Based on some of my past articles, you may already know that I hail from the online community of Reddit (and so do a couple of my fellow writers). However, as with any online community, there are certain types of users that absolutely drive me nuts. But do I actually do anything about it? Not really.

With that in mind, I typically try to be kind, and furthermore, I try to remember this wise adage that a good friend once told me – "Don't feed the trolls." Basically, it's always a good option to take the high road. However, it's fine to occasionally vent off-site, right?

So, here's taking a look at three types of Reddit commenters that drive me up the wall.

Irrelevant Commenters

reddit comments

I don't understand it, but every once in a while, a commenter will pop up out of the blue with something that only halfway relates to the Reddit post. I'm not quite sure, but this is a character that I dub the "Irrelevant Commenter".

The Irrelevant Commenter shows up in the strangest of places, and sometimes, he'll even venture away from Reddit onto other sites, leaving his comments that have virtually nothing to do with the link. Strangely enough, when someone responds to his totally irrelevant comment, he seems to disappear without even an explanation of his actions. But no matter where he is, he always leaves a comment that barely has anything to do with the subject that is being discussed.

You may actually link to this article that you are reading right now on Reddit, and you may even earn sweet karma for it! However, if the Irrelevant Commenter shows up, he will leave something like, "I just love MakeUseOf – particularly that American writer J. Lockhart. He looks so good in that tie!"

As you can tell, the comment is somewhat connected to the link. Unfortunately though, it provides zilch when it comes to constructively contributing to the conversation. Despite my distaste for the Irrelevant Commenter, I find him just a little more forgivable than the other two.

Grammar Nazis

mean reddit

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm a writer, and yes, I know quite a bit about grammar, proper spelling, and the various other twists and turns that the English language likes to take. I'm certainly not perfect with every single thing that I put on the page (to my editors, I apologize), but I'd like to think that I have passed the stage of being a novice when it comes to writing.

However, with that in mind, even I don't have a problem with the occasional grammatical error on a Reddit post. The purpose of the site is to share information and ideas with other people – not be online masterpieces of literature. Despite my fear of the English language's eventual demise, I can usually let it slide when it comes to Reddit (and yes, even Facebook).

Unfortunately though, for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. The action in this case is my flippant attitude towards grammar on Reddit, and the reaction is the guy that likes to pick through even the most important of posts and point out the minor grammar errors that have absolutely nothing to do with the subject at hand. That being said, Grammar Nazis are simply not my favorite Redditors. We've got better things to worry about, my friends.

Repost Hall Monitors

mean reddit

The Internet is full of recycled information, so what ends up on your monitor is typically going to end up on another person's months from now. Heck, it's even more likely that whatever is currently on your monitor was on someone else's before even that. People come and go on Reddit, and it's a given that users are going to repost stuff that they have just discovered.

There are quite a few folks who tend to complain whenever there's a repost on Reddit, and for some reason, I don't have an earthly clue as to why. Part of my curiosity stems from this question – are they on Reddit that much so that they know each and every time a link is reposted? C'mon.

Sure, you can check to see if a link has already been submitted using the site's search function before posting. However, when the last time that same link was posted months ago, it might be okay to bring it back. Beyond that, even the creators of Reddit ask the users not complain about the reposts through the Reddiquette – the law of the land for all things Reddit.

The irony of the matter is that those who are complaining are the ones that are actually in violation of the website's usage policies. Some of them complain that the "original posters aren't getting the karma that they deserve". I say that the Repost Hall Monitors are probably worrying more about the karma than the original poster.

reddit comments

(By the way, you may have noticed that the Reddiquette also says not to complain about complaints about reposts. Good thing we're not on Reddit, right?)

Conclusion

These are just a few of my pet peeves about Reddit users, and I'm definitely not trying to get all "holier than thou" on you with the three mentioned. However, some people tend to take the site just a little too seriously. That's all it is, though – a website.

What are some of your pet peeves about Reddit? What other sites have users that drive you nuts?