Reddit has announced the launch of its new “Mod Helper Program,” an initiative aimed at recognizing and rewarding moderators who offer valuable assistance to their peers (via TechCrunch).
The announcement comes at a time when tensions between Reddit and its moderators have escalated due to the shutdown of third-party apps that many moderators depended upon, owing to Reddit’s API pricing changes.
The Mod Helper Program operates on a tiered system, wherein moderators who provide helpful advice to other moderators will be awarded with trophies and flairs.
Reddit users can amass karma through upvotes and awards, and conversely, they might lose karma through downvotes. Recognition in this program is earned through upvotes on comments within the r/ModSupport subreddit.
The tiers offer distinct trophies and flairs, starting from the “Helper” level and escalating to the “Expert Helper” rank. This model mirrors a similar initiative launched earlier in the r/help subreddit.
Alongside this program, an updated moderator help center has also been unveiled.
A new “Modmail Answer Bot” automates responses by directing users to relevant links within Reddit’s Help Center. If these suggested articles fail to address specific queries, a human admin will step in to handle the request.
Additionally, Reddit is merging its moderator-specific Help Center with the broader platform-wide one.
The launch of the Mod Helper Program is a response to recent challenges within the moderator community, including a widespread blackout of over 8,000 subreddits for 48 hours in protest of Reddit’s revised API pricing.
This move, initiated in June, was met with criticism from some moderators, leading to further strains in the Reddit-moderator relationship.
Reddit’s moderators have long sought more effective moderation tools on the official app, especially following the discontinuation of third-party alternatives.
