Social media has changed the way that we interact with each other. If anything, it makes digital interactions much more personal.
What’s more, is that there are dozens of platforms for you to choose from. Some of the most popular ones include Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Linked, and Twitter.
Reddit is another big one. In fact, it’s one of the most popular websites in the world with over 1.6 billion visits from February 2018 to March 2019.
Thinking of trying it out? Want to know how Reddit works? If so, you’re on the right page. Keep reading for everything that you need to know!
What Is Reddit?
Reddit is a social news platform that allows users to submit content such as text, images, and links. These posts can then be voted up or down by other individuals.
Based in San Francisco, the site covers a variety of topics such as news, politics, pets, video games, science, cooking, fitness, and more.
What Is a Subreddit?
Reddit is made up of thousands of smaller communities known as “subreddits.” As of 2019, there are more than 138,000 active subreddits, all of which have their own themes and rules.
Not only can you read posts within each community, but you can post your own as well (with the exception of private subreddits).
If you want, you can also subscribe to a subreddit so that the most popular posts will appear on your Reddit front page.
How Does the Front Page Work?
Reddit features certain submissions on its front page. Assuming that you’re registered, the default tab will be “best.”
Basically, it’ll show you the most popular posts from various subreddits, including those that you’re subscribed to. There are also other tabs that you can visit such as “rising” and “controversial”.
Understanding Reddit Karma
Reddit karma is a type of voting system that determines how much a user has contributed to the site. Basically, it’s a score that you get when you post and comment—the more upvotes you get, the higher your karma will be.
The opposite is also true. That is, your karma will go down if you get a lot of downvotes.
With that said, it’s important to remember that it’s just a number; there’s no value to it. If anything, it just lets other people know that you’re a good Reddit user.
What Is Reddit Gold?
Reddit Premium, previously known as Reddit Gold, is a premium membership to Reddit. As it is, it offers a number of perks such as the ability to create custom avatars and turn off ads.
One thing that sets it apart from other premium memberships is that you can gift it to other users. For example, it’s not uncommon for some to gift gold to those who’ve posted something that they really like.
How to Post On Reddit
Anyone can post on Reddit—you just need an account. To do that, click on the “Create a post” button near the top of the page.
Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to choose whether you want to submit a link, text post, or image/video. It’s important to note that some subreddits may limit the type of content that you can submit.
If all goes well, your post should go live immediately. Depending on the community, however, it might need to be reviewed by a moderator.
For more tips, check out this guide to success!
Reddit Lingo
Reddit is known for its various acronyms and expressions. Here are some that you might run into:
AMA: Stands for “ask me anything.” It’s used to describe interactive interviews on the site (there’s a subreddit dedicated to these posts).
ELI5: Stands for, “explain like I’m five.” Put it simply, it’s a request for someone to explain a topic in simple terms, ones that a five-year-old can understand (thus the phrase).
TLDR: Stands for “too long, didn’t read.” It’s typically included at the bottom of a long post to offer users a short summary of the content. That way, people can understand the post without reading the entire thing.
OC: Stands for “original content.” It signifies that whatever you’re posting is your own work (reposts are usually frowned upon on the site).
Cake Day: This refers to the day that you joined Reddit aka your “Reddit birthday.” On this day, a small cake icon will appear next to your username when you post.
Flair: Some subreddits will allow you to mark your post with a flair. A tagging system, it allows users to filter specific content on a subreddit.
About User Profiles
The great thing about Reddit is that you can remain anonymous. With that said, it does keep track of your activity on the site.
For example, people will be able to see what you’ve posted or comment on via your profile. Not only that, but they’ll be able to see your trophy case of achievements if you have any.
Note: Some users may be able to use the new profile page, which allows you to include a picture and a short bio.
Understanding How Reddit Works
And there we have it—a short guide on how Reddit works. As you can see, there are several features that you can take advantage of. If you want, you can even use its official app!
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