It’s been about six months since I was permanently banned from r/Futurology following my post, “🔥TAKE: the real AI divide isn’t coming </> it’s already here.”

I’m appealing now because enough time has passed that I’d rather revisit it calmly than argue about the decision in the moment.

The ban message didn’t identify a specific rule I violated, so I’ve never been entirely sure what part of the post warranted a permanent ban.

Looking back, I can absolutely see that some of the wording and framing was intentionally provocative, and I’m willing to tone that down going forward. But the actual subject of the post was the emerging divide between people actively learning to work with AI and people rejecting it outright, how that divide might compound over time, and whether education should focus more on AI literacy rather than simply detection and prohibition.

Whatever anyone thought of my take, I was genuinely trying to start a discussion about the social consequences of emerging technology ... which is exactly why r/Futurology matters to me.

I’m not asking for the original post to be restored, and I’m not trying to relitigate the moderation decision six months later.

I’m asking for another chance to participate constructively.

If there was a specific rule or part of my behavior that led to the permanent ban, I’d also genuinely appreciate knowing what it was so I can avoid repeating it.

I spend a lot of time thinking and writing about AI, automation, human enhancement, transhumanism, and the broader social consequences of future technology, so being able to participate in r/Futurology again would genuinely mean something to me.

Thanks for considering the appeal.
-xÐ

I was banned from posting. When I asked I was told it was because I. was spamming. I had 5 posts, that day. All with valid topics. I would hardly call that spamming. One on the future of China as a hegemon, one regarding nuclear energy, one on nanoscale computers in the future, one on gene editing and a final one on a future of AI based on gartner info. If you consider this spam, not sure why. The one on Nuclear energy had 888 upvotes, and 543 comments. So the community would probably agree it is an interesting topic. I joined the community to contribute not to spam, and I think I was doing just that.

Would ask the permanent ban be reversed?

Dear r/Futurology Moderators,

I’m writing to appeal my permanent ban from r/Futurology for my post(https://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/1n4u4f3/how_can_tech_bridge_the_digital_divide_for_older/). I deeply value the community’s discussions on future tech and was excited to share my thoughts on bridging the digital divide via inclusive AI design.

I understand my post, linking to my Medium article, may have been seen as self-promotion or not fully aligned with community guidelines. If this violated Rule 4 (spam) or other rules, it was unintentional—I aimed to spark discussion on AI-human co-evolution, as outlined in my Submission Statement. I’ve reviewed the subreddit rules and Reddit’s self-promotion guidelines(https://www.reddit.com/wiki/selfpromotion) and will ensure future contributions focus on community engagement, avoiding external links if needed.

Could you clarify the specific reason for the ban so I can learn and contribute better? I’m eager to participate respectfully in r/Futurology’s vision of a tech-driven future. Thank you for your time and consideration!

Sincerely,

u/wyzBelinda

Hello, I was banned after posting a discussion titled “If Reddit could bet on the future — what would we be right about?”— where I asked what kinds of real-world events Reddit users might accurately forecast if Reddit had its own prediction market.

The post received organic engagement (13 comments in a short time), and I believe it was a sincere and on-topic question for the r/Futurology community. I did not promote a product, include any links, or violate any of the subreddit rules to my knowledge.

I would greatly appreciate it if you could take another look at the post and reconsider the ban.

Also, for context, while I write from an account associated with a forecasting platform, I’m a real person — a woman and researcher — genuinely interested in how collective intelligence works, including on Reddit. My intention was to spark meaningful discussion, not to advertise.

Thanks for your time and all the work you do moderating the community.

Hello. If possible, I’d appreciate reconsideration of my permanent ban to something more temporary if possible. I understand my post and others have been considered spam and will not do so in the future. I appreciate your consideration and second chance, thank you.

Just wondering why? Love you guys

chatgpt

dear moderators

please let me know what i did wrong

why it was a permanent ban and not a general ban

whatever it maybe i promise i did not do with bad intensions or on purpose

the only thing i can think of is the last post about a discord channel

if its not that then i genuinly dont know what it might have been

if its self promotion im sorry- like i mentioned earlier reddit is fairly new to me and i too am learning

i believe it would be great if you can tell me what i might have done for a permenant ban and not just a one week ban or something

Dear Moderators,

I'm writing to appeal my ban from r/Futurology. I've carefully reviewed the rules and believe my contributions have been valuable and well-received by the community. I'm not aware of any rule violations, but if I've made a mistake, I'd appreciate knowing what it was so I can avoid repeating it.

I want to clarify that I am the author of the podcasts I've been quoting from. The guests on my podcasts are highly relevant to futurology discussions, which is why I've been sharing their talking points. Given the relevance of this content to the subreddit's theme, I'm confused about why this would be grounds for a ban.

I understand moderation is challenging, but clearer communication about reasons for bans would be helpful for users like myself who wish to contribute positively to the subreddit.

Could you please explain the specific reason for my ban? I'm open to feedback and willing to adjust my approach if needed.

Thank you for your time and consideration

Hi, I would like to appeal my ban. It said that broke the community’s rules, but it doesn’t state which rule I broke. If you provide me what caused the ban, I’d be happy to adjust my behavior so that I participate in the community.

Do you think you could make it a temporary ban instead please?

Banned for 7 days without stating what was the reason or offending post, and then waiting 24 hours to let me know I could appeal? I still don't know what I did.

"Let's say the definition of temperature is "the measure of the average random kinetic energy of the molecules of a substance" and say that when we feel the temperature of an object when touching that object, what we're feeling is the difference of energy between our skin and that object (hot objects transfer energy to our skin, and our skin transfers energy to cold objects). This is why ice will melt in your hand, or a hot pan will burn your finger.
Now, space is effectively empty, nothing. No molecules for a hot object to transfer energy to through conductance. Since there is no heat transfer through conduction, the only heat transfer is through radiative heat. Radiative heat is like holding your hand in the sunlight or near a flame, your hand gets warm, even though the air between you and the sun or flame does not, relatively speaking. This is the only way for heat to be transferred away from a source in space. Radiative heat transfer is very small compared to conductive heat transfer."

Here's the comment where I actually made a claim about my qualifications:

"So I just tracked down the initial research publication, let Google translate it to English, and did a quick scan read through of it.
All I see is theory and vaporware with claims of "testing" but zero experimental data. Additionally, much of the paper doesn't really explain how the design would be useful for spaceflight, and it certainly fails to explain how it can be used for propulsion, let alone propelling a large spacecraft to Mars in six weeks. The linked article appears to be making up plenty of details to fluff up the headline, and would probably defend against this by claiming they were just simplifying the research for a layman's explanation.
Typical Chinese propaganda in my opinion. If China told me it was raining outside, I'd go check for myself.
Also, source: I have a BE in Nuclear Energy"

(I subsequently edited my comment to be more specific once I learned about my ban)

I have a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Energy Engineering Technology from Thomas Edison State University, described here by the school. I can provide a picture of my diploma with my username covering my real name, however it only says Bachelor of Science and does not specify the program. The school does not offer unofficial transcripts to show all the classes I took with them to earn the degree, and I will not be paying the $15 or $18 or whatever it is these days to provide an official copy to some overbearing Reddit mod with a hard on for Chinese propaganda. If you see fit, please reverse the ban on principle, if you think I should remain banned from the sub, so be it. I only care about this in principle. Without principle, we are nothing but animals.

I do have a list of the following courses I took at this institution to earn my degree, in addition to my transferred credits awarded from military service and my previous undergrad institution:

CTR 212

ELE 211

ENC 102

ENG 201

ETH 230

HIS 121

NUC 351

NUC 490

NUC 495

POS 110

SOS 110

STA 201

It's all in the title. Woke up to a few comments and tried to reply to them and noticed I was actually banned. My comments were sourced and not disrespectful. I'm not even negative in karma for them so the community didn't seem to disagree...
Which rule did I break?

Hi there — I was permanently banned for this post, which was based on a link to an article of which I was the author, triggering the ban due to self promotion.

I'd read the rules before posting, and interpreted the fourth rule around no spamming is meaning that self promotion as spam, as in, posts that make no effort to engage with the actual themes and interests of the community, and just try to spam their content for clicks, are what is not allowed. I did not realize that any form of promoting one's own work is not allowed.

That was explained to me after the ban, and I'm wondering that since the ban resulted from a misinterpretation on my end, the ban can be lifted? I understand the rule now, and am perfectly happy to abide by it in future posts. I really enjoy this community, and would like to participate in the future.

Let me know if I can share any other info, thanks.

There was no explanation of why im banned.

I was banned for a comment that responded to the comment below that claimed more people in Africa is a negative for the world :

“Explosion of population in subSaharan Africa.

Nigeria is on course to exceed the ipopulation of the USA by 2050.

Kinshasa, the capital of Congo, is now the largest French speaking ciy in the world, exceeding Paris. Montreal, formerly second, is now number 9 after Pais and 7 cities in Africa.

By 2050 sub Saharan Africa will have gone from having one third population than Euope in 1950 to 3 times as much in 2050.

Explosion of population in subSaharan Africa.

Nigeria is on course to exceed the ipopulation of the USA by 2050.

Kinshasa, the capital of Congo, is now the largest French speaking ciy in the world, exceeding Paris. Montreal, formerly second, is now number 9 after Pais and 7 cities in Africa.

By 2050 sub Saharan Africa will have gone from having one third population than Euope in 1950 to 3 times as much in 2050.”

I replied: “ ah yes more Africans is negative 🤣” but I was given the ban? in fact the original comment got 29 upvotes. I’m confused as to being banned for “racism” but the person above me wasn’t.

Hi there, I got a message saying I was permanently banned from this sub, I responded asking what happened and what rules I broke. A mod different to the one that banned me responded telling me they didn't know why and to message here for help. I got into a debate with someone and AFAIK I didn't insult them or break any community guidelines. So even if I am not unbanned I would like to know what rule I broke and where.

Sorry I don't have any more information but I have dozens of comments so I couldn't figure out where to start.

Hello, I would like to appeal my ban. Unsure why I was permanently banned for expressing my personal opinion on the meta verse that the vast majority of people I'm aware of have no interest in it.

I did use the "f" word, and the "r" word which I imagine could have offended some individuals leading to them reporting my post ending in my perma ban. However nothing i said was negatively directed towards any group or individual but simply the idea of the "meta verse" itself and there is nothing in the sub reddits rules about using harsh or foul language. The alternative is that someone REAAAALLY digs the idea of having a meta verse and REALLY did not like me acknowledging that it is a dead on arrival idea.

If I hurt someone's feelings by what I said I sincerely apologize. However its important for any individual who may be offended by what someone says to keep in mind that it is simply the opinion of that individual be that opinion right or wrong by whatever beliefs or moral code you may have.

You see this thread https://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/16206k1/while_google_meta_x_are_surrendering_to/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=1

I made a total of 10 comments in this thread to 10 different people, so each comment I made was sent to a different person, and I was banned for 14 days for supposedly "spamming". There were over 750 comments in total in that thread and I only made 10 of them so yeah, I'm telling you right now I wasn't spamming and I'm offended that I've received a ban.

So telling people on Reddit your viewpoint is now considered spamming? I wasn't spamming, this is ridiculous is what this is! You're able to go and see the comments I made right? Well please go and read the comments I made, clearly I wasn't spamming. I can assure you I'm not a spambot.

I wasn't spamming.

Will you please lift my ban?

I was permanently banned and would like to appeal. My ban was attributed to:

"Nuclear is specifically not being considered like it should because the companies that label themselves as green tech and the money behind them are all in on solar and wind being used to make hydrogen energy from water. I’m saying don’t use them. Bechtel will absolutely try to insert itself into anything nuclear and any nuclear project they are apart of I would be hesitant to support.
When a company creates a problem and then sells you the solution to the problem, that’s a scam! We are being scammed and inst"

This was apart of an ongoing conversation and discussion with another user and I'm currently unclear what community rule this comment, especially in context of the conversation, violates. As it would not be my intention to violate a community rule I hope my appeal is heard. Thank you.

I did allow things to get rather heated in some discussions. When I started to be called "A perfect example of Dunning Kruger" I should probably have just reported it rather than responding. At the same time, I was having several conversations, and don't know exactly what I said that was considered a personal attack. As it's a temporary ban, feedback would be appreciated to avoid this in the future.

I've broken no rule as far as I know and would like to appeal for the removal of this ban.

If I've done something wrong, please explain.

Insta-banning someone without warning or reason makes the mods of the sub seem insecure and afraid of free speech and debate.

Posted a link to a blog. Got banned. Seems like a mistake.

Made two posts in error. Deleted one of them. My un-deleted post was marked as spam. I just wanted to show people this ai platform I found. Won't link anything going forward.