Source
r/DIY•
5-4-3-2-1-bang

/r/diy has become less than worthless (imagine that)

I used to read r/DIY for, you know, how to DO IT YOURSELF.

Now all the posts are more like facebook, "here's some shit I made. I started with an idea, and... poof! A panzer tank appeared in my back yard, just like that!"

First off, I'm not buying that half the stuff some of you claim is DIY really is DIY. If you have some pictures in the middle with it half made and partially fucked up, then I buy it that you made it. But most of the posts are just of the finished product. Nope, sorry, looks like you just unboxed that.

Besides, read the right hand bar, people:

If you're sharing your DIY project, please tell us how you did it.

If it's just pictures of your finished adarondack chairs, that's as useful as going to www.ikea.com and looking there.

Sorry for the rant, I'll unsubscribe now (and leave this to be downvoted into oblivion), but I feel better.

Posted Jun 23, 2012, 9:52 PM UTC

992137
Oxenfree•

If only there were some democratic system of weeding through content.

Oh bother.

175
elwizards•

The problem is the same throughout reddit. The polite thing to do is to upvote, even if it is not pertinent to the subreddit it was posted in. This avalanches and communities go downhill.

43
keytud•

I'm still cracking up about the comments on that giant pinterest post. It got a shit ton of upvotes, but the comments were brutal.

29
SchodingersCat•

Brutal...but honest. I couldn't help but read it and go "sure these are cool for teaching your 5 year old how to build things".

I also like the one about turning pallets into a couch...I'm not sure they realize how much work goes into that. I remember reading the real DIY on that. custom upholstery, finding the foam, sanding and refining the pallets. not what I'd call /easy/.

9
nilleftw•

This is true in so many subreddits. Some post with 2k upvotes, and every single comment is negative and something like "why in the fuck is this upvoted?!".

3
THREEinINK•

Link???

2
keytud•

http://www.reddit.com/r/DIY/comments/vfp6w/31_insanely_easy_and_clever_diy_projects/

It helps to actually go through the article first, too.

6
just_trees•

Fuck polite. Let's get out subreddit back. Mods, you are on the case. Let's make it happen.

12
[deleted]•

[deleted]

5
Capissen38•

Yeah but, let's not model r/DIY on r/AskScience. Sure, they're stuff stays on-topic, but they can be huge Nazis about it, to the point that a lot of threads are basically joyless wastelands.

I agree with OP's sentiment, even if thinking his/her delivery is dickish, but I don't want r/DIY to become a place where every joke or side topic is mercilessly deleted.

3
bobovski•

Thanks! Your comment earned me a reddit BINGO!

3
PretendDr•

Maybe we could make a requirement on explaining how to do it or pictures of the build?

120
h0p3less•

I like this idea.

21
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
[deleted]•

But it's already on the sidebar, it's already a rule, no one follows it, and it isn't moderated. Either the entire community needs to start downvoting content that doesn't follow this rule, which won't happen, or mods need to start enforcing it, which won't happen.

This happens with a lot of subs. As they get bigger, they decline into shit. I think it's inevitable.

3
[deleted]•

But then this subreddit basically becomes an instructables clone.

Personally, I like the way things are now. Sure, not every post has a detailed guide attached but every time I've seen a post I like that doesn't have details, I ask about them. Almost every time I've done this, I've gotten very elaborate responses. This is the main benefit r/diy has over instructables. The interaction.

-7
MrMastadonFarm•

r/diy has definitely turned into another iteration of r/somethingimade

106
[deleted]•

I'm subscribed to both and I see a lot of cross-posts. But I totally agree, this sub is about sharing knowledge, instructions, steps. Not simply a before and after.

46
Pulchritude_Puddle•

I subscribed here because I wanted to learn more about how to make shit. My dad died when I was thirteen so I never had anyone to teach my DIY-like-stuff growing up. I don't know much about engines either, much to my chagrin.

Every time I see pictures of something completed with no explanation/progress (half the time it seems like someone's just bought something from Ikea and wants karma) I seriously consider unsubscribing. It's a shame because I've seen some really cool and informative stuff here.

13
PunchingBag•

I believe most of the stuff on here is DIY, but a lot of the posters are likely professionals at building the thing they're showing off. Technically not cheating, but at the same time...

42
Procrasturbating•

It would be nice if more of the posts documented a bit more thoroughly. Sometimes the little tips make all the difference between a great DIY and a failed attempt at replicating something.

21
[deleted]•

[deleted]

36
kliman•

This is exactly why i follow this reddit

8
MrDorkESQ•

So I have been submiting to and commenting on r/diy for a while and here is my take, follow the new queue only.

The new queue is where people submit questions on how to start projects and ask advice. Most of these posts don't make it to the hot queue because they are resolved quickly and don't get much karma. You will find links on how to do specific projects as well as step by step instructions.

Sure you will see the posts that are people showing off their completed projects, but you also can share your knowledge and learn from others.

edit: Here is a perfect example of a new queue post

33
bboy1977•

Totally agree. I have received helpful advice countless times from this sub-reddit. Usually within MINUTES. Most posts I read only have 1-8 karma.

No other DIY forum I have found on the web is as good as this one. Or at least the people aren't as friendly and helpful. Sure it can kind of suck seeing nothing but insane finished projects on the front page, but instead of complaining people should contribute.

9
infotroph•

Pardon the dumb phrasing, but: How do I subscribe to the new queue? I Know about the tabs at the top of the page when I'm viewing the whole subreddit, but is there a way to put r/diy/new/, but not all of r/diy/, onto my front page?

2
MrDorkESQ•

Not that I know of. I just leave a tab open to the new queue.

2
infotroph•

Dang. Guess I'll have to click through more often.

1
snowflaker•

being in the construction business i joined r/DIY to check out some fellow builders and their cool stuff. nope. people putting swingsets together from home depot. i'll just stick to my workshop.

28
TioSam•

you may want to head over to r/woodworking

31
ReharshedAgain•

http://i.imgur.com/Or7H6.jpg

14
nate81•

I tried building a square with three boards once also :( FUCK THIS SHIT

4
MugsBeany•

I thought of your post when I submitted my first link to DIY last night, and I made sure I included pictures of the process, as well as the (almost) finished project.

It seems like DIY, along with most of the subs I subscribe to, have signal to noise ratio issues; But the occasional really cool posts make up for it, so I stay subscribed...

11
5-4-3-2-1-bangOP•

You sir, are the epitome of what I think /r/DIY should be. I regret that I have but one upboat to give! Thank you!

8
TrouserPudding•

I stopped answering questions in here over a year ago when the DIY to "look what I did" rato got to be too much. The mods don't seem to enforce the rules, so I'm certainly not going to bother. I still subscribe in case something decent makes it through, but it is typically just crap.

Yet another subreddit that has been brought down to the lowest common denominator. Pretty typical of reddit these days, which is to be expected with how popular it is.

I don't think subs like this can survive with their original purpose in mind without tight moderation. Look at things like askscience.

2
MugsBeany•

The thing I love about Reddit is that there is a surprisingly high ratio of knowledgeable people across every imaginable topic, all in one place. But I agree about using most subs for any serious Q&A, I tend to still go to specific forums on other sites to get questions answered (i.e. Gardenweb for in depth DIY topics)

2
MugsBeany•

Thanks for the kind words. I know my little project isn't much to a lot of people, but I'm primarily a computer geek with penchant for doing as much as I can myself.

Whenever I undertake a project in a new discipline, I research as much as I can on the subject to determine if it's something I think I can do myself, or if I need to farm it out.

There's been times where I have bitten off more than I can chew, and I end up paying more money to fix my mistakes on top of the original problem; But as time has gone by I've learned a ton, acquired a bunch of new tools, and learned my own limits (mostly.)

Well, break time is over. Getting back to installing counters, and a new sink/faucet (my first foray into minor plumbing.)

1
A_DERPING_ULTRALISK•

The way people use "sir" on reddit makes me want to do something violent.

1
5-4-3-2-1-bangOP•

Without adding, "...YOU'RE MAKING A SCENE!"?

2
durglenit•

Pretty much agree with you but, to play devil's advocate for a moment, it may be possible that there were simply no pictures taken during the process due to being too absorbed.
I've made several projects where I become so excited with progress that I simply forget to take pictures. Then I remember and say 'ah, well the thing is 90% complete now'. Really easy to happen when you're doing something like putting up shelves.

10
Procrasturbating•

While I agree with your statement, I hope people walk away from the OP's semi-rant as a reminder to document things. I come here for the knowledge, not so much the wonderful finished products. That being said, I want to say thank you to all the people who have made the effort to post anything at all.

4
Ravengenocide•

There are subreddits for exactly that. If you want to post your finished done by yourself product, do so in r/somethingimade. If you've done something and have the process documented, post it here.

1
[deleted]•

[deleted]

4
d03boy•

so don't post it. voila

2
lochlainn•

But KaaaaaaaaaaaaRRRRrrrma!

-3
CallMeFlossy•

Not "too absorbed". I frequently take step photos along the way for projects I've been commissioned to build. It's an easy way to keep the customer in the loop during what can be a long process. It is, however, a pain in neck to stop, get the camera, set up the shot, shoot, then continue working.

1
HerpWillDevour•

The last few projects I've done the idea popped into my head to take pictures for r/DIY but ultimately I was more concerned with finishing the product. I'd rather supply pattern sketches and wordy instructions than stop to take pictures. Especially for wooden projects pictures aren't necessary to convey information clearly as there often aren't many intricate spots.

Besides that I have a hard time taking pictures of piles of wood especially in the early stages when there is a pile of wood and no apparent activity.

1
davey_darling•

I have taken pics of projects but the process of editing/posting them is usually too much work for a few karma points.

1
5-4-3-2-1-bangOP•

Yeah, I'm guilty of that myself sometimes. Hopefully somebody can take something positive away from my crappy rant.

0
CrunchCrunch25•

Yeah, DIY is great if you want to see the finished product of beds, tables, desks and shelves people have made. I've been meaning to set up in RES to block those terms, but I've been lazy lately.

I actually got excited when someone posted about melting down aluminum for casting last week. It was interesting and included pictures.

9
[deleted]•

[deleted]

5
roboboy1•

Who cares if it's your blog if it's cool. I've played with a lot of "making" methods, but building my own foundry is not one of them. Hope you get yours running well!

7
damonish•

The foundry's just sort of a way to make weak things stronger in my mind. I'm presently trying to figure out the finer nuances involved with investment mold making so I can take PVA 3d printed objects and cast them in aluminum, brass or iron.

Seems like a decent way to make some one-off parts for odd projects.

3
roboboy1•

Hmm, so you'd print what you want then make a plaster mold from it or whatever? While I think that's a pretty awesome idea, have you considered using a subtractive process - Mill, Lathe, CNC router etc? I've got a CNC router http://www.jcopro.net/category/tools-cnc-machine-tool/ which I really like, but as you can see I mostly cut softer stuff.

1
Jerry_Rigg•

Have you joined the BYMC forums? I do backyard foundry work for a living, though I'm not sure where best to post my projects

1
dupreesdiamond•

Perhaps you should (a) contribute. And (b) vote. I posted a really nice write up full of pics on a built in spice rack some time ago, built the cabinent myself (first build beyond rough yard stuff) custom to hole in the wall eyc. I think I got 10 up votes, not that I really care about the votes but if all the "content here sucks" types had voted, what I think, is the desired content then things might be different around here.

If you want different/better content then. Vote up the stuff you feel adds to the sub and downvote the stuff that you don't think belongs.

Regardless of the "lookwhatimade" posts I always find help/advice pointers from this community when I come asking. And that's really why I'm here.

7
5-4-3-2-1-bangOP•

I do vote, but pissing upstream into a raging river isn't exactly effective.

8
Big_Fish79•

It is, if there is enough people pissing.

0
Ravengenocide•

And this is a method for getting people to start pissing. Without it, everyone will keep upvoting finished undocumented projects and clogging the wall with wrong posts.

3
5-4-3-2-1-bangOP•

Isn't that the theory behind taxes?

-2
paremiamoutza•

I'm with you, but where I really draw the line is people giving 900+ upvotes to before/after pictures about a power-washed patio.

7
5-4-3-2-1-bangOP•

"Hey everybody, I cleaned! And I did it myself!"

3
CrankCaller•

Wow. Someone more cynical than I am!

6
james7088•

totally agree with ya BRO! when people know they are going to 'DIY' something and only take the final pic know they are being cheesy. whether or not intentional, submitters should only submit if from start to end. where are the moderators?? come on Guys! lets strive for higher standards. ok let the DVs begin.....

6
88leo•

I think its pretty cheesy to stop and take progress pics for everything you do. If you are like me and you are actually busy as shit all weekend long doing all kinds of stuff getting the camera out is actually kinda unproductive. Tomorrow I think I am going to go down the road and get this black walnut limb and try to make a bench for my porch out of it with a chainsaw. I doubt I will take any pictures of it unless it turns out like something I would want to take a picture of.

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[deleted]•

[deleted]

5
88leo•

I am quite sure you are probably an overbearing prick to work with as well. I will post where ever I feel its appropriate. This is a public forum.

0
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
james7088•

I concede your point as I too have taken before and final but no middle pics. But I did not post as it would take away from those wanting to replicate. Just saying if you are think of posting, then think more about taking some middle pics rather than just a final pic.

1
88leo•

When ever I post I always answer any questions as best I can. I don't understand why some people expect every reddit post to be a complete blog entry fit for inclusion in the encyclopedia Britanica complete with all sources cited.

1
james7088•

cause not everyone replies like you do. i highly thank you for taking the time to do that. not all others do, which I think indicates to some that they arent DIY but IKEA. I see a lot of things here on r/diy that I would like to do, yes I am more of a noob. makes it hard to see what needs to be done which also makes it hard to ask questions sometime.

1
calvinball_•

I kind of agreed with you at first. Then I looked to see what you have submitted to r/DIY, and what did I find..... Not a fucking thing. You might be thinking, but what have YOU submitted, just a tv cabinet that swivels from room to room through a wall that I built five years ago, which was 4.75 years before I joined reddit. Let's see some of your DIY projects mid project before bitching.

5
HiImDan•

I'm not sure why you took it personally? I doubt he was talking about you, especially since you followed up with questions, and provided people with enough information to get ideas to do your project themselves. Cool idea, by the way.

I think it's just frustrating to see this subreddit become a picture dump instead of a how to sharing group.

16
5-4-3-2-1-bangOP•

Bingo, exactly.

7
DO_A_BARREL_ROLLL•

Yea I was hoping this subreddit would be much like Instructables.com, which i suggest you check out.

5
gosgood•

Other subs have mandatory tags. how about [IDEA] [HELP ME], and [HOW TO]. All others are purged.

5
elasto•

Maybe the mods are simply not moderating and enforcing their own rules? Mods have a life too, they get busy.

5
[deleted]•

Why is it every god damn time I find a cool subreddit I've never read before it's always going to shit.

5