What is Reddit? – Definition from WhatIs.com – SearchCIO
Reddit is a social news website and forum where content is socially curated and promoted by site members through voting. The site name is a play on the words “I read it. ”
Reddit member registration is free, and it is required to use the website’s basic features.
For a monthly fee or yearly subscription, redditors can upgrade to Reddit Gold. This service provides a set of extended features not available to nonpaying users. Features of Reddit Gold include access to members-only communities and the ability to turn off sidebar ads.
What are subreddits and how do they work?
The site is composed of hundreds of subcommunities, known as subreddits. Each subreddit has a specific topic, such as technology, politics or music. Reddit’s homepage, or the front page, as it is often called, is composed of the most popular posts from each default subreddit. The default list is predetermined and includes subreddits such as “pics, ” “funny, ” “videos, ” “news” and “gaming. ”
Reddit site members, also known as redditors, submit content which is then voted upon by other members. The goal is to send well-regarded content to the top of the site’s front page. Content is voted on via upvotes and downvotes: arrows on which users click to the left of a post. The more upvotes a post gets, the more popular it becomes, and the higher up it appears on its respective subreddit or the front page. To access a subreddit via the address bar, simply type ” name. ”
How to use Reddit
Upon arriving on the site’s front page, users will notice a list of posts — a collection of text posts, link posts, images and videos. When logged out of a Reddit account, the front page is composed of the site’s default subreddits — a list of about 50 topics including music, videos, news and GIFs, among others. After creating an account, users will automatically be “subscribed” to the list of default subreddits. Users can then unsubscribe to any of the default subreddits they do not wish to view, and they can subscribe to additional subreddits to get a personalized front page of content that interests them.
Users can also comment on posts after creating an account. Commenting is one of Reddit’s core features, and it is the primary way for users to interact with each other, besides private messaging. Comments, like posts, can be voted on by users and are then ranked accordingly. The comment with the highest number of votes sits at the top of the comment section and is referred to as the top comment.
Reddit company information
Reddit is similar to Digg, another user-generated social networking site. Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian started Reddit in 2005, and Condé Nast Publications acquired the site in October 2006. Reddit split from Condé Nast in 2011, and now operates under Advance Publications. A July 8, 2012, article reported that 35 million new users sign up for Reddit every month.
Notable controversies
Since its inception, Reddit has been the subject of many controversies, some great enough to make the news.
Site statistics and user demographics
As of this writing, Reddit is the 24th most-visited website in the world and the 7th most-visited website in the United States, with the U. S. accounting for 46. 9% of the site’s visitors, according to web traffic data and analytics company Alexa Internet. According to a 2016 study by the Pew Research Center, 71% of Reddit’s audience is composed of men.
Popular acronyms
Many acronyms are unique to Reddit. They are commonly found in post titles, subreddit rules and comments. The following is a breakdown of some of the most commonly used acronyms on the site.
ELI5: Explain like I’m 5 — A term used when redditors want something explained to them in very simple terms, as if they were a five-year-old asking for the answer to a question. A popular subreddit, explainlikeimfive, exists for this very purpose.
TLDR or TL;DR: Too long; didn’t read — In some longer posts or comments, redditors may place a, “TLDR” at the end of their text for the purpose of shortening what they wrote if other redditors do not want to take the time to read the entire post.
NSFW: Not safe for work — When redditors make a post or comment that has explicit content, it is marked with this acronym to let other redditors know not to view the content at work or any place where explicit material would be unsuitable.
TIL: Today I learned — Used mainly in the form of “TIL” posts, this term is used when redditors want to share something new they learned.
OP: Original poster — The redditor who created the initial post.
AMA: Ask me anything — A popular acronym used on Reddit’s “IAmA” subreddit, where redditors can post “AMA” threads. This is another name for a Q&A thread, where redditors answer questions about their life and, usually, their occupation. President Barack Obama made headlines when he participated in an AMA on Aug. 29, 2012. He was the first sitting president to do so.
This was last updated in December 2016
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What Is Reddit and How Does It Work? – MakeUseOf
Reddit is one of the most popular websites on the internet, and you can find pretty much anything there. But if you’re not familiar with it, Reddit can seem like a confusing mess of jargon, symbols, and all sorts of weird content.
We’re here to help you make sense of it. Let’s take a look at what Reddit is, how it works, and how you can start using Reddit today.
What Is Reddit?
At its core, Reddit is a social sharing website. It’s built around users submitting links, pictures, and text, which everyone can then vote on. The best content rises to the top, while downvoted content becomes less visible.
How Reddit Works
Reddit is a huge site, but it’s divided into thousands of smaller communities called subreddits. A subreddit is simply a board devoted to a specific topic. Each one starts with, such as In most cases, subreddits have their own themes, rules, and expectations.
When you visit Reddit’s homepage (while not signed in), you’ll see a feed of trending posts from various subreddits. You can click on a post’s title to open it and read the comments, see the full-sized image, or visit the link.
Next to every Reddit post (and comments on posts), you’ll see a number that represents its score, along with an up arrow and a down arrow. These allow you to upvote or downvote content. However, these are not “agree” and “disagree” buttons.
Upvoting (in theory) means that you think more people should see a post or that a comment contributes to the conversation. Downvoting means that you don’t think the post is worthwhile for others to see, or that a comment is off-topic.
This simple system (along with a few behind-the-scenes algorithms) decides what becomes popular on Reddit. If a post receives enough points on its own subreddit, it might make it to the frontpage of Reddit for everyone to see.
When your posts and comments get upvoted, you earn karma. This is a numerical score that appears on your profile page. While in theory it gives an idea of how much someone has contributed to Reddit, it’s really just a meaningless value. For more on what Reddit Karma is and how to earn it, check out our guide.
How to Use Reddit
Even if you’re not interested in posting, you can still enjoy a lot of what Reddit has to offer. We recommend creating an account so you can subscribe to subreddits you’re interested in, vote, and build a feed of content you enjoy.
You can use Reddit via it’s official site, or any of the alternative Reddit apps or browsers.
Signing Up and Adding Subreddits
Click the Sign Up button at the top-right to start. You’ll need to enter your email, create a username and password, and then you’ll be all set.
Once you’re logged in, the main page of Reddit will switch from popular posts to your own Home page. This shows popular content from all the subreddits you’ve subscribed to.
You can find new subreddits through the frontpage, but Reddit also has a handy search function at the top of the page where you can find new content. Enter something you’re interested in, and Reddit will show both posts and subreddits that match it.
For example, when you enter bluegrass, you’ll see a few subreddits followed by related posts. You can switch to Posts or Communities and users at the top of the page to see more of either. Have a look at a subreddit to see if you like it, then click the Subscribe button on the right side to add it to your list.
Creating a Post
You can click the Create Post button on the right side of the screen to submit content any time. This button also appears when you’re on a subreddit and it allows you to submit directly.
Once you’ve clicked it, you can choose whether to submit a text post, image/video, or a link. No matter what kind of post you pick, you’ll need to submit a descriptive title with it. Some subreddits only allow you to submit certain kinds of content, so keep that in mind.
Below this, you’ll see a few tags you can add to your post:
OC: Stands for Original Content and signifies that what you’re posting is your own work.
Spoiler: Lets others know your post contains content that could ruin a surprise if someone isn’t caught up on the topic. Will blur the preview image on the post if there is one.
NSFW: The Not Safe for Work tag signifies explicit content that people won’t want to view in public places like their office.
Flair: Certain subreddits allow you to tag your post with little snippets of text to provide more info. For example, on /r/TechSupport, you can use flair like Mac or Networking to categorize your question.
Once you’ve submitted your post, it should go live on the subreddit after some time. Different subreddits have various rules for posting; for example, they might not allow brand-new accounts to submit content. Your post also might not appear right away because it requires review by a moderator.
In most cases, you’ll receive a message if there was a problem with your post. You can click the Envelope icon in the top-right of Reddit to check your messages.
Reddit Jargon
Reddit newcomers will encounter lots of internet slang acronyms and terminology that are confusing at first. Below are some of the most common to help you on your way:
AMA: Ask Me Anything. You’ll often see this on the /r/AMA subreddit, which hosts question-and-answer sessions with notable people.
Cakeday: The day you joined Reddit, or your “Reddit birthday. ” You’ll see a little cake icon next to your username on your cakeday.
Crosspost (or x-post): Used to indicate that you posted this content on another relevant subreddit as well as the current one.
DAE: Stands for does anyone else? Used when you’re seeing if other people do something similar to you.
Edit: Used when someone changed their comment after initially posting it. This lets you respond to new comments, explain why you edited the post, or similar.
ELI5: Explain Like I’m Five. This is a request for someone to explain something simply. It’s also a popular subreddit, /r/explainlikeimfive.
FTFY: Fixed that for you. Used when correcting a prior comment; often humorously.
IMO: In my opinion.
ITT: In this thread. Usually used when someone is summarizing the general theme of discussion on a post.
Mod: A subreddit’s moderator. They keep the subreddit under control by enforcing the rules.
Neckbeard: A derogatory term used to describe socially awkward men who are often pretentious as well.
OP: Original poster. Used when a comment is addressing the person who submitted the content.
Repost: Posting the same content multiple times in an effort to gain more karma.
TIL: Stands for today I learned.
TL;DR: Too long; didn’t read. Used to offer a short summary of a long post in case people don’t want to read the full content.
Some Subreddits to Check Out
Reddit isn’t much fun without some great subreddits to enjoy. The best way to build up a collection is by searching Reddit for topics you’re interested in. Here are a few popular and interesting subs to get you started:
/r/all: Reddit’s all page is a collection of the most active posts from around the site.
/r/news: For more serious content, check out this sub for the latest news on Reddit. It’s primarily about the U. S. but covers other stories too.
/r/CrappyDesign: Laugh at the worst design decisions you’ll ever see.
/r/DeepIntoYouTube: A collection of YouTube videos that are old but have very few views. A great place to find wacky YouTube content.
/r/NoStupidQuestions: Ever had a question you think is dumb but still want to ask? This is the place.
/r/personalfinance: A great resource for getting help with money-related topics.
/r/shitpost: Come here to laugh at some of the low-quality garbage that gets upvoted on Reddit.
/r/techsupport: Have a computer problem and can’t find a fix anywhere else? Try posting here.
/r/TheoryofReddit: Get meta on this sub dedicated to topics about Reddit itself.
/r/wallpaper: Come find a cool new desktop wallpaper here.
This is just a small sample of what’s available. Check out subreddits full of facts and stories for more.
Tips for Using Reddit
We’ll leave you with a few miscellaneous tips for making the most of Reddit.
On every subreddit and post, you can sort by several criteria. Hot is the default and shows posts with a lot of recent activity. New, Top, and Rising are all self-explanatory. Controversial shows posts with roughly equal amounts of upvotes and downvotes. With some options, like Top, you can filter by the past day, week, year, or all time.
Use the View options to change how posts appear. The default wastes a lot of space, so we recommend changing it to the Classic layout (in the middle). This lets you see more posts at once without getting too cramped.
Some subreddits have wikis or FAQs that can help you get acquainted with the basics. Check the right sidebar or above the view options for these before you start posting. You’ll also find the subreddit rules in the sidebar.
You might see gold, silver, or platinum icons that appear next to posts or comments. This is related to the paid Reddit Premium service, where you can purchase coins and use them to give awards to posts. It’s not necessary by any means, but when you see that, you know someone paid money to award them. For more, check out our guide that explains what Reddit Premium is and how it works.
Click the Save button on any post or comment to keep it for later. Click My Profile under your username at the top-right to get access to all your interaction history, including saved content.
Install the Reddit Enhancement Suite browser extension to add lots of handy features. And don’t forget to review our guide to Rediquitte for some major no-nos.
Welcome to Reddit!
Now you have an idea of what Reddit is and how it works. There’s a lot more to using Reddit, but you’ll learn it in time. For now, focus on subscribing to cool subreddits, interacting with content, and learning the basics. Reddit has a lot to offer, so enjoy it.
For more, check out apps and sites to find the best Reddit content the best apps that offer more for Reddit beginners.
15 Windows Diagnostics Tools to Check Your PC’s HealthUse these computer diagnostic tools to run a PC health check and fix issues. Great for Windows 10 diagnostics and support.
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Ben Stegner
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Ben is a Deputy Editor and the Onboarding Manager at MakeUseOf. He left his IT job to write full-time in 2016 and has never looked back. He’s been covering tech tutorials, video game recommendations, and more as a professional writer for over seven years.
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What Makes Reddit So Awesome – Wix.com
If you’re unfamiliar with the universe of Reddit you are missing out on some serious internet pleasure as well as a great social media marketing tactic. Founded in 2005 by a couple of students with some time on their hands, this bulletin board is home to one of the most vibrant, clever, nutty and hilarious communities online, numbering hundreds of millions of visitors each is divided to thematic sections called “subreddits. ” In each section, members post forum-like threads of content – it could be a link, a story, a photo, a survey, etc. – accumulating replies as well as “up” or “down” votes to rate the quality of the post. The end result is a multitude of original and fun content that will take up hours of your day if you don’t practice illustrate more clearly what makes Reddit so awesome and addictive, we compiled a list of our favorite Reddit qualities. If you’re a dedicated redditor, feel free to share yours in the comments:1. Because It’s Not about Showing OffRestroom selfies? Not in here! Unless you’re going for sarcasm, that is. Reddit is not a social network that encourages (or imposes) the type of non-stop exhibitionism that you find on so many other social platforms. A redditor’s profile only shows you their previous threads and their ranking – no relationship status, business CV or anything like that. 2. Because of the AMA SubredditAsk Me Anything is one of the most popular and intriguing sections on the site. Anyone can go on it, present a certain aspect of their life and take questions from the audience. The interactions vary from a self-proclaimed “extreme couponer” being asked if store clerks hate him to President Barack Obama asked to share the recipe for the White House beer. 3. Because You Learn So Much! There’s a reason why Reddit is so popular with the nerdy slice of the world’s population. It’s an incredible source of information on pretty much every field of human knowledge. You can browse through the many subreddits in philosophy, languages, coding, molecular gastronomy or whatever makes your mind hungry. Our recommendation: Don’t skip the Today I Learned subreddit, which contains hours of fun, enlightening and sometimes utterly useless trivia bits. 4. Because It’s A CommunityReddit has a bad reputation for being filled with trolls and anonymous weirdos. While these users are definitely around, they are not representative of the majority of redditors at all. You will find people giving free legal advice, comforting others in pain, help members to organize surprises for loved ones, and many other kind proof? Our favorite for the moment is this guy soliciting photos from around the world to make a special engagement proposal to his sweetheart. 5. Because Redditors Have the Best and Craziest HumorA group of people get together to count up to a million 1, 001, 805. This is not a social experiment, it’s a Reddit pastime. The counting games are just one example of the whacky and hilarious fun that Reddit brings out of people. On another occasion, a “test post please ignore” thread got 2, 205 snarky these seem too random for you, don’t worry about it. You’ll definitely crack up at this thread of parents sharing their kids’ funniest moments, or at the Not The Onion subreddit for news that is too crazy to be The Wix Team
Frequently Asked Questions about whats reddit
What is the point of Reddit?
Reddit is a social news website and forum where content is socially curated and promoted by site members through voting. The site name is a play on the words “I read it.” Reddit member registration is free, and it is required to use the website’s basic features.
What is the app Reddit used for?
At its core, Reddit is a social sharing website. It’s built around users submitting links, pictures, and text, which everyone can then vote on. The best content rises to the top, while downvoted content becomes less visible.Apr 2, 2019
Why is Reddit so popular?
There’s a reason why Reddit is so popular with the nerdy slice of the world’s population. It’s an incredible source of information on pretty much every field of human knowledge. You can browse through the many subreddits in philosophy, languages, coding, molecular gastronomy or whatever makes your mind hungry.Apr 1, 2016