THE VERDICT IS IN!
Thanks to the 166 people who submitted their answers to the survey! That means under half a percent (yes, <0.5%) of the total subscriber count of /r/longboarding was represented in the survey.
<0.5%
Oh well. Moving swiftly onwards to the results…
The majority of users were in favour of allowing all gear posts, regardless of modifications or other unique features.
How many exactly?
111 people were in favour of allowing standard gear posts
57 people were not in favour of allowing standard gear posts
That’s a split of 67% for, to 33 against.
Want a graph? HERE’S a graph*
* Note: Ignore Google’s percentages, the algorithm sucks at rounding apparently.
SO, what does this mean for /r/longboarding?
In our position as moderators, it’s our job to cater towards the majority. For that reason, we’ve decided to re-allow non-standard gear posts – basically, the sub will remain just like it has been for the past three weeks with the limited moderation we’ve been having.
We just thought we’d end with a few of the more insightful comments – and would respond to some of them, as well. There’s no need to claim the comments listed here as your own – we designed that form to be anonymous for a reason – but we thought it would be useful to include your thoughts on the matter.
Vote: YES
Even if it gets a bit repetitive with common setups, it’s worth it because everyone gets super stoked when they get a new board, and sharing it on /r/longboarding is a great way to share it. Plus, pictures of gear that’s not off of a shop’s website are good to see.
Vote: NO
I don’t care about someone’s ability to order a new board or open the box it came in.. I don’t want to see receipts for shit that hasn’t even arrived yet. Unridden wheels are boring. Manufacturers already have websites showing what their products look like while not being used. The daily thread seems to have helped quite a bit though.
Vote: YES
Then how else would Squidley be known to the masses. On a real note, I enjoy seeing people’s custom work. I actually find "standard" gear posts boring. Seeing nearly the same set up over and over is beyond tedious.
Moderator Note: The rule as it was stated that only unmodified, or non-standard gear posts would be subject to deletion. The infamous Squidley is about as far from ‘non-standard’ as you can get ಠ_ಠ
Vote: NO
"some people enjoy them but the problem is, they TAKE OVER the subreddit. It becomes 50% or more of the subreddit easily. The subreddit is r/longboarding not r/longboards, and I personally would much rather keep it that way. Videos and actioin shots get me stoked to ride, discussions get me thinking about things that could up my game, news helps me stay informed as to longboarding as a sport, but gear just doesn’t do anything. I see the same setups or setups made of the same components all the time and all it does is tell me what companies are making money. Every now and then theres a really cool shot that encourages discussion like the one you mentioned, but it’s rare, especially considering the volume of posts.
I understand y’all are working for the majority, but please keep in mind what these gear posts really add, and the volume of them, before you make any decisions. I and all of my friends (who are all avid longboarders skating every day some of us sponsored all of us stoked) were coming close to unsubbing before yall started moving them to the weekly thread. We just weren’t getting anything out of the subreddit as r/longboards anymore.
whatever yall do, good luck"
Vote: YES
Many people, myself included, love seeing what kinds of set-ups people have so you can ask them about it. I think r/longboarding is perfect right now because you can get questions asked/answered questions in a single, easy thread. Then the posts are filtered out to posts about evens and set-ups. I wouldn’t change a thing!
Thanks once again to those who took the time to answer!
Keep it sideways,
– The /r/longboarding Mod Team
