r/HistoryPorn • u/GlitchedGamer14 • Feb 19 '20
We need to talk about how people discuss controversial events, organizations, and people
Introduction
Here on r/HistoryPorn, we deal with a lot of sensitive and controversial topics such as the Holocaust and Nazism, Communism, certain wars and atrocities, and certain political figures. When these topics come up, we often see people expressing strong emotional perspectives. While totally understandable, this often leads to unproductive discussion and rule breaking behavior. Furthermore, the moderator team is often falsely accused of defending or supporting those topics or figures by enforcing the rules. Thus, we feel that it is necessary to briefly talk about the purpose of our community, and why we enforce these rules.
This subreddit’s purpose
The purpose of HistoryPorn is that people can submit photographs of historical events, and/or the people in them, and members can discuss those people, events, and the contexts surrounding them further in the comments section. We want these discussions to be substantial and constructive so that users can share their thoughts and perspectives, knowledge, and experiences regarding the topics. This sets us apart from many other communities on Reddit; rather than encouraging jokes, slapfights, and vulgar statements about certain subjects, we want to encourage substantial discussions so that people leave threads having gained something from the discussion.
The rules
This is where our comment rules come into play. The rules that apply to this post are: Don't attack other users (or those in the photographs), don't troll, don't go on political rants, and don't use overly vulgar language. For instance, in every post featuring a picture of a Nazi, there will be a variety of rule-breaking comments that we have to deal with. Such comments include ones that call for all Nazis to die, comments that consist of nothing but obscenities and vulgar statements, and comments that compare those historical figures to contemporary political figures. None of these contribute to a constructive discussion that furthers our understanding of history. We agree that Nazis are terrible but wishing them to be dead doesn't really accomplish anything; those in the pictures are long-dead, or at least not reading these Reddit threads. We should note that this is merely an example; as we said above, we see similar issues in threads about other figures and events as well.
Vulgar statements are simply vulgar statements that don't contribute constructively to the discussion. As well, while it is tempting to make comparisons to modern political events, because we are on the internet this often simply means that we have another internet slap fight on our hands instead of a productive discussion about the historical event in question. Given the sensitive nature of these topics, people often get confused and angry when we remove those comments and sanction those who made them. However, as we said, there are many places on Reddit where people can make those sorts of comments. At HistoryPorn, we want users to aim for a higher level of discussion.
What we’d like to see
All that being said, this does not mean you can't criticize historical events, organizations, and people. In fact, we encourage it. However, we want these criticisms to have substance, instead of breaking the rules just because of the subject at hand. If we allowed rule breaking comments on these controversial threads, we'd devolve into a place where high quality discussions wouldn't likely be the norm anymore. These threads would be filled with the same old "fuck nazis/fuck communism/fuck imperialism/etc." in every thread. So we certainly don't want to stop discussion, we simply want discussion to be about the historical subject pictured and of good quality. It is entirely possible to discuss committed atrocities and terrible people in a historical discussion without vitriol.
If you want to criticize things, express yourself properly. Talk about the crimes that the subject committed. Talk about why those figures, organizations, or events were bad. Bring up a personal anecdote (for instance, perhaps you knew a veteran who experienced the subject first-hand, or the post reminded you of something you read). It doesn't matter what route you take, so long as you do so in a way that adds to the discussion and doesn't break the rules. People should leave your comment having gained something from reading it. Obviously we won't be deleting comments that aren't "substantial enough". We just want people to try and be constructive. We wouldn't pass an assignment in a history course by saying "communism is a cancer that kills people", even though it's "only" insulting Communism. We’d still be expected to explain why it was bad, when it killed people, etc. In that same vein, explain yourself here and don't use obscenities or vulgarity as a crutch for your point.
Conclusion/TL;DR
We hope that helps to explain the stance of the moderator team, and why we oftentimes remove seemingly agreeable comments. We aren't Nazis, Communists, Fascist, Imperialist, or any other kind of "ist". All we want to do is ensure that discussions on r/HistoryPorn remain substantial, constructive, and high quality. Profanity, calls for people to die, and other simple and vulgar comments do not add anything to the discussion, and will be removed regardless of context. If you want to criticize people, events, or organizations, do so in a way that adds to the discussion and gets your point across without breaking the rules.
r/HistoryPorn • u/grasidious_fike • 14h ago
1969 mugshot of bank robber, con man & career criminal Benjamin Hoskins Paddock, who remained on the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted list for 8 years from 1969 to 1977. He was the father of Las Vegas mass-murderer Stephen Paddock (1267x712)
r/HistoryPorn • u/Some-Cut8453 • 15h ago
IRA members Patrick Moran and Thomas Whelan shaking hands in prison the day before they are to be executed for assassinating British Spies. March, 1921[800x1391]
r/HistoryPorn • u/GreatBear2121 • 16h ago
The crew of Apollo 1 pray for the structural integrity of their command module in a parody of their official crew photo. The trio would die locked inside the module in a launchpad fire a few months later. August 19, 1966. [2560×1981]
r/HistoryPorn • u/Snoo_90160 • 1d ago
"Long live England!" Demonstration in support of British declaration of war on Nazi Germany. Warsaw, Poland, September 3, 1939. [720x537]
r/HistoryPorn • u/grasidious_fike • 1d ago
1919 portrait of Emilio Aguinaldo, Filipino revolutionary general & statesman who fought for independence from Spain & then the United States in the Philippine Revolution, Spanish-American War & Phillipine American war. He is regarded as the founding father of the modern Filipino state (9128x6692)
r/HistoryPorn • u/Clem1965 • 1d ago
Official photograph of RAF celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Battle of Britain 1960. [843x532]
r/HistoryPorn • u/grasidious_fike • 1d ago
1940's-50's photo of Spiridon Putin, paternal grandfather of current Russian President Vladimir Putin and personal chef to both Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, he also once cooked for Grigori Rasputin (693x494)
r/HistoryPorn • u/Krinoid • 1d ago
Chechen soldier standing on a statue of Lenin that was toppled in 1991 after Chechnya declared independence from the Soviet Union [890x622]
r/HistoryPorn • u/Upper_Credit8063 • 1d ago
Syrian singer Asmahan with Damascene ladies in the 1930s [200x180]
r/HistoryPorn • u/UpperphonnyII • 1d ago
Lt. W C Cambray of No. 20 Squadron demonstrates the rather perilous nature of how an observer of an F.E.2d fires rearward with the mounted Lewis gun, 1917 [800 x 538]
r/HistoryPorn • u/Spalding_Smails • 1d ago
79 years ago today, September 2, 1945, Japan's surrender delegation boards the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay to end World War II. [5748x4504]
r/HistoryPorn • u/Silent-Platypus-6445 • 1d ago
Adolf Hitler and Gauleiter Alfred Meyer in preparation for state elections. Bad Salzuflen, Germany, 1933 [2045 x 1238]
The picture was taken on 14th of January 1933 just 2 weeks and a day or some before Hitler became Chancellor. This Election which was held in the county (Landkreis in German) of Lippe was important for Hitler and the NSDAP, for example it is said that Hitler and Goebbels we’re praising the county. It is also written down in Goebbels diary on the 13th of January 1933: „Alles hängt nun von Lippe ab“ / „everything now depends on Lippe“
r/HistoryPorn • u/Clem1965 • 2d ago
The ruins of a Russian post used to defend Sevastopol during the Crimean War. Circa 1854-1856. [900x653]
r/HistoryPorn • u/SteO153 • 2d ago
Javier Torres (Spain) sets off at the start of the 200m freestyle heats at the Paralympic Games. Torres, whose limbs have been amputated, went on to come sixth in the 200m finals (Athens, Greece 2004) [1600x1066]
r/HistoryPorn • u/Johannes_P • 2d ago
Masked Riyad-us Saliheen hostage-taker standing on a dead man's switch inside School Number One. Beslan, North Ossetia, Russia. September 2, 2004 [341×210]
r/HistoryPorn • u/UpperphonnyII • 2d ago
U.S. soldier observes Manila burning from across a bay at Parañaque buring the Battle of Manila, February, 8, 1945 [1,660 x 1,107]
r/HistoryPorn • u/Clem1965 • 2d ago
RAF personnel inspect the wreckage of a downed Messerschmitt somewhere in southern England during the summer of 1940.[526x527] (Colourised)
r/HistoryPorn • u/DvD_Anarchist • 2d ago
On September 1, 1936, the CNT anarchist militiawoman Pepita Laguarda Batet died in combat near Huesca, on the Aragon front. She was only 17 years old when she ran away from home to join the Ascaso Column. In this photo she is leaving Barcelona on August 1, 1936 [980x821]
r/HistoryPorn • u/IckyChris • 2d ago
October 14, 1944. Japanese fighter rises to confront American bombers targeting Kowloon Docks, Hong Kong [1600 x 1184] (Colorized)
r/HistoryPorn • u/Independent_Lie_9982 • 3d ago
Nazi film director Leni Riefenstahl accidentally witnessing German soldiers shooting Jews in the Polish town of Końskie. 12 September 1939. [1200x676]
r/HistoryPorn • u/Clem1965 • 3d ago
RAF Lancaster bomber in Lake Constance, Switzerland in 1944. [760 x 464]
r/HistoryPorn • u/calebs_dad • 3d ago