Ask HN: Reddit account banned almost one year ago – unable to create and use new

3 points by netfortius 9 days ago

Silly original ban from an even sillier sub on reddit (/r/soccer - I know, I know! ;-), which, due to my complaint in other related subs about the /r/soccer, "ended" my multi year, multi 10K karma account on that platform. Learned my lesson, so tried to create a new account, and forget about the childish arguments on that sub, and the sub, itself.

Problem? After having created a new account, then posting, after a few days, to some sub, and receiving an instantaneous new "ban" (account "disappearing" from /u/<username>), I thought maybe it was because I used the same email as previous account, and maybe some high-ups on reddit were thinking I was trying to maliciously by-pass some restrictions on creating new account, post a recent ban. So I waited a little, then created a new account, using a new email address, and new browser - just in case (again - absolutely no malicious intent - just trying to get back to a platform where there are some points of interest to me). Same thing: few days later, and first post - ban! I have since attempted to use another 2-3 diff email addresses, increased the time before posting the first time (up to a month), changed browsers and VPN end points, to no avail. Every time I post once, the account is automatically and instantaneously removed (i.e. /u/<username> is no longer avail, when seen from another browser. Tried also through some of the apps (e.g. RIF), to same outcome. Questions:

1. What in the world is triggering this automatic ban, no matter agent ID, source IP, or email address?

2. Is there really no way one could get back on reddit, once banned? Especially looking at the silliness of the source of such, as I mentioned it to the admins ...

Of course I tried to appeal multiple times, from each account newly created and automatically banned, but there has never been a reply from the admins.

prof_hibschman 2 days ago

I worked on a similar large social platform with shadow-bans and more strict auto-bans, we had <10% of accounts with "uncommon" usage patterns from paid-user farms, bots, and power-users. The platform prefers a user who sees ads, has rich tracking data, stays logged in, has clean analytics, has persistent caches. Their view is that if you're technical enough to trigger a bot-ban, you're technical enough overcome a ban and make a new account, after all there are 900 million other "normal"ish users with higher ARPU.

To avoid auto-bans, emulate the preferred "dumb" user:

- Use the default app

- Avoid VPN/Proxy (AWS-hosted VPN exits are blocked on Reddit, appeals ignored)

- Avoid analytics-blockers in adblock/pi-hole/dns

- Avoid chrome plugins that scrape (shopping, reviews, media downloaders)

- Limit incognito usage, keep your new-login count low

- Limit deleting / cache-clearing mobile app

- Limit new logins on many devices/browsers/profiles on the same IP

- Limit cmd+clicking 10+ posts in the background (triggers bot-like flag)

- Start new accounts slowly, don't over-do it the first month

To avoid report-bans / moderator-bans / strikes:

- Avoid posting screenshots / URL embeds unless common for the subreddit

- Always add flare (tags) to new posts, many subs auto-mod no-flare posts

- Be careful what you say on "brand" subs like r/Comcast_Xfinity, r/unitedairlines, r/NFL. They hire "brand managers" to use reddit, and if the brand doesn't like it, they can report your posts towards a ban.

not_your_vase 9 days ago

Okay, so being on this site, I imagine that you have seen a computer at least on TV - most likely you know the answer.

If you were Reddit, how would you try to recognize that an unwanted user is trying to register? Email address, IP address, browser fingerprint.

  1. Use a brand new email address.
  2. Use an IP to visit reddit that you haven't used yet. If you   don't have such an IP, then it's time to go and get a new mobile subscription. Never use other IP to visit reddit from that account - it shouldn't be associated with any of the previously flagged addresses. You switch to wifi accidentally while being logged in, and that account is done. Also, the IP that you used to register is tainted too at the same time.
  3. Use Firefox, just to be sure.
Of course there can other factors too, but especially the first two are the bare minimum.

Happy trolling.

  • netfortius 9 days ago

    I am sure you have not read more than the title ;-)

    1. Done - so far - 12 new attempts, 12 new emails: 4 on gmail, 4 on protonmail, 2 on infomaniak and 2 on Tuta

    2. Done - 12 diff exit points, in 12 diff countries, associated with each diff email (these also vary at times, by the intrinsic way the VPN picks dynamically servers in their exit points data centers). Used two diff VPN solutions: PIA and Mullvad (if that matters at all)

    3. FF, Chrome, Brave, Safari (all on macos), Kiwi, Samsung Internet, Hermit and RIF (on Android) => changed the agent on a few, to match uniqueness of new email and new IP

    Thank you!

    • not_your_vase 8 days ago

      Of course I read it. And unless you are posting pictures about yourself on reddit announcing that you are a ban evader, you are making mistakes that reveal your identity - you share one of your known IPs, or you share some of your registration details between the accounts.

      Or alternatively reddit admins are psychics, in which case you should give up (or train to be a better psychic)