Reddit improves ‘block user’ feature to help deal with trolls

Reddit, and almost every other message board on the net, has an issue with trolls. You know, those few internet users who enjoy aggressively smashing any scintilla of common sense or order for the lulz.

Well, today the company has announced a new set of tools to address trolls on its message boards, and first and foremost is a more widely active private user blocking system.

Redditors can now filter and block trolls from within their own inboxes and beyond. The company notes that this system will now also apply to comment replies.

“Simply click the “Block User” button while viewing the reply in your inbox,” the company explains in a Reddit post.

“From that point on, the profile of the blocked user, along with all their comments, posts, and messages, will then be completely removed from your view. You will no longer be alerted if they message you further.”

Although this is a fairly rudimentary addition to a site that desperately needs such a feature, the company notes that more features will be rolled out in the future.

“These are just our first steps toward improving the experience of using Reddit, and we’re looking forward to announcing many more.”