Oh, hi! Didn't see you there.

Well, since you're here, you should read our updated intro to the sub! Occasionally we like to do little write-ups like this to help familiarize newer users or remind older users about how /r/OutOfTheLoop operates beyond the brief rules in the sidebar. This is that thing.

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What's a loop?

This is a pretty obvious thing to address first, so we'll address it first!

As a team, we generally consider something a loop if it could fairly be described as a recent trend, meme, current event, notable occurrence, or a recent and inexplicable pattern of events or statements.

Maybe everyone is suddenly talking about that video game thing, or the funny thing a politician did; maybe they're all on about the latest South Park episode or what someone wore to the Grammys last night; even a trending Twitter hashtag could signify a loop.

Now that everyone is talking about it, you want the deets, the sitch, and the background info...because you're...you know...out of the loop.

Straightforward questions with straightforward answers are usually not loops!

Definitions, simple explanations, or further reading on general/widespread subjects are usually better suited for /r/nostupidquestions, /r/answers, or /r/explainlikeimfive. Some examples include:

• What is socialism?
• What is pokemon?
• What is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis?

Follow-up questions are sometimes acceptable and approved here, however it generally depends on the circumstances and the specifics of the topic itself. The same applies to confusing societal trends or preferences held by groups of people- both these categories are generally not suited for OOTL and would be better in /r/wherearetheynow or /r/wdp (why do people). Some examples include:

• What ever ended up happening to so-and-so from that 2011 news article six people read?
• What's that clownshoes Corey Feldman up to nowadays?
• Why do people like rap?
• Why do people hate cops?

As you may immediately notice, these types of questions generally don't show up in /r/OutOfTheLoop because they don't represent a recent event, story, meme, outrage, etc. It's worth noting the submissions we receive like these are usually disingenuous and they distract from the type of Question -> Answer -> Conversation format that makes this sub useful and informative.

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Why wasn't my question approved?

There are a few potential answers to the question above, but the simplest and most likely one is: we probably didn't get to it yet.

Here in OOTL, our moderators try very hard to ensure everyone has an opportunity to get back in the loop in an objective, informative, and unbiased way (if possible!). Every submission made to /r/OutOfTheLoop goes into the modqueue for manual review.

We have a large moderator team here, but we aren't all in the loop all the time! This means you might see a more recent question appear before yours does- this could be from a mod working the queue and approving something they know about and know to be a "loop" and skipping those they aren't sure about or haven't heard of yet.

In that regard, here are some tips for your question/submission that may help it to be approved in a timely manner:

Phrasing

Maybe you saw a trending Twitter hashtag and are trying to figure out what it is, but you don't have 30 minutes to battle against SEO bullcrap. Check out these examples, where the first versions of each question clearly signify or indicate a trend/loop:

• Why is #ootlmodsrule trending on Twitter right now?" > What is #ootlmodsrule?
• Why are so many people tweeting about OOTLmods? > What is ootlmods and why should I care?
• Why have I seen so many people talking about OOTL mods in the last two days? > Why do people love ootlmods so much?

Effort and Context

You are a person and, ideally, a functioning member of society. You are not a Confused Gandalf meme. Phrase your question in a way you might if you walked up to someone on the street. You wouldn't walk up to a person you just met and say "Aleppo?" or "Tic Tacs?" That person would probably cross the street just to avoid you. Also they wouldn't answer your question.

• "OOTLmods?"

See- it doesn't work here either! Add context to the title of your question and/or the body of the post.

Context and examples not only help get you better answers, they help mods who aren't always in the loop as well. Links, screencaps, quotes, photographs- it all helps others see what you are seeing to better understand and address your question.

Politics

Political topics are...a special case. Nine times out of ten, we're going to send you to /r/ask_politics. Sometimes, in some cases, on some days, a submission that is political in nature is a big enough deal or topic that we allow it for the benefit of everyone. HOWEVER, this is always done at the moderators' discretion. There is no reliable way to codify this into our ruleset, and we continue to treat it on a case-by-case basis.

It wouldn't really do to provide examples for this, as it depends entirely on the specific circumstances and subject matter. So here are some examples of political things we NEVER approve:

• Why are [libtards/republicunts] being little bitches about [whatever they're fighting about today]?
• Why do people think [person whose opinions OP disagrees with] is all that and a bag of chips?
• Why aren't the [republicunts/libtards] talking/believing/agreeing with [whatever garbage they inevitably put here]?

Politics are divisive for a reason, a multitude of them even, which is why political topics are usually not particularly well-suited for /r/OutOfTheLoop. It is nearly impossible to provide or receive a genuine attempt at an unbiased and informative answer on topics which are political in nature.

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Common Questions and Concerns

That subreddit you just sent me to is too small, am I really expected to just go on my way?

• Very sorry hypothetical person in modmail, but the answer is yes. /r/OutOftheLoop was once a small subreddit too! We're now a sub of nearly six hundred thousand strong- every place starts somewhere, and that somewhere is better suited for your question than here.

I don't have any examples, that's why I posted the question you dummies!

• Sorry broheim! The thing is, you had to have seen it somewhere, so we know you can include some context and/or examples- you just have to believe in yourself. We believe in you too.

Your automod auto-removed my post. Why is /r/circlejerk doing [whatever circlejerk's doing at the moment]?

• Because it's /r/circlejerk.

Got any hot tracks in there?

• Shit's fire son.

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TL;DR: With just a few tweaks to your title, even you can get in the loop!

Feel free to ask any questions for clarification.