Reddit starts moderator rewards program amid persisting tensions
What's the story
Reddit has unveiled the 'Mod Helper Program,' a tiered system designed to reward moderators with trophies and flairs based on their comment karma. On Reddit, users' karma is dependent on upvotes and downvotes. The 'Mod Helper Program' would reward moderators who receive upvotes for their comments in r/ModSupport. The platform's rewards program comes amid persisting tensions between Reddit and its moderators due to the shutdown of third-party apps with superior moderation tools because of controversial API pricing changes.
Details
Moderators would be ranked from 'Helper' to 'Expert Helper'
Moderators would get different trophies based on their ranks, which range from 'Helper' to 'Expert Helper.' The trophies a moderator has would indicate how helpful they are. To address moderator concerns, Reddit has also launched the Modmail Answer Bot. It is aimed at streamlining support requests. The Bot would automatically provide links to Reddit's Help Center. If the information is not sufficient, it will create a ticket. Reddit has also merged the moderator-specific Help Center with the sitewide one.
What Next?
Moderator community is not particularly happy with Reddit's rewards program
The Mod Helper Program received mixed reactions from moderators on r/ModSupport. Some questioned the effectiveness of an automated support system, while a few pointed out that Reddit should be working on improving the moderator tools on the official app instead. Others pointed out that the flairs may not accurately represent helpfulness, as snarky or humorous comments could also receive upvotes.