I'm not sure this content is allowed, but its better to ask for forgiveness than permission. x-post /v/downvoat:

Voat has gone invite only. Although some are celebrating this as a win so that users like Amelek can no longer create alt accounts, the truth is that this is a loss for all voat users. By only allowing certain users approve other new users, the allowance of different opinions is hindered by the biases of the select users. This escalated the censorship of unpopular opinions greatly. If an a user attracts a vote brigade against them because they posted dissent and their account is now useless because of the -50 ccp rule, there are no restarts or do overs. They can be shut off from the site permanently either by not being re-invited or losing hope in the website as unpopular opinions are not allowed. This is NOT creating a circle jerk. This is creating a secret club.

As a newer website being very popular very fast, it has a lot to learn from other websites. A perfect example is 8chan. This is because they have survived worse ddos and spamming spamming attacks and even had their domain seized and reclaimed. More recently, Old users have been attacking new users and threatening the integrity of the website because without new users, new content slows and as secret club mentality takes over, the website dies off. 8chan is the surfaceweb's true platform for free speech. This is important to note because although illegal content is banned, morally questionable content is still allowed: pedo threads , doxing, AND raids (what we call brigading). Some 8chan users proposed that they make raids against website rules in order to stop secret club mentality. Hotwheels, 8chan's owner, reluctantly argued against the new rules because although a secret club is eminent death, it is much slower death than that caused by taking away a piece of freedom of speech and expression.

You made read the archived thread here: https://archive.is/8Wbxo

or screen caps here: 1 2

Now, I am not arguing for voat to become 8chan. I am not saying that we should change all the rules. I am saying we need to learn from them. Currently, Voat's ccp system limits all user's freedom of speech (and threatens those who are unpopular) AND is beginning the formation of a secret club. This very bad news for all of voat. I don't know how long the invite only will last. I hope not for long, but we must be ready to fight it and logically defend against why.

The reasons I have stated in the past as to why ccp is bad

ARE BECOMING

MORE TRUE

THAN EVER

BEFORE

Users are abuse the voting system, and it is only going to be getting worse from here on out.

As always, I am horrible at spelling/grammar so please be kind to point those out so that I we may not be discredited for simple mistakes.

I wanted to point out that voat is facing many of the problems that 8chan has faced and that we as users have the ability to help the admins of this site regulate it in the same was that Hotwheels regulates his website. As 8chan users, I hope you can sympathize with the message of free speech and allow this on your subverse.