved to be on the USL and what could be done about it.
Once /u/nter saw this they labelled me a troll and removed the "Trusted" flair I had earned in the sub through multiple good transactions. Essentially deleting my positive reputation there.
As they usually do, /u/nter declared the matter closed without explanation.
When I sent a polite modmail requesting clarification I was immediately muted.
So I created this post in RTT hoping they'd clarify things there. I know they read the post because they referenced it elsewhere. But, of course, no explanation of how I was trolling were forthcoming.
/u/nter then went to an entirely separate and unrelated reputation subreddit that they are essentially the sole mod of, /r/Reppit, and proceeded to remove and lock my 5 month old reputation thread there containing over 500 comments proving my honest trading reputation.
A month earlier I had made a post in r/Reppit with the title "Not Sure How/IF to Post This in Reppit".
That same day, in the midst of the /r/SignUpsForPay activity mentioned above, /u/nter removed and locked that post "per link to other sub". As they so often do, they went back later and changed their post. This time to read "removed and locked per link to other troll sub." You can see the original comment still in this screenshot and on removeddit.
Not only is linking to other subs not prohibited anywhere in /r/Reppit's rules, but it is actively encouraged at least twice in the sidebar: "You can also post reviews on subreddits" and "You may also add the subreddit where the interaction took place (if relevant) at the end."
Additionally, the "Moderator Policy and Caveats" listed in the sidebar also say: "r/Reppit moderators will not arbitrarily take sides to remove a feedback thread purported to be falsified or fraudulent." And yet, here /u/nter did so, merely because they don't like what people have said about them in the sub I linked to. Not the POST I linked to, just elsewhere in the subreddit.
So, this example isn't just a matter of hidden or secret rules, but a flagrant violation of their own stated policy. It's also another clear violation of the "Management of Multiple Communities" moderator guideline.
Ten days passed and then on April 16th, suddenly my /r/Reppit thread of 300 confirmed trades over the last 3 months was removed without comment shortly after I created a competing subreddit: r/RedditRep and made this post detailing why I felt it was needed.
16 hours after I posted questioning what happened /u/nter finally came by with the following comment-
your post was removed by AutoModerator per your link "doesn't mean I vouch for them" to your troll sub as seen by https://i.imgur.com/ctq6Qbq.png your previous post https://redd.it/9njf51 has now been removed too per the above.
your comment has been removed and you have been banned per your false accusations and trolling here and in your troll subs, this matter is closed.
Again, no explanation of what "false accusations" or "trolling", much less evidence of either was provided.
Several days later, /u/nter came back and edited their post (for at least the second time since declaring "this matter is closed") accusing me of vote manipulation for sharing this screenshot taken by u/RedditTradingTalk.
If merely having and sharing a screenshot from someone else's account is proof that it's an alt account then I guess I'm actually an alt of /u/nter as well because I can share this screenshot from their account as well.
They also claimed I'd been suspended from reddit despite my continuing to post here and the fact that reddit doesn't publicly share information about suspensions. So, apparently now u/nter is claiming to be an undercover reddit admin.
It was these same unproven claims that u/nter then used to then remove and lock a half dozen of my trading reputation threads in r/Reppit, r/SLrep and r/GCXRep also banning me from those subreddits.
All of those rep subs where u/nter has banned me have multiple other moderators ranked higher then nter, but they're absent from actual moderation activities (and some from reddit altogether).
u/nter likes to hold themselves up as a "protector" of reddit, making the site safer for people to engage in trading with other redditors.
Which leads me to ask how removing dozens of reports of scammers and sketchy trading trading behavior I had made in their r/Reppit over the last 7 months makes anyone safer?
Sadly, that's not even a complete catalog of the attacks, harassment, and mod abuse nter has directed at me, personally. But I think it's enough to prove a pretty strong case and the worst part of this is still waiting to be told.
u/nter has now started directly attacking and harassing other users simply for mentioning me or being connected to me somehow (even if only in u/nter's mind).
On April 7th, after the r/SignupsForPay kerfuffle, I found the abandoned r/SignupForCash and I requested it via r/RedditRequest. Several hours later, /u/nter also entered a request for the same sub stating they also mod r/SignupsForPay.
The reddit admins granted me the subreddit 5 days later.
Unfortunately, I had assumed they would give it to u/nter and between the time I requested and was granted the sub took on other projects that would take up my time - primarily r/RedditRep. So I offered it to /u/gracyzoe, someone who I trust and respect and is very active in the current r/SignupsForPay. They accepted and started building up the sub, so I dropped out of the sub completely.
It didn't take long for /u/nter to remove and lock all of /u/gracyzoe's posts in r/SignupsForPay and ban them from the sub. Their stated reasoning-
all posts removed, locked, and banned per affiliation with troll user and troll sub trying to copy this sub and asking users in here to join the troll sub and putting them at risk.
So, a sub that was no longer connected to me (presumably I'm the "troll user") and had only one or two posts by /u/gracyzoe was somehow deemed to be a "troll sub" that was "putting [users] at risk". Of course, those very same posts had been made by /u/gracyzoe in r/signupsforpay and weren't considered dangerous the or trolling then.
In fact, once /u/gracyzoe backed down and dropped moderation of the new r/SignupForCash, all of their r/SignupsForPay posts were restored and no longer considered "trolling" or "dangerous".
On April 18, /u/FastSellerService commented on a r/BitMarket scammer report that I was a trusted crypto trader.
Eight hours later /u/nter removed their comment stating-
removed per link to troll user and rule 4, this matter is closed.
r/Bitmarket rule 4 states-
No advertising outside the sub.
This was not an advertisement outside the sub as I regularly post in r/BitMarket and the link was to my user profile.
On April 21st, I had a successful trade with /u/Dab1029384756 in r/giftcardexchange as can be seen by their confirmation here. /u/Dab1029384756 posted the trade on their GCX profile, as is the normal procedure, writing-
Trade #22
22$ Paypal for 25$ Nintendo eShop Gift Cards with /u/MrAahz
He's kinda banned for some drama but this trade happened technically
Within minutes, /u/nter removed their comment stating-
removed per rule 3 and misinformation, u/MrAahz was banned from GCXRep for vote manipulation of his rep profiles, this matter is closed.
r/GCXRep rule 3 states-
3) Confirming Trades: YOU are the only one who can make a parent comment on YOUR trading profile. Use the appropriate format. See the GCX Rep Guide linked here.
Since /u/Dab1029384756 had posted on their own rep thread, exactly following the format in the examples, there was clearly no violation of Rule #3.
The trade did, in fact, occur and I was, indeed, banned from GCXRep, so there was no misinformation.
Still not convinced these actions are a personal grudge against me as opposed to just an overzealous moderator?
On April 15, in this comment nter bans u/Raggs04 for trolling, saying-
banned per trolling, no users have modmailed about OP u/noobest12 scamming them, further mod action will be taken for future trolling, this matter is closed.
Despite having 18 rules in the sidebar, including 7 that are an automatic ban, there are none against "trolling" or questioning the ability of the mods.
And then, 4 minutes later in this comment, /u/nter bans the OP, /u/noobest12 whom they just defended while banning u/Raggs04 in their previous comment.
On April 18, in this comment, nter banned /u/MrCash3 stating-
all such posts removed, locked, and banned per troll and admitted ban evader in modmail from SlaveLabour Network subs.
Only to come back 6 hours later to edit the comment and reverse their own actions stating-
edit: posts restored, unlocked, and unbanned per OP took responsibility for the above in modmail.
Yet, when I ask how I can avoid trolling in the future I get ignored and immediately muted. It's hard to "take responsibility" when your accuser won't tell you what you've done wrong.
Obviously, I agree that moderators should be free to moderate their subs as they see fit. But, as you know, reddit does have Moderator Guidelines For Healthy Communities as well as a Content Policy.
I believe I have laid out clear and compelling evidence that /u/nter has abused their moderator powers by repeatedly violating the following sections of the Moderator Guidelines-
1) Engage in Good Faith Healthy communities are those where participants engage in good faith, and with an assumption of good faith for their co-collaborators.
There is no good faith effort on /u/nter's part in the examples above.
4) Clear, Concise, and Consistent Guidelines: Healthy communities have agreed upon clear, concise, and consistent guidelines for participation. These guidelines are flexible enough to allow for some deviation and are updated when needed. Secret Guidelines aren’t fair to your users—transparency is important to the platform.
There are numerous examples of secret, hidden, or created on-the-spot rules listed above.
5) Stable and Active Teams of Moderators: Healthy communities have moderators who are around to answer questions of their community and engage with the admins.
You will note how often /u/nter uses the phrase "this matter is closed", often in their very post in the discussion.
6) Appeals: Healthy communities allow for appropriate discussion (and appeal) of moderator actions. Appeals to your actions should be taken seriously. Moderator responses to appeals by their users should be consistent, germane to the issue raised and work through education, not punishment.
Again, you will note how often /u/nter uses the phrase "this matter is closed", often in their very post in the discussion. And as /nter is the sole or highest ranked active mod in most of these subs, there is no appeal available. There are also several examples above of /u/nter banning and muting redditors immediately.
9) Remember the Content Policy You are obligated to comply with our Content Policy.
/u/nter's actions combined with the power they wield makes many redditors uncomfortable about expressing their feelings publicly on reddit.
10) Management of Multiple Communities We know management of multiple communities can be difficult, but we expect you to manage communities as isolated communities and not use a breach of one set of community rules to ban a user from another community. In addition, camping or sitting on communities for long periods of time for the sake of holding onto them is prohibited.
Again, many of /u/nter's actions cross subreddit lines in the examples above.
Additionally, they've violated the content policy by-
systematic and/or continued actions to torment or demean someone in a way that would make a reasonable person conclude that Reddit is not a safe platform to express their ideas or participate in the conversation
and
following an individual or group of users, online or off, to the point where they no longer feel that it's safe to post
Any help would be be much appreciated.
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