Hi, first post here, hoping people can share how they are cleaning up comments and deleting their reddit accounts. I’m ~~ thick as a brick~~ pretty average when it comes to tech, so far I’ve shreddit github.com/andrewbanchich/shreddit/releases but after downloading the windows version and trying to run it… It got blocked by windows security the first time, I insisted in running it, but afterwards nothing happened. I’ve just installed malware, who knows.
So if you have some foolproof method to nuke all reddit history in your account, I’d love to know about it. Thanks!
I made a tool for that!
Grodan Boll 😍
❤️
I really hate the destruction of knowledge. I’ve no idea what all you’ve contributed but I feel compelled to ask if you’ve mirrored the data somewhere or archived it for public accessibility?
Totally agree, a single deleted comment which provides context can ruin a whole comment thread
No, I haven’t made a backup. It’s 70% dumb comments and jokes, 25% arguments/ personal information and experiences I kinda regret sharing, and the rest might be called “knowledge”. I see where you are coming from, though.
I could leave my stuff hanging there forever, but I remember being in a very similar situation years ago when I abandoned Deviantart. DA went through a similar phase of rebranding just like Reddit is doing today, killing its userbase. The site didn’t die, I didn’t remove my artwork, but while I was gone two things happened: art scavengers resold artworks on other platforms (lots of nfts, but not limited to) and DA introduced an AI system that allowed anyone to generate images using the artwork hosted as the source “learning” material. Before leaving, both scenarios would have sounded outlandish and unimaginable- yet they happened.
I don’t know what other plans Reddit might come up with, or what new tech might crop up in the near future that could learn and use my stupid comment history. But I’d rather not find out.
You could try PowerDeleteSuite.
Mini-tutorial from r/RedditAlternatives, on how to replace your content with random gibberish and then delete it:
- Open Zompist’s gen. Take off the line saying “ki|či”, and click “Generate”. You’ll get some random babble like “Bepe topioi kabi brete i kropra”, copy it somewhere.
- Open your Reddit profile and drag the button of Power Delete Suite to it.
- [Optional] Check the box saying “prepare local backup of items”, if you want to save your content elsewhere.
- Uncheck “remove comments”. You want to replace them with babble, not remove them.
- [Optional] uncheck “remove posts”. It depends if you post mostly self posts or if you post links/pics. Use your reasoning.
- Check “Edit comments / self posts”. It should open an input box for text; place the babble from Zompist’s gen there. Then click “process”.
- Just wait!
- [Optional] Click to download the backup of the items.
Shreddit is not malware so dont worry :) You should be able to do it on the site https://shreddit.com/ without downloading anything tho. If that doesnt work then try https://redact.dev/.
If you’re on Android, download redact.
Worked like a charm for me. Was able to wipe my former accounts post and comment history in about an hour.
After I wiped everything, I logged into the reddit website one last time, went to my account settings, and deleted my account.
I’d never delete my contributed and published content. Even if I were to delete my account. I’d consider it a loss for myself and everyone else/the public, not only reddit org.
In this case, migrating it to the alternative of your choice (or even your own website) is the best approach.
The problem with leaving the content in Reddit is that, while it might be useful for some people, it encourages them to use and rely on a user-hostile company. And newer content that they produce will get stuck, in the walled garden of that user-hostile platform.
