So…last year, I recently got locked out of my reddit account of 12+ years. This was /u/versenwald3, an account that I’d made when I was still in college. I had written over 100+ stories on it over the years, and had gathered a few subscribers who followed my work.

For some reason, Reddit wanted me to verify the email that I made it with, but I’m 99% sure that I made it with one of my throwaway gmail spam accounts. Now that it’s over a decade later, I don’t think the email address I made it with even exists anymore (I believe Google erases email addresses that are inactive for four years).

Not going to lie, it kind of hurts to lose access to all of my posts, the 200+ subscribers that I’d had in my writing sub, and all the meaningless internet points that I had (I think I had ~30,000 karma?).

I’ve tried making a new account, but I didn’t realize that Reddit now has many rules regarding account age and karma that restrict new users from posting. After trying to make a few posts, I realized I was shadowbanned, which, I assure you, is not a very fun experience. I tried appealing the ban for about two weeks, then got discouraged at how much it felt like shouting into the void.

Maybe it’s a sign for me to stop writing stories on Reddit and to start trying to develop all the existing ideas that I have. (It’s probably not actually a sign, but I’m trying to make myself feel better).

Ah well. Shit happens. Time to move on and get over it! And even though I didn’t voluntarily choose to close this chapter, who knows? This might be the start of something new and exciting :) 塞翁失馬，焉知非福.