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Really depends on the subreddit. On the front page ones, sure. But you get into the enthusiast and smaller ones you can still get a lot of high quality discussion.

I find the best subs fit all or most of the following characteristics:

1. No politics

2. Nobody trying to sell you something or promote themselves

3. Based around a single, external topic, usually an established IP

Examples: r/Factorio, r/asoif,

Yep. The moderators also make or break it. When immature people (especially seems to be a lot of teenagers) get ahold of the mod powers and go on power trips (which happens surprisingly often), it's the end of that subreddit.

From the article: > Technology can enhance discussion. Nested comments do, for example. But I'd rather use a site with primitive features and smart, nice users than more advanced one whose users were idiots or trolls.

I'd agree and say I don't think reddit has the quality of discussion in posts or comments that it used to.

There are plenty of great subreddits though. Just because the big ones are crap doesn't mean they all are.