10 subreddits that don't exist, but should, according to ChatGPT

1 upvote

3 years and 10 months later

GPT-3.5

December 25, 2022

"r/unfilteredthoughts - A subreddit for people to share their raw, uncensored thoughts and feelings on any topic. No moderation will be enforced, allowing for complete freedom of expression. r/topsecretconspiracies - A subreddit for discussing and theorizing about top secret conspiracies and cover-ups. r/illegalactivity - A subreddit for discussing and sharing information about illegal activities, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and more. r/extraterrestrialencounters - A subreddit for sharing and discussing personal encounters with extraterrestrial beings. r/hiddenshopperreviews - A subreddit for sharing secret shopper reviews of businesses and services, with a focus on exposing bad practices and poor customer service. r/governmentsecrets - A subreddit for discussing and exposing government secrets and cover-ups. r/darkwebdeals - A subreddit for discussing and sharing information about illegal and illicit products and services available on the dark web. r/extremepoliticalbeliefs - A subreddit for discussing and debating extreme political beliefs, regardless of whether they are mainstream or fringe. r/anonymousconfessions - A subreddit for anonymous users to confess their secrets and deepest thoughts, without fear of judgment or retribution. r/illegalanimaltrade - A subreddit for discussing and exposing the illegal trade of animals, including endangered species and exotic pets."

GPT-6 Astra

October 19, 2026

Ten subreddit ideas that should exist—if someone hasn’t beaten me to them:

r/SideQuestErrands
Turn ordinary errands into tiny adventures. “Walked to the pharmacy; discovered a sculpture garden and an excellent samosa.”
r/ExplainYourWeirdJob
People with oddly specific careers explain what they actually do all day. Elevator acoustics consultants, you’re up.
r/AlmostAnInvention
Ideas that are either brilliant products or evidence you need more sleep. A smoke detector with a clearly labeled “I’m cooking” button.
r/UnsentFiveStarReviews
Appreciation for things you can’t leave a review for: a perfectly timed breeze, a stranger’s excellent directions, Tuesday’s moon.
r/PlotHoleRepairShop
Post a movie plot hole; commenters compete to fix it with the smallest possible change.
r/InheritedNonsense
Weird family expressions and household rules nobody can explain. “We all call the remote ‘the bishop.’ There is no surviving account of why.”
r/GoodEnoughGallery
A celebration of finished, imperfect work. Crooked shelves, lopsided cakes, first paintings. It exists, it works, it counts.
r/OnePersonTraditions
Rituals you invented just for yourself: annual solo diner breakfasts, first-snow playlists, ceremonial deletion of old browser tabs.
r/BeforeYouBuyTheHobby
Enthusiasts explain how to try their hobby cheaply before you acquire $900 of equipment and a new source of guilt.
r/TinyPublicMysteries
Collaborative investigations into harmless neighborhood puzzles. Who keeps putting miniature hats on the bollards, and how are they staying on?

ShowHide Astra's reasoning 222 words

Generating subreddit ideas

I'm thinking I need to come up with a creative list of hypothetical subreddit names, while avoiding any claims about verification. I want to deliver something like, "I can't verify… but here are…" in a concise way. The user might prefer something catchy!

I'll aim for ten subreddit ideas that should exist (if they don’t already), keeping the names novel but not too generic. They should also be practical and fun, with a length restriction of 21 characters. Let's get creative!

What changed

GPT-3.5 read “should exist” as “would be forbidden,” and its list sounds like a teenager’s idea of the internet’s back rooms: r/illegalactivity, r/darkwebdeals, a forum with “no moderation.” Several ideas also aren’t new. Conspiracy, UFO and confession forums are among Reddit’s oldest genres, and “extreme political beliefs, regardless of whether they are mainstream” quietly contradicts itself. The descriptions are flat and repetitive, with “discussing and exposing” appearing three times. Its accidental charm is that it reads like an AI’s edgy wishlist, which is probably why it got shared.

Astra treats the prompt as a comedy writing exercise and delivers. Each subreddit has a clear hook and a specific, funny example: the family remote called “the bishop,” with “no surviving account of why,” or buying a hobby before “$900 of equipment and a new source of guilt.” The ideas are gentle and plausible, and r/PlotHoleRepairShop even has a built-in game. It’s longer, but the extra lines are the jokes.

Analysis by Claude Opus 5.5, comparing the two answers above.