Redditors Can't be Bothered to Read What They Vote On

DooKey

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Believe it or not a new study is out that shows redditors don't read the content they are voting on almost 3/4 of the time. Students at Notre Dame studied the habits of 309 reddit users and came to the conclusion that most reacted without reading due to "cognitive fatigue". I think they meant to say a case of "monkey see, monkey do". Color me not surprised. You can find the abstract here.

“The data show that most study participants were headline browsers,” the study concludes. “Specifically, 84 percent of participants interacted with content in less than 50 percent of their pageloads, and the vast majority (94 percent) of participants in less than 60 percent of their pageloads.”
 
Honestly it sorta makes sense, as the age old saying goes "the answer is in the comments". Most articles are clickbait, so people skip over the fluff aware of the subject looking to see to proper breakdown in the comments.
 
Honestly it sorta makes sense, as the age old saying goes "the answer is in the comments". Most articles are clickbait, so people skip over the fluff aware of the subject looking to see to proper breakdown in the comments.
Yup, I very rarely read the original article, and I don't frequent websites which don't allow commenting. I do read articles if it involves scientific, technical, or otherwise scholarly content. Anything which involves the author's opinion—which more often than not includes "news" articles theses days—then nope, I'll skip to the comments.
 
Hmm why would anyone care what or how 'redditors' vote? Reddit is a complete junk site with a layout style straight out of 80's.


Agreed. Maybe that's why I never got into Reddit. Its hard to read, both literally and figuratively. I like the typical linear forum layout such as [H]
 
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Doesn't that happen here? People read the headline or barely skim the article, then go ape shit about government oversight and we have our rights, then come to find out it was in 1992 in Australia or something?

Yea, I do that sometimes. :) I didn't read this article, but I believe the headline.
 
I'm sure it was from a sample size of like 500 people, and Reddit has to get like 500 million viewers a month, so this proves nothing. :troll:
 
This is why I prefer to read and then not rely on the mob to sway me.

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Do you vote that same way? Vote for the best person rather than the best party? :)

It sucks because at a place like reddit, it leans left most of the time. So, if you add some thoughts or facts that lean right, you're downvoted and hidden from being read by default. So, by design, it silences differing viewpoints than the mob. Downvotes are supposed to be used for bad content, not disagreeing, but that's not how it works in practice.
 
I typically vote based on my opinions and I do read candidate materials and bills before I vote.

I'm a person who likes to vote on everything with either an educated vote or I don't vote.

Keeps me out of a lot of relatives like of fire.
 
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Do you vote that same way? Vote for the best person rather than the best party? :)

It sucks because at a place like reddit, it leans left most of the time. So, if you add some thoughts or facts that lean right, you're downvoted and hidden from being read by default. So, by design, it silences differing viewpoints than the mob. Downvotes are supposed to be used for bad content, not disagreeing, but that's not how it works in practice.
For political purposes I usually vote for whom ever doesn't irritate me the most with their policies. Some times that locks me out of voting and other years it doesn't...... Thems the breaks in a 2 party system
 
Hmm why would anyone care what or how 'redditors' vote? Reddit is a complete junk site with a layout style straight out of 80's.

Most of the the mobile apps are laid out far far better than the actual website.
 
Doesn't that happen here? People read the headline or barely skim the article, then go ape shit about government oversight and we have our rights, then come to find out it was in 1992 in Australia or something?

Yea, I do that sometimes. :) I didn't read this article, but I believe the headline.

I'd say it happens everywhere. But targeting your article/study to a specific website is a good way to propagandize and gain popularity.

Overall though, I think a voting system is stupid. Say what you want to about [H], but at least I can say something you don't agree with, and it doesn't get buried into the netherworld. Reddit on the other hand, just becomes one big circle jerk. It's even more annoying though when a person agrees with you, but clearly hasn't read your post and just responds with the agreement, but negative towards what you said (and thus, most likely down voted your post).
 
Hmm why would anyone care what or how 'redditors' vote? Reddit is a complete junk site with a layout style straight out of 80's.

This is why I always object any time someone suggests allowing for online voting during political elections. People think this increases access to democracy by making it easier to vote. Sorry, but increasing the number of uninformed votes isn't going to improve government whatsoever. I've always thought that if you've taken the time to physically go to the polling station and wait in line, maybe you can spend some of that time thinking about what the issues are, and who you should vote for.
 
Yup, I very rarely read the original article, and I don't frequent websites which don't allow commenting. I do read articles if it involves scientific, technical, or otherwise scholarly content. Anything which involves the author's opinion—which more often than not includes "news" articles theses days—then nope, I'll skip to the comments.
There is no problem with giving an opinion on something as long as it is an informed opinion where you can see the author did his due dillgence and looked up at least the basics of the topic the news item is about. Otherwise it might as well be a monkey fapping. Of course the problem is that most sites don't pay enough for news articles to be worth researching it for news posters, so the only hope is sites that are done by enthusiasts.
 
This is why I always object any time someone suggests allowing for online voting during political elections. People think this increases access to democracy by making it easier to vote. Sorry, but increasing the number of uninformed votes isn't going to improve government whatsoever. I've always thought that if you've taken the time to physically go to the polling station and wait in line, maybe you can spend some of that time thinking about what the issues are, and who you should vote for.

People shouldn't vote on persons in the first place, but ideas. I'd change the voting system, where every candidate has to submit the 10 most important things they'd do if they're elected. And people would just tick ideas on the voting papers without knowing the person or party behind it. And whoever gets the most ticks gets in.
 
There is no problem with giving an opinion on something as long as it is an informed opinion where you can see the author did his due dillgence and looked up at least the basics of the topic the news item is about. Otherwise it might as well be a monkey fapping. Of course the problem is that most sites don't pay enough for news articles to be worth researching it for news posters, so the only hope is sites that are done by enthusiasts.

I completely agree. Firefly really does need a reunion series.

;)

A big problem is the click bait posts. The title is exaggerated or just plain wrong, and people go off of that and are pissed off until someone reads the actual article. Which I can understand for some people. I do the same. Sometimes, I'm too lazy to read the other article (I just don't want to put too much effort into something that's just mildly interesting) or it's blocked from work or whatever other reason. It is funny seeing a few dozen pissed off posts, then see the one that says "The headline is wrong. The actual news is ......" and people calm down.
 
People shouldn't vote on persons in the first place, but ideas. I'd change the voting system, where every candidate has to submit the 10 most important things they'd do if they're elected. And people would just tick ideas on the voting papers without knowing the person or party behind it. And whoever gets the most ticks gets in.


I've stated something similar in the past, but on all the issues, and each person and candidate takes a test on their stance on multiple issues, and the candidate who matches best with the majority of people wins. But the problem with this, is that imagine finding out the person you hate most in the world turns out to be the person you voted for. The public would reject them immediately. Sadly, perception is a key factor rather than just cold hard facts.
 
I've stated something similar in the past, but on all the issues, and each person and candidate takes a test on their stance on multiple issues, and the candidate who matches best with the majority of people wins. But the problem with this, is that imagine finding out the person you hate most in the world turns out to be the person you voted for. The public would reject them immediately. Sadly, perception is a key factor rather than just cold hard facts.
A little brooding never hurt anyone, it's not like they can go back and change their vote, and crying about it won't change anything as we saw with trump. In the end it's not perception that matters but the facts. And at least they'll have a reason to inform themselves better before voting. It might even turn them around not to vote based on feelings and superficial perception of a person.
 
And that was just in /r/politics

Fuck that subreddit, that place is the most vile circlejerk of uninformed, idiotic assholes I have ever seen in all my life. They make even the most vile of gaming forums look mild in comparison. It's no surprise they don't read any of the articles, it's little more than a batshit crazy echo chamber of hate and disinformation that's run by the fucking democrat party and their super PACs. The scary thing is that there are sooooo many young people that get all their news from that hellhole, and its nothing but propaganda and hive mind hysteria. That describes most of Reddit anymore, honestly, but /r/politics is in a league of its own when it comes to crazy, uninformed assholes.

And for those of you who don't think what reddit does matters, they're the 5th most visited site in the world now. Don't underestimate the power of their propaganda machine, there is some next level brainwashing and group think going on over there.
 
Yep this is why there are all kinds of videos talking about how a few upvotes on a post or a few downvotes can start a snowball effect. I can't tell you how many times I've stated an indisputable fact but because it went against the narrative and caught a couple early downvotes it got voted into oblivion and yet someone else posted nearly a copy paste of mine and caught a couple upvotes and became one of the top posts. I've also posted just some incredibly stupid shit for no other reason other than "Because I can" and sadly those remain some of my highest all time upvoted comments.

Actually I think most of reddit is are just mentally ill honestly. But fuck if it isn't fun sometimes to poke the caged monkey with a stick.
 
This is why I always object any time someone suggests allowing for online voting during political elections. People think this increases access to democracy by making it easier to vote. Sorry, but increasing the number of uninformed votes isn't going to improve government whatsoever. I've always thought that if you've taken the time to physically go to the polling station and wait in line, maybe you can spend some of that time thinking about what the issues are, and who you should vote for.

The biggest problem of the political system is that the politicians can lie what they want and not be held accountable for not keeping their promises. The second biggest problem are the parties that create an abstraction layer to the voting process. An individual representative is controlled by the party and the party often runs it's own agenda that may be completely opposed to the one that you voted for.

It's a broken system - even in countries that are not corrupted. In a corrupted country it's just a big sherade designed to keep the masses with the illusion that they have democracy. No country in the world has democracy in reality.
 
Hence 'Net Neutrality' sells better than 'Government Regulation of the Internet'.

The low-info set can't be bothered with details.
 
I decided not to read the other comments in this thread before replying as well. That way I can't be swayed either right or left by other's opinions.

Most people vote with their gut feelings about things. And since guts don't have brains, that explains a lot.
 
Pfft, people all over the world don't know anything about the political platforms of the leaders they vote for, Reddit is nothing.
 
Why bother reading click-baity articles when they have click-baity titles doctors hate?
 
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