Created on June 27, 2011

Keep it going!

(Had to take out the link because my first post was removed. See the wiki for the link)

It took almost 20 hours but I have dug up most of the switcharoo chain, stretching all the way back to 2011. It's definitely not perfect but it's probably as good as we can get it in 2021. I'm going to publish the dataset on switcharoohelper's GitHub if anyone is interested in taking a look. Here are some fun stats though.

There are about 10432 total roos from 2011 to today, give or take a couple hundred that are deleted between 2011-2019, filtering those out will take a couple hours and I haven't done that yet. It might seem like a bit of a low number but there are probably a couple thousand that aren't in the chain due to linking errors or moderator removal.

This is how many roos were added each year.

2011: 17
2012: 606
2013: 927
2014: 1720
2015: 2377
2016: 1028
2017: 995
2018: 1053
2019: 787
2020: 771
2021 (so far): 151

2011 is mostly just the original creator, /u/jun2san. There were other roos at this time but it's difficult to find them. This was back before this subreddit was created so there's no centralized info on them.

2014 and 2015 were especially busy years. It looks like a combination of low moderation and popularity meant there was a ton of roos added to the chain. It also ended meaning up about twice as many breaks as one normally gets in a year.

Looks like the switcharoo has dropped off in popularity (or at least submissions) over the last couple of years, we're actually on track to have our lowest year so far right now. But the quality of the submissions have gone up and the chain is in far better shape in recent years. We'll probably continue to spike up and down as the general community forgets and remembers the roo.

So, now the biggest reason I gathered this data: fixing the entire switcharoo chain. Now that we know where everything is, we can start asking people to fix their links. Hopefully, they still remember their passwords after almost 10 years lol. I still need to do some fine tuning but several hundred of you from the past 10 years are going to get messaged by switcharoohelper soon. If that's you, then on behalf of the human mods, please follow the advice of the bot. Thank you!

Having a bot to fix and document the switcharoo chain has been a dream of the mods since 2013. Took a little bit longer than I think anyone was expecting but it's finally nearly complete. Hopefully we can polish up the last 10 years of roos as we wait for the next 10 years!

https://www.reddit.com/r/Tinder/comments/dhoh3k/jokes_on_her_i_do_have_chlamydia/f3rqvj7/?Context=3 continues down to r/gamersriseup but that sub was banned. I have no idea how to go down now.

Edit: Thanks to everyone who fixed the link! Down the rabbit hole again!

I FINALLY MADE IT TO THE END

Found this thread in /r/dataisbeautiful

with the following graph of 'all' switcharoos. Probably some missed ones in there that didn't use the right words (one part of the regular expression used was "ahh", so "ah" wouldn't be caught).

EDIT: ALL CLEAR I REPEAT ALL CLEAR GOD BLESS BASED /U/BACONDEV

This is the link which links the now deleted link https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/5y36wz/so_great_to_see_celebrities_supporting_one_another/den74uh/?context=2

The user in the link below deleted his comment, breaking the chain

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/5xzuvj/what_is_the_most_unexpected_death_in_a_movie_or/dem82qd/?context=3

BATTLE STATIONS PEOPLE WHAT THE FUCK DO WE DO

Switcharoo chain broke here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/fl944n/whats_that_story_youve_never_been_able_to_tell/fkzd3s8/?context=3

I followed there from here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/teenagers/comments/flnmu9/can_you_move_your_dick_without_flexing_your/fkzoxx7/?context=2

Edit: fixed

The Switcharoo Joke

How a switcharoo joke works

A switcharoo is a deliberately humorous misunderstanding in a post or comment as to which of two subjects is intended as the topic of discussion. In other words, a Redditor confuses a comment to be about a different thing rather than the thing it is supposed to be about.

The switcharoo has three parts.

1. The Introduction where two subjects are introduced.

2. The Setup where an ambiguous statement is made by someone about one of the subjects.

3. The Switch where a user confuses the statement to be about the other subject.

Examples

Here are some examples of switcharoos:

Common Mistakes

The above explanation of the switcharoo joke should help you spot an incorrect one. Here are a few examples of incorrect roos and why they are wrong.

Grammatical joke

The grammatical joke is the most common mistake. Rather than switch subjects, these are jokes that switch meaning of words.

In this specific example, the meaning of "spelt with a k" is misinterpreted. No subjects are mentioned or switched though so it is not a switcharoo.

Homonyms

This is a grammatical joke but not a switcharoo. The meaning of the statement is switched rather than the subject.

In this example, the meaning of the word "off" is confused. However, no subject is switched so it is not a roo.

Setup inserted subject

This is a grammatical joke but not a switcharoo. The meaning of the statement is confused rather than the subject.

In this example, the setup statement inserts the "electric cars" subject, which was not present in the Introduction. The switch then confuses the meaning of the setup statement. No subject is switched so it is not a roo.

/r/switcharoo house rules

Here at /r/switcharoo, we are a bit picky about roos. Even if a roo is otherwise correct, it may be rejected for the following reasons:

• The switcharoo requires specialized information. This may involve your favorite video game or sport. Unfortunately, these are not accepted due to their more limited ability to be understood.

• Switcharoos from NSFW subs are not allowed. NSFW threads in non-NSFW subs are allowed.

• The Setup and Switch can not be made by the same user.

• The switcharoo was made in a forbidden subreddit. The moderators of these subreddits consider the switcharoo to be spam and do not allow it. Because they may delete roo comments, the switcharoo cannot be allowed in their subreddits without risking a break in the chain. There is a current list of forbidden subs in the sidebar and over here

• The switcharoo was submitted as a meta post rather than a link post. This means that the submission's link doesn't actually go to the roo (instead it goes to the comments) which can create confusion for future roo'ers.

The Switcharoo Chain

Brief History

The switcharoo was created by /u/jun2san. /u/jun2san noticed that the switcharoo joke was a very common occurrence on Reddit so he began replying to them with the phrase "Ah, the ol' Reddit switcharoo!" and linked the previous time he saw one. Soon, others caught on and began doing the same. This sub was created to help organize our efforts. You can read more about the history at /u/jun2san's AMA. You can also find the original roo here.

How it works

When someone notices a switcharoo has been made, they reply "Ah, the ol' Reddit switcharoo!" and link to the last "Ah, the ol' Reddit switcharoo!" comment that was made on the site (which they find here on this sub). Continued, this creates a chain of links.

How to submit a roo

Once you know what to look out for, it's easy to submit a roo. Just follow these instructions.

1. Find a switcharoo. Reference the wiki to make sure it is indeed a roo.

2. Go over to /r/switcharoo and sort by new. Copy the link of the newest post.

3. Reply to the comment containing the Switch of the roo with a comment like "Ah, the ol' Reddit switcharoo!" Make sure your entire comment is hyperlinked with the link you copied in Step 2. Ex. [Ah, the ol' Reddit switcharoo!](https://reddit.com/r/linktoroo)

4. Copy the permalink of your new comment. Count the number of parent comments above yours needed to fully understand the roo's joke. For example, this roo (image/link) has a count of 2 since it needs the two comments above it to understand it.

5. Go to /r/switcharoo and open the page to submit a link post (not a meta/text post). After pasting your comment's permalink in the URL box, go to the very end of your link. If there is a ? near the end of the comment, delete it and everything after it. Append the text?context=x at the end, where x is the number of comments you counted in Step 4.

6. Title your post something like First subject vs. Second subject, replacing the subjects with the ones in your post of course.

7. Submit!

Who, where, how many, why etc

These statistics are a bit old now but are still relevant in a few ways.

Who is doing, all this 'rooing?

We get three or four 'roos every single day. To put that figure in perspective, that's one every six to eight hours. Or if you prefer, the same average daily number of beers that each of the /r/switcharoo mods drinks*.

*^{excluding automoderator but} /u/pmdevita ^{drinks double for} /u/switcharoohelper

Whilst there is a small number of hardcore 'rooers, most users (94%) only ever post one or two 'roos, presumably later enjoying 'roos only as a consumer. This diagram shows the breakdown in bubble form.

When the sub needs future mods, those who have posted most roos will be preferred candidates.

Where do the 'roos come from?

• /r/AskReddit, /r/pics and /r/funny each rack up about 15% of the count, together forming almost half the 'roos.

• /r/WTF, /r/aww, /r/gaming and /r/adviceAnimals (each with 3% to 6% of the 'roos) together make up the next 17%.

• /r/videos, /r/todayilearned, /r/Minecraft and /r/IAmA each account for 1% or 2% (5% in total).

• Solitary subs make up about 33% of 'roos.

Pie Chart

Well at least the right people have been notified with instructions to fix their comments. If you are one of the lucky few, thanks for the help! Hopefully everyone fixes their comments in the next couple of days.

It took about two hours to go through what must have been about 3000+ roos so I'm going to take a break. 2017 and beyond is next but as this is an era before switcharoohelper, it might be a bit slower.

I've also noticed a couple people delete their roos. If you wish to no longer be a part of the chain, let the mod team know. It's a lot easier to fix the links before you delete your comment than after.

Thank you for fixing your roos! Happy roo'ing!

What happened? Is it less popular now or have more gestapo mods decided that their pages can't be a part of this?

I miss going on deep dives every now and then but this is the first time in a year that I've seen it pop up.

As per the instructions, we must

2. Link to the newest, well-formed switcharoo.

You can only guarantee seeing the newest 'roo if you go to /r/switcharoo/new.

We are developing a roo chain analyser and while testing we have noticed that the roo chain is heavily hurt by the blocking.

We are hoping to launch the analyser soon but we want first make a ranking and an infograph.

So, I'm not that active in this subreddit and I no longer take part in the switcharoo - I basically created it and then let it run wild - but I still get private messages regularly about it and I thought I'd share some of these messages. Some are interesting, some are funny and some are just plain weird. But nonetheless I enjoy getting all of them. Here are just some of the messages I received:

from maleficus_animus (_) sent 2 days ago I finally made it to the end of the switch-a-roo links. I know you thought it was stupid when you set out to create this monster, but I enjoyed going 'back in time.' Thanks for the time well spent! =)

from qazityqazqaz (_) sent 3 days ago YOU! YOU CAUSED ALL OF THIS. WHY? WHY??? DID YOU NOT THINK OF THE CHILDREN??

from electricumbrella (_) sent 4 days ago I have reached the end and I feel a better man because of it

from TangoDown13 (_) sent 5 days ago It has been 505 days since your Switch-a-roo comic was posted. I got lost in the rabbit hole and was wondering how deep into the past it traveled. I have seen the past and it is horrific. I can only hope that the future is not nearly as bleak... ...end transmission

from CertainlyUnreliable (_) sent 6 days ago I would just like to thank you, for taking me on a grand journey. You are a god among men, and there are not enough up votes in the world for you. Thank you.

from omar_ohindeed (_) sent 17 days ago I got laid off today and followed this thing all the way to your rage comic. Thanks for making an otherwise shitty day just a bit brighter, man.

from perrberr (_) sent 17 days ago I would just like to let you know that from your old reddit switch-a-roo comments/hyperlinks, I platonically love you and I feel like I will never platonically love anyone the way I platonically love you right now. KEEP IT UP!!

from DukeMcFister (_) sent 19 days ago I have travelled long and far, but now, finally, I can say I have completed the goal of my life. I have reached the end. I will live on as a happy man. Godspeed to you sir, godspeed.

from blinkavaboxcar33 (_) sent 19 days ago dear god, i made it to the end of this chain. with no objective but to complete it, it took the journey down into the rabbit. i was told i would never return again but i fought on. because i knew the reward would be nothing more or less than a sense of self-pride. i thank you dearly for giving me the opportunity to take a journey that will forever change my perspective on life itself. thank you, anonymous motivator. thank you, unknown king. thank you, internet hero. thankyou

from t_j_k (_) sent 1 month ago You motherfucker. I made it to the end. I travelled through the swamps of gore and the pains of spaceclop... I even found a few laughs along the journey. But I made it. I made it, you motherfucker. I made it.

from rocketshipotter (_) sent 4 months ago I can't believe I just wasted all of that time to find the end of the good old Reddit switch-a-roo! I could have been doing productive things like looking at pictures of cats.

from chaos_control (_) sent 7 months ago I've traveled a long way through time and space, sub to sub, and this is what awaits me? Where is the gold, the jewels, the sacred knowledge? This hazardous journey throughout all of Reddit has lead me to you. If you do not offer vast riches, then please, share with me your wisdom. What do I do now? Do I go on with my life, like nothing ever happened? Should I embrace the madness which has me by the throat? I must know, please.

There are A LOT more of these messages but I just copy and pasted some recent ones. I just thought I'd share them with this subreddit.

Here it is (go 3 links deep and there's a dead end)

http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/15fm1l/oh_no_my_grandparents_actually_bought_me_one/c7m1wl5?context=1

During last night's chain inspection, switcharoohelper asked 34 people to correct their switcharoos. This seems to have been done in error, both due to the very large number of requests and that some people were asked to correct to broken switcharoos.

The current theory is that Reddit changed how they indicate deleted posts and switcharoohelper, expecting to be told something different, decided those roos had been undeleted. I'll update with the full reason later for those interested.

Once I've resolved the issue, I'll be sending out corrections to everyone who was affected. In the meantime, if you received a correction for a roo over one month old, please ignore it for now until you receive a follow up comment.

Thank you for your patience!

Update #1:

It is almost certainly a bug with Reddit's API (and not totally my fault, phew). I'm going to implement a temporary fix to the issue and contact the admins to let them know of the problem.

Update #2:

The temporary fix is now live, messages should be going out now to everyone affected.

Last update:

Forgot to add, here's some nerdy details for those who care https://www.reddit.com/r/redditdev/comments/spaty4/reddit_api_bug_old_deleted_link_posts_turning/