EDIT: Redditorial

Many students, when they have 10 pages to write, find themselves on Tumblr, Facebook or Reddit. The last on that list is known for its r/aww thread providing the world with thousands of adorable animals or the gruesome r/wtf thread with photos that make most viewers cringe. After the Boston Marathon Bombing, Reddit moderators took a more serious turn with the r/findbostonbombers thread, effectively starting a citizen-run manhunt in search of the suspects. Users posted photos and names of people in the videos from the bombing. Reddit issued an apology, both privately and publically, for starting a “witch hunt” in Boston, the metaphor sticking because so many Reddit accusations proved false.

Since then, the thread has been made completely private and only moderators and “approved submitters” may view and post to the thread. Most of the thread consisted of speculation of the suspect(s) age, nationality and religious affiliation. There are also multiple conspiracy theories sprinkled into the mix. People went crazy uploading screen shots with names attached. Although Reddit does not allow users to post personal information, submitters did so anyway. The family of Sunil Tripathi, the then-missing, now-found dead former Brown University student, suffered more emotional distress when people accused their son of terrorism.

Reddit users took it upon themselves to find the suspect for the FBI. Investigators did ask for any help from the public, though, so submitters were not completely wrong for posting photos. The real problem was some mainstream media outlets, which picked up these accusations and made them national. The intentions were upright but news outlets should have realized that it is too volatile a space to actually verify information like that before the FBI. Reddit’s apology shows how prominent Internet voices are aware of their influence on the public.

The speed and accessibility of Reddit, however, got people involved in an investigation of which the FBI and Boston Police Department should have been in control. Reddit’s decision to make the thread private instead of delete it shows how committed moderators are to helping investigators gather information and how conscious they are of how people spread information online. People should take a deep breath and realize that it is more important to wait for verified information rather than shout fire, then look for smoke. Seeing such a large website take that responsibility is relieving because if something like the Boston Marathon events happen again, only the legitimate suspect’s photo will be posted, at least by Reddit.