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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 31.221.91.66 (talk) at 12:33, 29 April 2019. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This article is or was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Austin.Lira (article contribs). This article is or was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Tortalyni (article contribs).

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Semi-protected edit request on 6 February 2018

Change external link and citation/reference for Alexa ranking from http:// to https:// 68.192.101.212 (talk) 23:23, 6 February 2018 (UTC)[reply]

 Done Gulumeemee (talk) 01:00, 7 February 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 28 February, 2018

Please change the Alexa rank of Reddit to number 6, not 7, as the reference used is the direct Alexa page and it states that Reddit is number 6. -Thedudewhocorrectsthealexarank — Preceding unsigned comment added by Thedudewhocorrectsthealexarank (talk • contribs) 06:04, 28 February 2018 (UTC)[reply]

 Done. User:Axisixa [t] [c] 09:24, 28 February 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 14 March, 2018

Can someone please remove the notable subreddits section because it doesn't really add much but can be a great target for turf wars if you know what I mean. I am not good in Wikipedia formatting code thingies and there are citation links on some stuff there so clearly a skilled Wikipedician is required. I even had to copypaste this request thing from previous on the page so I hope I didn't miss some obvious detail like going to a special page and that adding this text is sufficient.

Have a nice time of the day,

 Not done: Only subreddits mentioned in reliable sources can be included. Since there are surprisingly few of these (only the ones already listed right now), there should be and has been no argument over inclusion criteria. I do not see this changing in the forseeable future. User:Axisixa [t] [c] 01:06, 14 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 27 June 2018

Change Alexa.com rank from "7" to "8" RevkahAnne (talk) 17:18, 27 June 2018 (UTC)[reply]

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Kpgjhpjm 17:48, 27 June 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 22 July 2018

there is a 'citation needed' for reddit's april fool's day 'CircleofTrust'. here's the needed source: https://redditblog.com/2018/05/22/looking-back-at-r-circleoftrust/ Jooji-san (talk) 11:42, 22 July 2018 (UTC)[reply]

 Done Danski454 (talk) 16:01, 22 July 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 15 September 2018

70.53.86.35 (talk) 11:34, 15 September 2018 (UTC)[reply]
 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. ChamithN (talk) 11:36, 15 September 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Request to update History

Hi there! On behalf of Reddit, I've been working on a new draft for this article to make sure that information is well sourced, expanded as appropriate, and streamlined if necessary. As of today, I'm still working on researching and drafting content, and I wanted to start off discussions with editors by sharing an updated History section for review. You can see my proposed draft in my user space. I've also made this diff diff to compare my draft for History with the current version in the live article.

In general, I have rewritten this section to streamline the writing, consolidate details, reduce redundancies, and remove what could be trivial detail (such as excessive mentions to specific employees). I have made some passive voice content active voice for better readability. As well, my suggested History section does not include issues such as the blackout and Spezgiving, or debates over free speech. These are currently covered in the Controversies section, and I feel those topics are best handled as their own sections. My proposed History instead focuses mainly on the history of the company and the website.

My draft offers the following edits:

  • Rewriting the introduction of the History section, adding detail on how the website and company was founded
  • Adding history based on reliable secondary coverage of Reddit
  • Further subdividing of this section, adding details on product and design changes
  • Eliminating recognition that's not appropriate for Wikipedia
  • Rewriting content on Reddit Gold, aiming to make it less promotional
  • Removed mention of Redditmade; this initiative was live for just a few months, and there is no sourcing available to confirm its end in 2015, so it seems best to cut
  • Adding new material on major initiatives of previous CEOs
  • Adding material on the return of Ohanian and Huffman to Reddit after its sale
  • Adding important milestones, such as the introduction of comments, subreddits, advertising, efforts to ban highly offensive content and behavior on the site, creation of mobile apps, the site redesign, etc.
Proposed new draft for History
History
Company history
Further information: Timeline of Reddit
Co-founder Alexis Ohanian speaking in 2009

The idea and initial development of Reddit originated with then college roommates Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian in 2005. Huffman and Ohanian attended a lecture by programmer-entrepreneur Paul Graham in Boston, Massachusetts, during their spring break from University of Virginia.[1][2][3] After speaking with Huffman and Ohanian following the lecture, Graham invited the two to apply to his startup incubator Y Combinator.[1] Their initial idea was unsuccessful: My Mobile Menu,[4][5] which was intended to allow users to order food by SMS text messaging.[1][2] During a brainstorming session to pitch another startup, the idea was created for what Graham called the "front page of the Internet".[5] For this idea, Huffman and Ohanian were accepted in Y Combinator's first class.[1][2] Supported by the funding from Y Combinator, Huffman coded the site in Lisp[5][6] and together with Ohanian launched Reddit in June 2005.[7][8]

The team expanded to include Christopher Slowe in November 2005. Between November 2005 and January 2006, Reddit merged with Aaron Swartz's company Infogami, and Swartz became an equal owner of the resulting parent company, Not A Bug.[9][10] Huffman and Ohanian sold Reddit to Condé Nast Publications, owner of Wired, on October 31, 2006, for a reported $10 million to $20 million[1][11] and the team moved to San Francisco.[12] In January 2007, Swartz was fired.[13]

Huffman and Ohanian left Reddit in 2009.[14] Huffman went on to co-found Hipmunk with Adam Goldstein, and later recruited Ohanian[15] and Slowe to his new company.[16] After Huffman and Ohanian left Reddit, Erik Martin, who joined the company as a community manager in 2008 and later became general manager is 2011, played a role in Reddit's growth.[17] VentureBeat noted that Martin was "responsible for keeping the site going" under Condé Nast's ownership.[18] Martin facilitated the purchase of Reddit Gifts and led charity initiatives.[18]

Reddit launched two different ways of advertising on the site in 2009. The company launched sponsored content[19] and a self-serve ads platform that year.[20][21] Reddit launched its Reddit Gold benefits program in July 2010, which offered new features to editors and created a new revenue stream for the business that did not rely on banner ads.[22] On September 6, 2011, Reddit became operationally independent of Condé Nast, operating as a separate subsidiary of its parent company, Advance Publications.[23] Reddit and other websites participated in a 12-hour sitewide blackout on January 18, 2012, in protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act.[24] In May 2012, Reddit joined the Internet Defense League, a group formed to organize future protests.[25]

Yishan Wong joined Reddit as CEO in 2012.[26] Wong resigned from Reddit in 2014, after more than two years at the company.[27] Ohanian credited Wong with leading the company as its user base grew from 35 million to 174 million.[27] Wong oversaw the company as it raised $50 million in funding and spun off as an independent company.[20] Also during this time, Reddit began accepting the digital currency Bitcoin for its Reddit Gold subscription service through a partnership with bitcoin payment processor Coinbase in February 2013.[28] Ellen Pao replaced Wong as interim CEO in 2014 and resigned in 2015 amid a user revolt over the firing of a popular Reddit employee.[29] During her tenure, Reddit initiated an anti-harassment policy,[30] banned involuntary sexualization, and banned several forums that focused on bigoted content or harassment of individuals.[31]

After five years away from the company, Reddit founders Ohanian and Huffman returned to leadership roles at Reddit. Ohanian returned as the full-time executive chairman in November 2014 following Wong's resignation. Pao resigned on July 10, 2015 and Huffman returned to Reddit as the company's chief executive.[32][33] After Huffman rejoined Reddit, the returning CEO launched Reddit's iOS and Android apps, fixed Reddit's mobile website, and created A/B testing infrastructure.[1] The company launched a major redesign of its website in April 2018.[34] Huffman said new users were turned off from Reddit because it had looked like a "dystopian Craigslist".[34] Reddit also instituted several technological improvements,[35] such as a new tool that allows users to hide posts, comments, and private messages from selected redditors in an attempt to curb online harassment,[36] and new content guidelines. These new content guidelines were aimed at banning content inciting violence and quarantining offensive material.[1][35] Slowe, the company's first employee, rejoined Reddit in 2017 as chief technology officer.[37] Reddit's largest round of funding came in 2017, when the company raised $200 million and was valued at $1.8 billion.[38] The funding supported Reddit's site redesign and video efforts.[38]

Technology and design
Underlying code

Reddit was originally written in Common Lisp but was rewritten in Python in December 2005[39] for wider access to code libraries and greater development flexibility. The Python web framework that Swartz developed to run the site, web.py, is available as an open source project.[40] As of November 10, 2009, Reddit uses Pylons as its web framework.[41] Reddit was an open source project from June 18, 2008 until September 2017.[42] During that time, all of the code and libraries written for Reddit were freely available on GitHub, with the exception of the anti-spam/cheating portions.[43] Users can contribute to translating Reddit into 89 languages using the localization management platform Crowdin.[44]

Hosting and servers

As of November 10, 2009, Reddit decommissioned its own servers and migrated to Amazon Web Services.[45] Reddit uses PostgreSQL as their primary datastore and is slowly moving to Apache Cassandra, a column-oriented datastore. It uses RabbitMQ for offline processing, HAProxy for load balancing and memcached for caching. In early 2009, Reddit started using jQuery.[46]

Mobile apps

In 2010, Reddit released its first mobile web interface for easier reading and navigating the website on touch screen devices.[47] For several years, redditors relied on third-party apps to access Reddit on mobile devices. In October 2014, Reddit acquired one of them, Alien Blue, which became the official iOS Reddit app.[48] Reddit removed Alien Blue and released its official application, Reddit: The Official App, on Google Play and the iOS App Store in April 2016.[49] The company released an app for Reddit's question-and-answer Ask Me Anything subreddit in 2014.[50] The app allowed users to see active Ask Me Anythings, receive notifications, ask questions and vote.[50]

Product and design changes

The site has undergone several products and design changes since it originally launched in 2005. When it initially launched, there were no comments or subreddits. Comments were added in 2005[34][51] and interest-based groups (called 'subreddits') were introduced in 2008.[52] Allowing users to create subreddits has led to much of the activity that redditors would recognize that helped define Reddit. These include subreddits "WTF", "funny", and "Ask reddit".[52] Reddit rolled out its multireddit feature, the site's biggest change to its front page in years, in 2013.[53] With the multireddits, users see top stories from a collection of subreddits.[53]

In 2015, Reddit enabled embedding, so users could share Reddit content on other sites.[54] In 2016, Reddit began hosting images using a new image uploading tool, a move that shifted away from the uploading service Imgur that had been the de facto service.[55] Users still can upload images to Reddit using Imgur.[55] Reddit's in-house video uploading service for desktop and mobile launched in 2017.[56] Previously, users had to use third-party video uploading services, which Reddit acknowledged was time consuming for users.[56]

Reddit released its "spoiler tags" feature in January 2017.[57] The feature wants users of potential spoilers in posts and pixelates preview images.[57] Reddit unveiled changes to its public front page, called r/popular, in 2017.[58] The feature creates a front page free of potentially adult-oriented content for unregistered users.[58]

In late 2017, Reddit declared it wanted to be a mobile-first site, launching several changes to its apps for iOS and Android.[59] The new features included user-to-user chat, a theater mode for viewing visual content, and mobile tools for the site's moderators.[59] "Mod mode" lets moderators manage content and their subreddits on mobile devices.[59]

Reddit launched its redesigned website in 2018, with its first major visual update in a decade.[34] Development for the new site took more than a year.[34] It was the result of an initiative by Huffman upon returning to Reddit, who said the site's outdated look deterred new users.[34] The new site features a hamburger menu to help users navigate the site, different views, and new fonts to better inform redditors if they are clicking on a Reddit post or an external link.[34] The goal was not only for Reddit to improve its appearance, but also to make it easier to accommodate a new generation of Reddit users.[34] Additionally, Reddit's growth had strained the site's back end;[60] Huffman and Reddit Vice President of Engineering Nick Caldwell told The Wall Street Journal's COI Journal that Reddit needed to leverage artificial intelligence and other modern digital tools.[60]
Markup

== History ==
===Company history===
{{Further information|Timeline of Reddit}}
[[File:Alexis Ohanian Reflections-Projections ACM 2009.JPG|thumb|upright|Co-founder [[Alexis Ohanian]] speaking in 2009]]

The idea and initial development of Reddit originated with then college roommates Steve Huffman and [[Alexis Ohanian]] in 2005. Huffman and Ohanian attended a lecture by programmer-entrepreneur [[Paul Graham (programmer)|Paul Graham]] in [[Boston, Massachusetts]], during their spring break from [[University of Virginia]].<ref name="Hempel15">{{cite news |title=Inside Reddit's plan to recover from its epic meltdown |last1=Hempel |first1=Jessi |url=https://www.wired.com/2015/10/reddit-survived-meltdown-can-fix/ |newspaper=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=October 6, 2015 |accessdate=March 13, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Fink15">{{cite news |title=Mr. Meme |last1=Fink |first1=Steve |url=http://www.baltimoremagazine.com/2015/8/4/reddit-ceo-alexis-ohanian-reflects-on-10-years |work=[[Baltimore (magazine)|Baltimore]] |date=August 2015 |accessdate=March 13, 2018}}</ref><ref name="MassLive">{{cite web |title='This internet thing is not a fad': Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian to discuss online entrepreneurship at UMass Amherst |last1=Williams |first1=Michelle |url=http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2014/02/reddit_co-founder_alexis_ohanian_steve_k.html |work=Mass Live |date=August 2015 |accessdate=March 27, 2018}}</ref> After speaking with Huffman and Ohanian following the lecture, Graham invited the two to apply to his startup incubator [[Y Combinator (company)|Y Combinator]].<ref name="Hempel15"/> Their initial idea was unsuccessful: My Mobile Menu,<ref name="NPR17">{{cite podcast |title=Make Me Smart 6: Reddit CEO Steve Huffman is not horsing around |url=https://www.marketplace.org/2017/02/28/economy/make-me-smart-kai-and-molly/6-reddit-ceo-steve-huffman-not-horsin-around |publisher=[[NPR]] |host=Guy Raz |date=August 31, 2017 |access-date=28 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="NPR1">{{cite episode |title=Live Episode! Reddit: Alexis Ohanian & Steve Huffman |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=545635014 |series=How I Built This With Guy Raz |network= [[NPR]] |date=August 31, 2017}}</ref> which was intended to allow users to order food by [[SMS]] [[text messaging]].<ref name="Hempel15"/><ref name="Fink15"/> During a brainstorming session to pitch another startup, the idea was created for what Graham called the "front page of the Internet".<ref name="NPR1"/> For this idea, Huffman and Ohanian were accepted in Y Combinator's first class.<ref name="Hempel15"/><ref name="Fink15"/> Supported by the funding from Y Combinator, Huffman coded the site in [[Lisp (programming language)|Lisp]]<ref name="NPR1"/><ref name="Carson17">{{cite news |last1=Wallace |first1=Benjamin |title=Reddit Redux |url=http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/10/reddit-founder-steve-huffman.html |accessdate=March 28, 2018 |work=[[New York Magazine]] |date=October 6, 2015}}</ref> and together with Ohanian launched Reddit in June 2005.<ref name="grad">{{cite web | url=http://www.seas.virginia.edu/pubs/uvaengineer/websites.php | title=Unleashing High-Profile, High-Profit Websites |last1=Richards |first1=Zak}}</ref><ref name="Macale">{{cite web|last=Macale|first=Sherilynn "Cheri"|title=A rundown of Reddit's history and community [Infographic]|url=http://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2011/10/14/a-rundown-of-reddits-history-and-community-infographic/|website=The Next Web Social Media|accessdate=November 12, 2011}}</ref>

The team expanded to include [[Christopher Slowe]] in November 2005. Between November 2005 and January 2006, Reddit merged with [[Aaron Swartz]]'s company Infogami, and Swartz became an equal owner of the resulting parent company, Not A Bug.<ref> {{cite news |url=https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/07/swartz-arrest/ |title=Feds Charge Activist as Hacker for Downloading Millions of Academic Articles |date=July 19, 2011 |first=Ryan |last=Singel |publisher=[[Wired magazine|Wired]] |accessdate=January 12, 2013}} </ref><ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.infogami.com/blog/introduction| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20081202043829/http://www.infogami.com/blog/introduction| archivedate= December 2, 2008|title= Introducing Infogami | last=Swartz | first=Aaron | authorlink=Aaron Swartz| publisher=Infogami | date=February 27, 2006 | accessdate= January 6, 2007}} (archive.org link)</ref> Huffman and Ohanian sold Reddit to [[Condé Nast Publications]], owner of ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'', on October 31, 2006, for a reported $10 million to $20 million<ref name="Hempel15"/><ref name="wired">{{cite web | url=https://techcrunch.com/2006/10/31/breaking-news-conde-nastwired-acquires-reddit/ | title=Condé Nast/Wired Acquires Reddit | date=2006-10-31}}</ref> and the team moved to San Francisco.<ref> {{cite web | url = https://techcrunch.com/2006/10/31/breaking-news-conde-nastwired-acquires-reddit/ | title = Breaking news: Condé Nast/Wired Acquires Reddit | publisher = [[TechCrunch]]|date=October 31, 2006|accessdate= January 6, 2007 | last=Arrington | first=Michael | authorlink=Michael Arrington}}</ref> In January 2007, Swartz was fired.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2007-05-07-n78.html |title=A Chat with Aaron Swartz |publisher=Blogoscoped.com |date=May 7, 2007 |accessdate=December 4, 2011}}</ref>

Huffman and Ohanian left Reddit in 2009.<ref name="Peterson15">{{cite news |title=The two co-founder quotes that explain Reddit’s struggle to grow up |last1=Peterson |first1=Andrea |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/07/14/the-two-co-founder-quotes-that-explain-reddits-struggle-to-grow-up/?utm_term=.be449408d043 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=July 15, 2015 |accessdate=May 16, 2018}}</ref> Huffman went on to co-found Hipmunk with Adam Goldstein, and later recruited Ohanian<ref name="Lagorio-Chafkin11">{{cite news |title=30 Under 30: Adam Goldstein and Steve Huffman, Founders of Hipmunk |last1=Lagorio-Chafkin |first1=Christine |url=https://www.inc.com/30under30/2011/profile-steve-huffman-adam-goldstein-founders-hipmunk.html |work=[[Inc. (magazine)|Inc.]] |date=June 27, 2011 |accessdate=May 16, 2018}}</ref> and Slowe to his new company.<ref name="Kincaid10">{{cite web|last=Kincaid |first=Jason |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/11/01/reddit-chief-takes-flight-to-hipmunk-explains-why-hes-leaving-now/ |title=Reddit Chief Takes Flight To Hipmunk, Explains Why He's Leaving Now |publisher=Techcrunch.com |date=November 1, 2010 |accessdate=December 4, 2011}}</ref> After Huffman and Ohanian left Reddit, Erik Martin, who joined the company as a community manager in 2008 and later became general manager is 2011, played a role in Reddit's growth.<ref name="Parks15">{{cite news |title=Erik Martin helped make Reddit huge, then he left. What's next for an Internet master? |last1=Parks |first1=Miles |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/erik-martin-helped-make-reddit-huge-then-he-left-whats-next-for-an-internet-master/2015/01/01/46535968-7a6c-11e4-b821-503cc7efed9e_story.html?utm_term=.6d6a56df15e1 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 1, 2015 |accessdate=May 16, 2018}}</ref> ''[[VentureBeat]]'' noted that Martin was "responsible for keeping the site going" under Condé Nast's ownership.<ref name="Cheredar12">{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2012/03/30/reddit-time-100-most-influential/ |title=Reddit General Manager Erik Martin leads Time’s "100 Most Influential" poll |last1=Cheredar |first1=Tom |date=March 30, 2012 |work=[[VentureBeat]] |accessdate=May 16, 2018}}</ref> Martin facilitated the purchase of Reddit Gifts and led charity initiatives.<ref name="Cheredar12"/>

Reddit launched two different ways of advertising on the site in 2009. The company launched sponsored content<ref name="Kafka09">{{cite news |url=http://allthingsd.com/20090327/reddits-ad-experiment-is-good-news-for-conde-nast-maybe-for-digg-too/ |title=Reddit’s Ad Experiment Is Good News for Condé Nast. Maybe for Digg, Too |last1=Kafka |first1=Peter |date=March 27, 2009 |work=[[All Things Digital]] |accessdate=May 25, 2018}}</ref> and a self-serve ads platform that year.<ref name="Loizos17">{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/07/31/reddit-just-raised-a-new-round-that-values-the-company-at-1-8-billion/ |title=Reddit just raised a new round that values the company at $1.8 billion |last1=Loizos |first1=Connie |date=July 31, 2017 |work=[[TechCrunch]] |accessdate=May 16, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Siegler09">{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2009/11/12/reddit-advertising/ |title=Reddit opens its homepage to anyone willing to pay (invites) |last1=Siegler |first1=MG |date=12 November 2009 |publisher=[[TechCrunch]] |accessdate=25 May 2018}}</ref> Reddit launched its Reddit Gold benefits program in July 2010, which offered new features to editors and created a new revenue stream for the business that did not rely on banner ads.<ref name="Shu13">{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/06/11/reddit-gold-benefits/ |title=Reddit Adds Benefits For Gold Members To Further Monetize The Site Without More Ads |last1=Shu |first1=Catherine |date=June 12, 2013 |work=[[TechCrunch]] |accessdate=May 16, 2018}}</ref> On September 6, 2011, Reddit became operationally independent of Condé Nast, operating as a separate subsidiary of its parent company, Advance Publications.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://redditblog.com/2011/09/independence.html|title=blog.reddit – what's new online: Independence|accessdate=September 6, 2011}}</ref> Reddit and other websites participated in a 12-hour sitewide blackout on January 18, 2012, in protest of the [[Stop Online Piracy Act]].<ref name="gamepolitics.com">{{cite web|url=http://gamepolitics.com/2012/01/11/reddit-plans-sopa-039blackout039-protest-jan-18|title=Reddit Plans SOPA 'Blackout' Protest Jan. 18|publisher=Entertainment Consumers Association|accessdate=October 7, 2014|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141010070720/http://gamepolitics.com/2012/01/11/reddit-plans-sopa-039blackout039-protest-jan-18|archivedate=October 10, 2014|df=}}</ref> In May 2012, Reddit joined the [[Internet Defense League]], a group formed to organize future protests.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.internetdefenseleague.org/members|title=The Internet Defense League - Protecting the Free Internet since 2012|website=internetdefenseleague.org}}</ref>

[[Yishan Wong]] joined Reddit as CEO in 2012.<ref name="Kerr12">{{cite news |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/reddit-names-new-ceo-yishan-wong/ |title=Reddit names new CEO, Yishan Wong |last1=Kerr |first1=Dara |date=March 8, 2012 |work=[[CNET]] |accessdate=May 16, 2018}}</ref> Wong resigned from Reddit in 2014, after more than two years at the company.<ref name="Rushe14">{{cite news |title=Reddit CEO Yishan Wong resigns after row about new office space |last1=Rushe |first1=Dominic |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/nov/13/reddit-ceo-yishan-wong-resign-office-space |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=November 13, 2014 |accessdate=May 16, 2018}}</ref> Ohanian credited Wong with leading the company as its user base grew from 35 million to 174 million.<ref name="Rushe14"/> Wong oversaw the company as it raised $50 million in funding and spun off as an independent company.<ref name="Loizos17">{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/07/31/reddit-just-raised-a-new-round-that-values-the-company-at-1-8-billion/ |title=Reddit just raised a new round that values the company at $1.8 billion |last1=Loizos |first1=Connie |date=July 31, 2017 |work=[[TechCrunch]] |accessdate=May 16, 2018}}</ref> Also during this time, Reddit began accepting the digital currency [[Bitcoin]] for its Reddit Gold subscription service through a partnership with bitcoin payment processor [[Coinbase]] in February 2013.<ref name=RedditGold>{{cite web|last=Olanoff|first=Drew|title=Reddit Starts Accepting Bitcoin for Reddit Gold Purchases Thanks To Partnership With Coinbase|url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/02/14/reddit-starts-accepting-bitcoin-for-reddit-gold-purchases-thanks-to-partnership-with-coinbase/|publisher=Techcrunch|accessdate= February 14, 2013}}</ref> Ellen Pao replaced Wong as interim CEO in 2014 and resigned in 2015 amid a user revolt over the firing of a popular Reddit employee.<ref name="Alba15">{{cite news |title=Ellen Pao steps down as CEO after Reddit revolt |last1=Alba |first1=Davey |url=https://www.wired.com/2015/07/reddit-ceo-ellen-pao-steps-down-huffman-replacement/ |work=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=July 10, 2015 |accessdate=May 16, 2018}}</ref> During her tenure, Reddit initiated an anti-harassment policy,<ref name="BBC15-Pao">{{cite news |title=Reddit, under Ellen Pao, launches harassment crackdown |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-32749408 |work=[[BBC]] |date=May 15, 2015 |accessdate=May 16, 2018}}</ref> banned involuntary sexualization, and banned several forums that focused on bigoted content or harassment of individuals.<ref name="Dewey15">{{cite news |title=These are the 5 subreddits Reddit banned under its game-changing anti-harassment policy — and why it banned them |last1=Dewey |first1=Caitlin |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2015/06/10/these-are-the-5-subreddits-reddit-banned-under-its-game-changing-anti-harassment-policy-and-why-it-banned-them/?utm_term=.34a3ebf055db |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 10, 2015 |accessdate=May 16, 2018}}</ref>

After five years away from the company, Reddit founders Ohanian and Huffman returned to leadership roles at Reddit. Ohanian returned as the full-time executive chairman in November 2014 following Wong's resignation. Pao resigned on July 10, 2015 and Huffman returned to Reddit as the company's chief executive.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = An old team at reddit • /r/announcements|url = https://www.reddit.com/r/announcements/comments/3cucye/an_old_team_at_reddit/|website = reddit|accessdate = July 10, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Issac|first1=Mike|title=Ellen Pao Is Stepping Down as Reddit's Chief|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/11/technology/ellen-pao-reddit-chief-executive-resignation.html?smid=tw-nytimes&_r=0|accessdate=July 10, 2015|website=[[New York Times]]|date=July 10, 2015}}</ref><!-- seems to be discontinued, but cannot find sources In October 2015, Reddit announced a news portal called Upvoted, designed to broaden the reach of Reddit as a standalone site featuring editorial content from Reddit users.<ref>{{cite web|title=Introducing Upvoted: A Redditorial Publication |url=http://www.redditblog.com/2015/10/introducing-upvoted-redditorial.html|website=redditblog.com}}</ref> --> After Huffman rejoined Reddit, the returning CEO launched Reddit's [[iOS]] and [[Android (operating system)|Android]] apps, fixed Reddit's mobile website, and created [[A/B testing]] infrastructure.<ref name="Hempel15"/> The company launched a major redesign of its website in April 2018.<ref name="Pardes18">{{cite news |title=The inside story of Reddit's redesign |last1=Pardes |first1=Arielle |url=https://www.wired.com/story/reddit-redesign/ |work=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=April 2, 2018 |accessdate=May 16, 2018}}</ref> Huffman said new users were turned off from Reddit because it had looked like a "dystopian Craigslist".<ref name="Pardes18"/> Reddit also instituted several technological improvements,<ref name="Lagorio18">{{cite news |title=Steve Huffman Talks About Bringing Reddit Back From the Brink |last1=Lagorio-Chafkin |first1=Christine |url=https://www.inc.com/christine-lagorio/reddit-ceo-steve-huffman-speaks-at-sxsw.html |work=[[Inc. (magazine)|Inc.]] |date=March 9, 2018 |accessdate=March 13, 2018}}</ref> such as a new tool that allows users to hide posts, comments, and private messages from selected redditors in an attempt to curb [[online harassment]],<ref>{{cite web|title= Reddit Launches New Block Tools To Help Temper Harassment|url=http://www.hngn.com/articles/195447/20160406/reddit-launches-blocking-tool-fight-trolling-harassment.htm}}</ref> and new content guidelines. These new content guidelines were aimed at banning content inciting violence and quarantining offensive material.<ref name="Hempel15"/><ref name="Lagorio18"/> Slowe, the company's first employee, rejoined Reddit in 2017 as chief technology officer.<ref name="Matney17">{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/27/reddits-first-employee-is-the-companys-new-cto/ |title=Reddit's new CTO was the company's first hire |last1=Matney |first1=Lucas |date=August 27, 2017 |work=[[TechCrunch]] |accessdate=May 17, 2018}}</ref> Reddit's largest round of funding came in 2017, when the company raised $200 million and was valued at $1.8 billion.<ref name="Wagner17">{{cite news |url=https://www.recode.net/2017/7/31/16037126/reddit-funding-200-million-valuation-steve-huffman-alexis-ohanian |title=Reddit raised $200 million in funding and is now valued at $1.8 billion |last1=Wagner |first1=Kurt |date=July 31, 2017 |work=[[Recode]] |accessdate=May 17, 2018}}</ref> The funding supported Reddit's site redesign and video efforts.<ref name="Wagner17"/>

===Technology and design===
====Underlying code====
Reddit was originally written in [[Common Lisp]] but was rewritten in [[Python (programming language)|Python]] in December 2005<ref name="reddit.org">{{cite web|author=steve [spez] |url=https://redditblog.com/2005/12/on-lisp.html |title="On lisp" blog post by Reddit founder "spez", detailing the reasons for switching to python from lisp |publisher=Blog.reddit.com |date=December 5, 2005 |accessdate=December 4, 2011}}</ref> for wider access to [[Library (computing)|code libraries]] and greater development flexibility. The Python web framework that Swartz developed to run the site, ''web.py'', is available as an [[open source]] project.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://webpy.org/ |title=Official web.py site |publisher=Webpy.org |accessdate=December 4, 2011}}</ref> {{as of|2009|11|10|df=US}}, Reddit uses [[Pylons web framework|Pylons]] as its web framework.<ref>[http://wiki.pylonshq.com/display/pylonscommunity/Sites+Using+Pylons Sites Using Pylons] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913152149/http://wiki.pylonshq.com/display/pylonscommunity/Sites+Using+Pylons |date=2008-09-13 }} – Pylons Community – PythonWeb</ref> Reddit was an open source project from June 18, 2008 until September 2017.<ref>{{cite web|author=steve [spez] |url=https://redditblog.com/2008/06/reddit-goes-open-source.html |title=Reddit goes open source |publisher=Blog.reddit.com |date=June 17, 2008 |accessdate=December 4, 2011}}</ref> During that time, all of the code and libraries written for Reddit were freely available on [[GitHub]], with the exception of the anti-spam/cheating portions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://github.com/reddit/reddit/wiki |title=Reddit GitHub |accessdate=June 5, 2011}}</ref> Users can contribute to translating Reddit into 89 languages using the localization management platform Crowdin.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://crowdin.com/project/reddit|title=reddit — Translation Project on Crowdin|website=Crowdin|language=en|access-date=2017-07-30}}</ref>

====Hosting and servers====
{{as of|2009|11|10|df=US}}, Reddit decommissioned its own servers and migrated to [[Amazon Web Services]].<ref>{{cite web|author=jeremy [jedberg] |url=https://redditblog.com/2009/11/moving-to-cloud.html |title=Moving to the cloud |publisher=Blog.reddit.com |date=November 10, 2009 |accessdate=December 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410193437/http://www.redditblog.com/2009/11/moving-to-cloud.html |archive-date=April 10, 2016 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref> Reddit uses [[PostgreSQL]] as their primary datastore and is slowly moving to [[Apache Cassandra]], a column-oriented datastore. It uses [[RabbitMQ]] for offline processing, [[HAProxy]] for load balancing and [[memcached]] for caching. In early 2009, Reddit started using [[jQuery]].<ref>[https://redditblog.com/2009/01/reddit-now-powered-by-jquery.html What's new on Reddit: Reddit now powered by jQuery] – Posted by Chris Slowe (keysersosa) (Friday, January 30, 2009) – blog.reddit</ref>

====Mobile apps====
In 2010, Reddit released its first mobile web interface for easier reading and navigating the website on touch screen devices.<ref name="Siegler10">{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/06/09/reddit-mobile/ |title=Reddit Finally Becomes Usable On The Mobile Web — Cause They Hate The App Store |last1=Siegler |first1=MG |date=June 9, 2010 |work=[[TechCrunch]] |accessdate=May 25, 2018}}</ref> For several years, redditors relied on third-party apps to access Reddit on mobile devices. In October 2014, Reddit acquired one of them, Alien Blue, which became the official iOS Reddit app.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/10/15/reddit-acquires-alien-blue-the-most-popular-unofficial-reddit-app/ |title=Reddit Acquires Alien Blue, The Most Popular Unofficial Reddit App |last=Kumparak |first=Greg |date=October 15, 2014 |website=TechCrunch |publisher=AOL |accessdate=October 25, 2014}}</ref> Reddit removed Alien Blue and released its official application, Reddit: The Official App, on [[Google Play]] and the iOS [[App Store]] in April 2016.<ref>[https://venturebeat.com/2016/04/07/reddit-scraps-alien-blue-in-favor-of-in-house-built-ios-and-android-apps/ Reddit scraps Alien Blue in favor of in-house built iOS and Android apps] April 2016</ref> The company released an app for Reddit's question-and-answer Ask Me Anything subreddit in 2014.<ref name="Spradlin14">{{cite web |url=https://www.androidpolice.com/2014/09/03/reddits-official-ask-me-anything-app-hits-the-play-store-as-promised/ |title=Reddit's Official Ask Me Anything App Hits The Play Store As Promised |last1=Spradlin |first1=Liam |date=September 3, 2014 |work=Android Police |accessdate=May 25, 2018}}</ref> The app allowed users to see active Ask Me Anythings, receive notifications, ask questions and vote.<ref name="Spradlin14"/>

====Product and design changes====
The site has undergone several products and design changes since it originally launched in 2005. When it initially launched, there were no comments or subreddits. Comments were added in 2005<ref name="Pardes18"/><ref name="comments">{{cite web |url=http://www.redditblog.com/2005/12/comments.html |title=blog.reddit – what's new on reddit: comments! |newspaper=Redditblog.com |date= December 12, 2005 |author= [[Steve Huffman]]|accessdate= May 24, 2015}}</ref> and interest-based groups (called 'subreddits') were introduced in 2008.<ref name="Vanhemert14">{{cite news |title=Fascinating graphs show how Reddit got huge by going mainstream |last1=Vanhemert |first1=Kyle |url=https://www.wired.com/2014/01/the-gentrification-of-reddit-in-a-few-great-graphs/ |newspaper=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=January 9, 2014 |accessdate=May 17, 2018}}</ref> Allowing users to create subreddits has led to much of the activity that redditors would recognize that helped define Reddit. These include subreddits "WTF", "funny", and "Ask reddit".<ref name="Vanhemert14"/> Reddit rolled out its multireddit feature, the site's biggest change to its front page in years, in 2013.<ref name="Cheredar13">{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2013/07/23/reddit-multireddit-feature/ |title=Reddit rolls out its front page-changing multireddit feature to the public |last1=Cheredar |first1=Tom |date=July 23, 2013 |work=[[VentureBeat]] |accessdate=May 25, 2018}}</ref> With the multireddits, users see top stories from a collection of subreddits.<ref name="Cheredar13"/>

In 2015, Reddit enabled embedding, so users could share Reddit content on other sites.<ref name="Fingas15">{{cite news |url=https://www.engadget.com/2015/03/24/reddit-comment-embeds/ |title=Reddit now lets you embed comments on other websites |last1=Fingas |first1=Jon |date=March 24, 2015 |work=[[Engadget]] |accessdate=May 17, 2018}}</ref> In 2016, Reddit began hosting images using a new image uploading tool, a move that shifted away from the uploading service [[Imgur]] that had been the de facto service.<ref name="Toor16">{{cite news |url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/5/26/11782608/reddit-imgur-image-upload-beta |title=Reddit moves away from Imgur with new photo-uploading tool |last1=Toor |first1=Amar |date=May 26, 2016 |work=[[The Verge]] |accessdate=May 17, 2018}}</ref> Users still can upload images to Reddit using Imgur.<ref name="Toor16"/> Reddit's in-house video uploading service for desktop and mobile launched in 2017.<ref name="Perez17">{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/17/reddit-rolls-out-its-own-video-platform/ |title=Reddit rolls out its own video platform |last1=Perez |first1=Sarah |date=August 17, 2017 |work=[[TechCrunch]] |accessdate=May 17, 2018}}</ref> Previously, users had to use third-party video uploading services, which Reddit acknowledged was time consuming for users.<ref name="Perez17"/>

Reddit released its "spoiler tags" feature in January 2017.<ref name="Mejia17">{{cite news |url=https://qz.com/943344/twitter-hate-speech-controls-can-help-you-avoid-tv-spoilers/ |title=The hidden benefit of Twitter’s hate-speech controls: avoiding TV spoilers |last1=Mejia |first1=Zameena |date=March 28, 2017 |work=[[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]] |accessdate=May 25, 2018}}</ref> The feature wants users of potential spoilers in posts and pixelates preview images.<ref name="Mejia17"/> Reddit unveiled changes to its public front page, called r/popular, in 2017.<ref name="Shah17">{{cite news |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/reddit-popular-front-page-update/ |title=Reddit is eliminating explicit content from its public homepage |last1=Shah |first1=Saqib |date=February 15, 2017 |work=[[Digital Trends]] |accessdate=May 25, 2018}}</ref> The feature creates a front page free of potentially adult-oriented content for unregistered users.<ref name="Shah17"/>

In late 2017, Reddit declared it wanted to be a mobile-first site, launching several changes to its apps for iOS and Android.<ref name="Statt17">{{cite news |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/18/16788908/reddit-mobile-app-update-chat-mod-tools |title=Reddit overhauls mobile app with chat function and new moderation tools |last1= Statt |first1=Mick |date=December 18, 2017 |publisher=[[The Verge]] |accessdate=May 17, 2018}}</ref> The new features included user-to-user chat, a theater mode for viewing visual content, and mobile tools for the site's moderators.<ref name="Statt17"/> "Mod mode" lets moderators manage content and their subreddits on mobile devices.<ref name="Statt17"/>

Reddit launched its redesigned website in 2018, with its first major visual update in a decade.<ref name="Pardes18"/> Development for the new site took more than a year.<ref name="Pardes18"/> It was the result of an initiative by Huffman upon returning to Reddit, who said the site's outdated look deterred new users.<ref name="Pardes18"/> The new site features a hamburger menu to help users navigate the site, different views, and new fonts to better inform redditors if they are clicking on a Reddit post or an external link.<ref name="Pardes18"/> The goal was not only for Reddit to improve its appearance, but also to make it easier to accommodate a new generation of Reddit users.<ref name="Pardes18"/> Additionally, Reddit's growth had strained the site's back end;<ref name="Loten18">{{cite news |title=Reddit CEO revamped outdated website from the IT foundations |last1=Loten |first1=Angus |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2018/04/10/reddit-ceo-revamped-outdated-website-from-the-it-foundations/ |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=April 10, 2018 |accessdate=May 17, 2018}}</ref> Huffman and Reddit Vice President of Engineering Nick Caldwell told ''The Wall Street Journal''{{'}}s COI Journal that Reddit needed to leverage artificial intelligence and other modern digital tools.<ref name="Loten18"/>
References

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  51. ^ Steve Huffman (December 12, 2005). "blog.reddit – what's new on reddit: comments!". Redditblog.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  52. ^ a b Vanhemert, Kyle (January 9, 2014). "Fascinating graphs show how Reddit got huge by going mainstream". Wired. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  53. ^ a b Cheredar, Tom (July 23, 2013). "Reddit rolls out its front page-changing multireddit feature to the public". VentureBeat. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  54. ^ Fingas, Jon (March 24, 2015). "Reddit now lets you embed comments on other websites". Engadget. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  55. ^ a b Toor, Amar (May 26, 2016). "Reddit moves away from Imgur with new photo-uploading tool". The Verge. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  56. ^ a b Perez, Sarah (August 17, 2017). "Reddit rolls out its own video platform". TechCrunch. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  57. ^ a b Mejia, Zameena (March 28, 2017). "The hidden benefit of Twitter's hate-speech controls: avoiding TV spoilers". Quartz. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  58. ^ a b Shah, Saqib (February 15, 2017). "Reddit is eliminating explicit content from its public homepage". Digital Trends. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  59. ^ a b c Statt, Mick (December 18, 2017). "Reddit overhauls mobile app with chat function and new moderation tools". The Verge. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  60. ^ a b Loten, Angus (April 10, 2018). "Reddit CEO revamped outdated website from the IT foundations". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 17, 2018.

Recognizing that this is a rather large rewrite, I'm happy to work through it subsection-by-subsection, if that's preferred. As I do have a financial conflict of interest, since I'm making this suggestion on behalf of Reddit as part of my work at Beutler Ink, I won't make any edits to the article myself. Instead, I welcome input from uninvolved editors and assistance taking live changes as appropriate. Let me know if you have any feedback or questions! Thanks in advance, 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 20:01, 6 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]

@Axisixa and Frmorrison: As you've both made constructive edits to this article in the past, I was wondering if you might have the time and interest in reviewing this request to update History? Thanks in advance! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 20:45, 12 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]
I've already seen your request. I'll try to get to it ASAP, but unfortunately I have various RL issues so it may take a while. User:Axisixa [t] [c] 21:47, 12 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]
It seems fine except for paragraphs with two sentences. Try to combine those. --Frmorrison (talk) 22:05, 14 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]
@Axisixa and Frmorrison: Thanks for your responses (and apologies for the delay in getting back to you as I've been unwell this last week)! I've gone ahead and combined some of the material to get rid of the shorter paragraphs, as suggested, and updated the draft and markup above. How does the revised draft look? Thanks again! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 15:06, 20 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]
This fragment of a sentence: the goal was not only for Reddit to look nicer... is not flowing right. Try this instead:

The goal was not only for Reddit to improve its appearance... Otherwise, it seems fine. --Frmorrison (talk) 04:30, 22 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, Frmorrison, I've made that adjustment in the draft above. With that change would you be willing to move the draft into the live article, replacing the existing section? Thanks in advance! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 17:16, 29 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry, changing all that text at once is likely a mistake because it would mean Reddit had ghostwritten an entire section. Also, you may be following the wrong COI policy. Your talk page says you are following COI+, which is not the policy. The proper one is at Wikipedia:Conflict of interest. --Frmorrison (talk) 18:02, 29 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]
@Frmorrison: I would just like to reassure you that I am following the main Wikipedia:Conflict of interest policy. As a paid contributor to Wikipedia, I only offer requests via Talk pages and do not directly edit any articles for any of my clients. Also, I understand your reluctance to changing all the text at once. If you prefer, I'm happy work piece-by-piece with you and other editors. I'm open to suggestions as to the best way to update the page. Thanks! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 17:35, 3 December 2018 (UTC)[reply]

@Frmorrison and Axisixa: Based on concerns expressed over updating the entire section at once, I wonder if we can find another way to update this article. As I noted above, I have rewritten this section to add major historical detail, streamline the writing, consolidate details, reduce redundancies, and remove what could be trivial detail, promotional content, and recognition that's not appropriate for Wikipedia. The draft uses the existing content as a foundation, but I feel my work has made the content more encyclopedic and in line with Wikipedia's core content policies. I'm happy to work piece-by-piece through this. Of course, I'm open to other suggestions if you have them. Thanks for all the help and feedback so far. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 14:41, 12 December 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Pinging Opencooper: Following your reviews of edit requests at Steve Huffman, is there any interest in reviewing my Reddit History draft as another set of eyes here? I'm happy to work piece-by-piece through this based on discussions here. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 20:49, 14 December 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry, but I won't be able to. Good luck. Opencooper (talk) 01:05, 15 December 2018 (UTC)[reply]
@16912 Rhiannon: I guess I'll be tackling this one. Looking through it, outside of a minor duplicate ref error (fixed) and some rewording, it looks fine to me. I feel the "Technology and design" section can be its independent one rather than in "History", but it was originally like that so I'll leave it as such. Zappa⚡Mati 22:25, 18 January 2019 (UTC)[reply]
@ZappaOMati: Thanks so much for reviewing and making these edits. I really appreciate it! I did spot one typo from my draft that I hope you can fix. Where spoiler tags are discussed, the article says "The feature wants users of potential spoilers…" That should say "The feature warns users of potential spoilers". Sorry for that. Would you mind making that fix? I'll be back soon with more proposed updates to other sections of this article. Thanks again, 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 21:40, 22 January 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 7 January 2019

In the section "reddit effect", contained in "website before arge amounts of traffic", please change "arge" to "large" FeveredCarton57 (talk) 01:23, 7 January 2019 (UTC)[reply]

 Done – Jonesey95 (talk) 02:02, 7 January 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Request to create Corporate affairs

Hi there again! On behalf of Reddit, I created a draft of a new section for this article that focuses on basic information about Reddit, the company. I've been careful to draft neutral material for my proposed Corporate affairs section based on third-party sources. My draft would add the following to the body of the article: Reddit's location, headcount, valuation, ownership, management, revenue streams, and company culture. This information is lacking in the body of the live article.

You can see my proposed draft and markup in the collapse boxes below. I suggest Corporate affairs be placed after History, but I'm open to suggestions if editors feel otherwise.

Proposed draft for Corporate affairs
Corporate affairs

Reddit is a private company based in San Francisco, California.[1][2] It has an office in the Tenderloin neighborhood.[3] Reddit doubled its headcount in 2017;[4] As of 2018, it employed approximately 350 people.[2] In 2017, the company was valued at $1.8 billion during a $200 million round of new venture funding.[5][6] The company was previously owned by Condé Nast, but was spun off as an independent company.[6] As of April 2018, Advance Publications, Condé Nast's parent company, retained a majority stake in Reddit.[2]

Reddit's key management personnel includes co-founder and CEO Steve Huffman,[7] Chief Technology Officer Chris Slowe, who was the company's original lead engineer,[8] and Chief Operating Officer Jen Wong, a former president of digital and chief operating officer at Time Inc.[9]

Reddit does not disclose its revenue figures.[5][9] The company generates revenue in part through advertising and premium memberships that remove ads from the site.[9][10]

As part of its company culture, Reddit operates on a no-negotiation policy for employee salaries.[11] The company offers new mothers, fathers, and adoptive parents up to 16 weeks of parental leave.[12]
Markup

==Corporate affairs==

Reddit is a private company based in San Francisco, California.<ref name="Spector17">{{cite news |title=Hipster internet favorite Reddit may have to lose its edge to go public |last1=Spector |first1=Nicole |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/hipster-internet-favorite-reddit-may-have-lose-its-edge-go-n824866 |newspaper=[[NBC News]] |date=4 December 2017 |accessdate=25 June 2018}}</ref><ref name="Marotti18">{{cite news |title=Reddit to open Chicago office as part of advertising push |last1=Marotti |first1=Ally |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-reddit-chicago-office-20180418-story.html |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=23 April 2018 |accessdate=25 June 2018}}</ref> It has an office in the [[Tenderloin, San Francisco|Tenderloin]] neighborhood.<ref name="Lee16">{{cite news |title=Exclusive: Reddit signs lease for new office in S.F.'s Tenderloin near Union Square |last1=Lee |first1=Jean |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/real-estate/2016/05/reddit-lease-tenderloin-union-sq-office-sf.html?ana=e_sfbt_bn_breakingnews&u=11045160944ec560c01356a1f795db&t=1462404526&j=72937232 |newspaper=[[American City Business Journals|San Francisco Business Times]] |date=4 May 2016 |accessdate=25 June 2018}}</ref> Reddit doubled its headcount in 2017;<ref name="Hess18">{{cite news |title=How to land a job at Reddit |last1=Hess |first1=Abigail |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/29/how-to-land-a-job-at-reddit.html |newspaper=[[CNBC]] |date=29 January 2018 |accessdate=25 June 2018}}</ref> {{as of|2018}}, it employed approximately 350 people.<ref name="Marotti18"/> In 2017, the company was valued at $1.8 billion during a $200 million round of new venture funding.<ref name="Wagner17"/><ref name="Loizos17"/> The company was previously owned by Condé Nast, but was spun off as an independent company.<ref name="Loizos17"/> {{As of|2018|4|df=US}}, Advance Publications, Condé Nast's parent company, retained a majority stake in Reddit.<ref name="Marotti18"/>

Reddit's key management personnel includes co-founder and CEO Steve Huffman,<ref name="Hempel15"/> Chief Technology Officer Chris Slowe, who was the company's original lead engineer,<ref name="Matney17"/> and Chief Operating Officer Jen Wong, a former president of digital and chief operating officer at [[Time Inc.]]<ref name="Trachtenberg18">{{cite news |title=Reddit taps Time Inc. veteran Jen Wong as its COO |last1=Trachtenberg |first1=Jeffrey |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/reddit-taps-time-inc-veteran-jen-wong-as-its-coo-1524153600 |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=19 April 2018 |accessdate=25 June 2018}}</ref>

Reddit does not disclose its revenue figures.<ref name="Wagner17"/><ref name="Trachtenberg18"/> The company generates revenue in part through advertising and premium memberships that remove ads from the site.<ref name="Trachtenberg18"/><ref name="Investopedia">{{cite web |url=https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/093015/how-reddit-makes-money.asp |title=How Reddit makes money |author=Vanessa Page |date=30 November 2016 |publisher=[[Investopedia]] |accessdate=26 June 2018}}</ref>

As part of its company culture, Reddit operates on a no-negotiation policy for employee salaries.<ref name="Darmody17">{{cite web |url=https://www.siliconrepublic.com/people/katelin-holloway-reddit-pixar-hr |title=From Pixar to people: How katelin Holloway's career brought her to Reddit |author=Jenny Darmody |date=11 December 2017 |publisher=Silicon Republic |accessdate=25 June 2018}}</ref> The company offers new mothers, fathers, and adoptive parents up to 16 weeks of parental leave.<ref name="Tsukayama17">{{cite news |title=Reddit co-founder is latest tech executive to take parental leave |last1=Tsukayama |first1=Hayley |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/09/05/reddit-co-founder-is-latest-tech-executive-to-make-a-public-stand-for-parental-leave/?utm_term=.b1e713be9a6b |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=5 September 2017 |accessdate=25 June 2018}}</ref>
References

References

  1. ^ Spector, Nicole (4 December 2017). "Hipster internet favorite Reddit may have to lose its edge to go public". NBC News. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Marotti, Ally (23 April 2018). "Reddit to open Chicago office as part of advertising push". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  3. ^ Lee, Jean (4 May 2016). "Exclusive: Reddit signs lease for new office in S.F.'s Tenderloin near Union Square". San Francisco Business Times. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  4. ^ Hess, Abigail (29 January 2018). "How to land a job at Reddit". CNBC. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  5. ^ a b Kurt Wagner (31 July 2017). "Reddit raised $200 million in funding and is now valued at $1.8 billion". Recode. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  6. ^ a b Connie Loizos (31 July 2017). "Reddit just raised a new round that values the company at $1.8 billion". TechCrunch. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  7. ^ Hempel, Jessi (6 October 2015). "Inside Reddit's plan to recover from its epic meltdown". Wired. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  8. ^ Lucas Matney (27 August 2017). "Reddit's new CTO was the company's first hire". TechCrunch. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  9. ^ a b c Trachtenberg, Jeffrey (19 April 2018). "Reddit taps Time Inc. veteran Jen Wong as its COO". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  10. ^ Vanessa Page (30 November 2016). "How Reddit makes money". Investopedia. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  11. ^ Jenny Darmody (11 December 2017). "From Pixar to people: How katelin Holloway's career brought her to Reddit". Silicon Republic. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  12. ^ Tsukayama, Hayley (5 September 2017). "Reddit co-founder is latest tech executive to take parental leave". The Washington Post. Retrieved 25 June 2018.

As I do have a financial conflict of interest, since I'm making this suggestion on behalf of Reddit as part of my work at Beutler Ink, I won't make any edits to the article myself. As I have with my request above, I welcome input from uninvolved editors and assistance taking live changes if others find them appropriate. @ZappaOMati: Are you interested in reviewing this request? Let me know if you have any feedback or questions! Thanks in advance, 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 02:08, 25 January 2019 (UTC)[reply]

@16912 Rhiannon: Sorry for the delay! Outside of tweaking the reference dates to MDY to keep consistent with the article, it looks fine to me. Zappa⚡Mati 05:33, 26 January 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks so much, ZappaOMati! Thanks for catching the ref dates, it's a reflex to type them as DMY, but I'll make sure to keep them consistent in my future requests here. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 22:24, 28 January 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Updating the section "Users"

Second paragraph on the "Users" section needs to be changed to reflect the new site changes such as evolution of Reddit subscription service from "Reddit Gold" to Reddit Premium, gilding to "Give Award", and introduction of virtual currency from "Creddits" to Reddit Coins. For more info on the those terminology, check: Reddit Premium and Reddit Coins   —  Hei Liebrecht 10:35, 30 January 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Hi there Hei Liebrecht! I've actually been working on a draft that would address these issues and I'm hoping to return here soon to share it. It's part of an overhaul of the whole Overview I'd like to propose. Would you be willing to take a look if I ping you when I share the draft here? As a quick disclosure, I have a financial COI as I'm here on behalf of Reddit as part of my work at Beutler Ink. Thanks, 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 20:21, 31 January 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Request to create Logo section

Hi there again! On behalf of Reddit, I've created a draft of a new section for this article about Reddit's logo. I've seen that other Wikipedia articles about companies with iconic logos often have sections dedicated to the logo development, so I've put something together to summarize the published coverage of Reddit's logo development.

You can see my proposed draft and markup in the collapse boxes below. I suggest Logo be placed after Community and culture, but I'm open to suggestions. Also, there are images of Reddit's logo at Wikimedia Commons if editors would like to add one.

Proposed draft for Logo
Logo

Reddit's logo consists of a time-traveling alien named Snoo and the company name stylized as "reddit". The alien has an oval head, pom-pom ears, and an antenna.[1] Its colors are black, white, and orange-red.[1] The mascot was created in 2005 while company co-founder Alexis Ohanian was an undergraduate at the University of Virginia.[2] Ohanian doodled the creature while bored in a marketing class.[3] Originally, Ohanian sought to name the mascot S'new, a play on "What's new?", to tie the mascot into Reddit's premise as the "front page of the Internet".[1][3] Eventually, the name Snoo was chosen.[1] In 2011, Ohanian outlined the logo's evolution with a graphic that showcased several early versions, including various spellings of the website name, such as "Reditt".[2]

Snoo is genderless and colorless, so the logo is moldable.[1][4] Over the years, the Reddit logo has frequently changed for holidays and other special events.[2] Also, each subreddit has its own Snoo.[3] Redditors can also submit their own logos, which sometimes appear on the site's front page, or create their own customized versions of Snoo for their communities (or "subreddits").[2][5] When Reddit revamped its website in April 2018, the company imposed several restrictions on how Snoo can be designed: Snoo's head "should always appear blank or neutral", Snoo's eyes are orange-red, and Snoo cannot have fingers.[1] Snoo's purpose is to discover and explore humanity.[1]
Markup

==Logo==

Reddit's logo consists of a time-traveling alien named Snoo and the company name stylized as "reddit". The alien has an oval head, pom-pom ears, and an antenna.<ref name=Wired-Pardes-060718>{{cite news |title=The Transformative Power of Reddit's Alien Mascot |last1=Pardes |first1=Rielle |url=https://www.wired.com/story/the-transformative-power-of-reddits-alien-mascot/ |work=Wired |date=July 6, 2018 |accessdate=October 24, 2018}}</ref> Its colors are black, white, and [[Vermilion#Orange-red|orange-red]].<ref name=Wired-Pardes-060718/> The mascot was created in 2005 while company co-founder Alexis Ohanian was an undergraduate at the University of Virginia.<ref name=DailyDot-Morris-110811/> Ohanian doodled the creature while bored in a marketing class.<ref name=Adweek-Klara-140915/> Originally, Ohanian sought to name the mascot S'new, a play on "What's new?", to tie the mascot into Reddit's premise as the "front page of the Internet".<ref name=Wired-Pardes-060718/><ref name=Adweek-Klara-140915>{{cite news |title=How an Alien Doodle Became Reddit's Simple, Versatile Logo |last1=Klara |first1=Robert |url=https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/how-alien-doodle-became-reddits-simple-versatile-logo-166848/ |work=Adweek |date=September 14, 2015 |accessdate=October 24, 2018}}</ref> Eventually, the name Snoo was chosen.<ref name=Wired-Pardes-060718/> In 2011, Ohanian outlined the logo's evolution with a graphic that showcased several early versions, including various spellings of the website name, such as "Reditt".<ref name=DailyDot-Morris-110811>{{cite news |title=How Reddit's alien landed |last1=Morris |first1=Kevin |url=https://www.dailydot.com/news/reddits-logo-origin-revealed/ |work=The Daily Dot |date=August 11, 2011 |accessdate=October 24, 2018}}</ref>

Snoo is genderless and colorless, so the logo is moldable.<ref name=Wired-Pardes-060718/><ref name=DailyDot-Bond-210617>{{cite news |title=TIL 30 interesting facts about Reddit |last1=Bond |first1=John-Michael |last2=Powell |first2=Austin |url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/reddit-history/ |work=The Daily Dot |date=June 21, 2017 |accessdate=October 24, 2018}}</ref> Over the years, the Reddit logo has frequently changed for holidays and other special events.<ref name=DailyDot-Morris-110811/> Also, each subreddit has its own Snoo.<ref name=Adweek-Klara-140915/> Redditors can also submit their own logos, which sometimes appear on the site's front page, or create their own customized versions of Snoo for their communities (or "subreddits").<ref name=DailyDot-Morris-110811/><ref name="Pardes18"/> When Reddit revamped its website in April 2018, the company imposed several restrictions on how Snoo can be designed: Snoo's head "should always appear blank or neutral", Snoo's eyes are orange-red, and Snoo cannot have fingers.<ref name=Wired-Pardes-060718/> Snoo's purpose is to discover and explore humanity.<ref name=Wired-Pardes-060718/>
References

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Pardes, Rielle (July 6, 2018). "The Transformative Power of Reddit's Alien Mascot". Wired. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d Morris, Kevin (August 11, 2011). "How Reddit's alien landed". The Daily Dot. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c Klara, Robert (September 14, 2015). "How an Alien Doodle Became Reddit's Simple, Versatile Logo". Adweek. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  4. ^ Bond, John-Michael; Powell, Austin (June 21, 2017). "TIL 30 interesting facts about Reddit". The Daily Dot. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  5. ^ Pardes, Arielle (April 2, 2018). "The inside story of Reddit's redesign". Wired. Retrieved May 16, 2018.

As I do have a financial conflict of interest, since I'm making this suggestion on behalf of Reddit as part of my work at Beutler Ink, I won't make any edits to the article myself. As I have with my requests above, I welcome input from uninvolved editors and assistance taking live changes if others find them appropriate. @ZappaOMati: Are you still interested in updating this article? Let me know if you have any feedback or questions! Thanks in advance, 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 20:15, 31 January 2019 (UTC)[reply]

@16912 Rhiannon: Sounds good to me. I think it makes more sense to put it in Technology and design since it fits the latter of the section's title, but I'm fine with the proposal. Zappa⚡Matic 05:30, 2 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]
@ZappaOMatic: Appreciate the review and I'm fine with where you placed the content. Thanks so much! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 01:43, 6 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Request to update Overview

Hi there! On behalf of Reddit, I'm back with more content to bring this article in line with Wikipedia's objectives and offer an accurate depiction of Reddit. For this request, I'm sharing my draft (below) to replace the Overview section with a proposed Site overview draft. I've made this diff in my userspace to compare the current version of the live article with the material I've drafted (you can also see that I intend to nest Community and culture into this section, too, but will save that for a follow-up request). With this request, I am asking to start a Site overview section with subsections: The front page, Core features, Users and moderators, Subreddits, Top 10 subreddits, and Other features.

Recognizing this is a large rewrite and being mindful of the time of volunteers, I've shared the full section draft, but if editors would still prefer to review this subsection-by-subsection, that would be great, too!

Similar to the History update above, this Site overview draft attempts to streamline the writing, consolidate details, reduce redundancies, remove what could be trivial detail, and reduce the amount of unsourced material. My draft:

  • Changes the section title to Site overview, with subsections on facets of Reddit's website, including The front page, Core features, Users and moderators, Subreddits, and Other features
  • Replaces the arbitrary list of "popular" subreddits with a top 10 list of subreddits by subscribers
  • Removes text dedicated to Reddit jargon
  • Removes text reading like a Reddit instruction manual or a non-encyclopedic listing of features, much of which used Reddit itself as a citation
  • Updates Reddit Gold to Reddit Premium
Request to update Site overview
Site overview

Reddit is a website comprising user-generated content—including photos, videos, links, and text-based posts—and discussions of this content.[1][2] The name "Reddit" is a play-on-words with the phrase "read it", i.e., "I read it on Reddit."[3][4] As of 2018, there are approximately 330 million Reddit users, called "redditors".[5] The site's content is divided into categories or communities known on-site as "subreddits", of which there are more than 138,000 active communities.[6] The site ranks among the top 10 websites in the world by traffic.[7]

The front page

The most popular posts from the site's numerous subreddits are visible on the front page to those who browse the site without an account.[6][8] Registered users who subscribe to subreddits see the top content from the subreddits to which they subscribe on their personal front pages.[6][8]

Front-page rank—for both the general front page and for individual subreddits—is determined by a combination of factors, including the age of the submission, positive ("upvoted") to negative ("downvoted") feedback ratio, and the total vote-count.[9]

Core features

As a network of communities, Reddit's core content consists of posts from its users, which include stories, links, images, and videos.[1][2] Users can comment on others' posts to continue the conversation.[1] A key feature to Reddit is that users can cast positive or negative votes, called upvotes and downvotes, for each post and comment on the site.[1] The number of upvotes or downvotes determines the posts' visibility on the site, so the most popular content is displayed to the most people.[1] Users can also earn "karma" for their posts and comments, which reflects the user's standing within the community and their contributions to Reddit.[1]

Users and moderators

There are approximately 330 million Reddit users, called "redditors".[5] Registering an account with Reddit is free and does not require an email address.[10][11] In addition to commenting and voting, registered users can also create their own subreddit on a topic of their choosing.[12] In Reddit style, usernames begin with "u/". For example, noteworthy redditors include u/Poem_for_your_sprog, who responds to messages across Reddit in verse,[13] and u/Shitty_Watercolour, who posts paintings in response to posts.[14]

Subreddits are overseen by moderators, Reddit users who earn the title by creating a subreddit or being promoted by a current moderator.[6] These moderators are volunteers who manage their communities, set and enforce community-specific rules, remove posts and comments that violate these rules, and generally work to keep discussions in their subreddit on topic.[6][15][16] Admins, by contrast, are paid to work for Reddit.[15]

Subreddits
Nathan Allen speaks about the r/science community to the American Chemical Society

Discussions on Reddit are organized into user-created areas of interest called "subreddits". There are about 138,000 active subreddits among a total of 1.2 million, as of July 2018.[17][18] Subreddit names begin with "r/". For instance, r/science is a community devoted to discussing scientific topics and r/television is a community devoted to discussing TV shows. Meanwhile, r/popular features top-ranked posts across all of Reddit, excluding not-safe-for-work communities and others that are most commonly filtered out by users (even if they are safe for work).[19][20] The subreddit r/all does not filter topics.[21]

In a 2014 interview with Memeburn, Erik Martin, then general manager of Reddit, remarked that their "approach is to give the community moderators or curators as much control as possible so that they can shape and cultivate the type of communities they want".[22] Subreddits often use themed variants of Reddit's alien mascot, Snoo, in the visual styling of their communities.[23]

Top 10 subreddits

As of August 1, 2018, the top 10 subreddits by number of subscribers are:[24]

Subreddit Subscribers
r/announcements 21,352,277
r/funny 18,974,028
r/AskReddit 18,752,990
r/todayilearned 18,434,007
r/science 18,321,396
r/worldnews 18,310,545
r/pics 18,259,401
r/IAmA 17,745,577
r/gaming 17,696,844
r/videos 17,424,011
Other features

Reddit Premium (formerly Reddit Gold) is a premium membership that allows users to view the site ad-free.[25][26] Users may also be gifted coins if another user particularly valued the comment or post, generally due to humorous or high-quality content. Reddit Premium unlocks several features not accessible to regular users, such as comment highlighting, exclusive subreddits, and a personalized Snoo (known as a "snoovatar").[27][28] Reddit Gold was renamed Reddit Premium in 2018. In addition to gold coins, users can gift silver and platinum coins to other users as rewards for quality content.[29]

On the site, redditors commemorate their "cake day" once a year, on the anniversary of the day their account was created.[30] Cake day adds an icon of a small slice of cake next to the user's name for 24 hours.[31]

In 2017, Reddit developed its own real-time chat software for the site.[32] While some established subreddits have used third-party software to chat about their communities, the company built chat functions that it hopes will become an integral part of Reddit.[32] Individual chat rooms were rolled out in 2017 and community chat rooms for members of a given subreddit were rolled out in 2018.[32][33][34]

Markup

==Site overview==
Reddit is a website comprising [[user-generated content]]—including photos, videos, links, and text-based posts—and discussions of this content.<ref name="Nicol18">{{cite web |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/what-is-reddit/ |title=What is Reddit? A beginner's guide to the front page of the internet |author=Will Nicol |date=July 19, 2018 |publisher=[[Digital Trends]] |accessdate=July 26, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Franco17">{{cite web |url=https://lifehacker.com/a-beginners-guide-to-reddit-1798643829 |title=The Beginner's Guide to Reddit |author=Michael Franco |date=September 5, 2018 |publisher=[[Lifehacker]] |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref> The name "Reddit" is a [[play-on-words]] with the phrase "read it", i.e., "I read it on Reddit."<ref name="Nudd14">{{cite news |title=The Meaning of 35 Brand Names, From Etsy to Reddit |last1=Nudd |first1=Tim |url=https://www.adweek.com/creativity/meaning-35-brand-names-etsy-reddit-161694/ |newspaper=[[Adweek]] |date=December 1, 2014 |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/wiki/faq|title=Reddit Frequently Asked Questions|accessdate=April 10, 2014}}</ref> {{As of|2018}}, there are approximately 330 million Reddit users, called "redditors".<ref name="Pardes18"/> The site's content is divided into categories or communities known on-site as "subreddits", of which there are more than 138,000 active communities.<ref name="Molina17">{{cite news |title=Reddit is extremely popular. Here's how to watch what your kids are doing |last1=Molina |first1=Brett |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2017/08/31/reddit-extremely-popular-heres-how-watch-what-your-kids-doing/607996001/ |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=August 31, 2017 |accessdate=July 26, 2018}}</ref> The site ranks among the top 10 websites in the world by traffic.<ref name="Alexa"/>

===The front page===
The most popular posts from the site's numerous subreddits are visible on the front page to those who browse the site without an account.<ref name="Molina17"/><ref name="McCormick17">{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/15/14632390/reddit-front-page-popular-change-new-users |title=Reddit overhauls its front page for new users and lurkers |author=Rich McCormick |date=February 15, 2017 |publisher=[[The Verge]] |accessdate=July 26, 2018}}</ref> Registered users who subscribe to subreddits see the top content from the subreddits to which they subscribe on their personal front pages.<ref name="Molina17"/><ref name="McCormick17"/>

Front-page rank—for both the general front page and for individual subreddits—is determined by a combination of factors, including the age of the submission, positive ("upvoted") to negative ("downvoted") feedback ratio, and the total vote-count.<ref name="SEOmoz">{{cite web |url=http://www.seomoz.org/blog/reddit-stumbleupon-delicious-and-hacker-news-algorithms-exposed|title=Reddit algorithm|website=[[seomoz]]}}</ref>

===Core features===
As a network of communities, Reddit's core content consists of posts from its users, which include stories, links, images, and videos.<ref name="Nicol18"/><ref name="Franco17"/> Users can comment on others' posts to continue the conversation.<ref name="Nicol18"/> A key feature to Reddit is that users can cast positive or negative votes, called upvotes and downvotes, for each post and comment on the site.<ref name="Nicol18"/> The number of upvotes or downvotes determines the posts' visibility on the site, so the most popular content is displayed to the most people.<ref name="Nicol18"/> Users can also earn "karma" for their posts and comments, which reflects the user's standing within the community and their contributions to Reddit.<ref name="Nicol18"/>

===Users and moderators===
There are approximately 330 million Reddit users, called "redditors".<ref name="Pardes18"/> Registering an account with Reddit is free and does not require an email address.<ref name="Gutman18">{{cite news |title=Reddit's Case for Anonymity on the Internet |last1=Gutman |first1=Rachel |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/06/reddit-anonymity-privacy-authenticity/564071/ |magazine=[[The Atlantic]] |date=June 28, 2018 |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Parker-Chron">{{cite web |url=https://smallbusiness.chron.com/before-making-reddit-account-72389.html |title=What to Know Before Making a Reddit Account |author=Melly Parker |publisher=Chron.com |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref> In addition to commenting and voting, registered users can also create their own subreddit on a topic of their choosing.<ref name="Couts12">{{cite web |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/how-to/how-to-create-your-own-subreddit/ |title=How to create your own Reddit community |author=Andrew Couts |date=November 8, 2012 |publisher=[[Digital Trends]] |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref> In Reddit style, usernames begin with "u/". For example, noteworthy redditors include u/Poem_for_your_sprog, who responds to messages across Reddit in verse,<ref name="Zublin16">{{cite web |url=https://www.ozy.com/good-sht/the-poet-laureate-of-reddit/71962 |title=The poet laureate of Reddit |author=Fiona Zublin |date=October 13, 2016 |publisher=[[Ozy (magazine)|Ozy]] |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref> and u/Shitty_Watercolour, who posts paintings in response to posts.<ref name="Packham16">{{cite news |title=Meet Shitty: the internet's favourite self-deprecating watercolourist |last1=Packham |first1=Alfie |url=https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2016/jul/31/meet-shitty-the-internets-favourite-self-deprecating-watercolourist |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=July 31, 2016 |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref>

Subreddits are overseen by moderators, Reddit users who earn the title by creating a subreddit or being promoted by a current moderator.<ref name="Molina17"/> These moderators are volunteers who manage their communities, set and enforce community-specific rules, remove posts and comments that violate these rules, and generally work to keep discussions in their subreddit on topic.<ref name="Molina17"/><ref name="Renfro16">{{cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-a-reddit-moderator-2016-1 |title=From whom the troll trolls: A day in the life of a Reddit moderator |author=Kim Renfro |date=January 13, 2016 |publisher=[[Tech Insider]] |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref><ref name="DailyDot-Morris-051012">{{cite news |title=Meet the mods—the true stars of Reddit |last1=Morris |first1=Kevin |url=https://www.dailydot.com/news/reddit-moderators-interview-bep-raerth-syncretic/ |work=The Daily Dot |date=October 5, 2012 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref> Admins, by contrast, are paid to work for Reddit.<ref name="Renfro16"/>

===Subreddits===
<!--DO NOT ADD INFORMATION ON ANY SUBREDDITS TO THIS SECTION WITHOUT CITING A RELIABLE SECONDARY SOURCE THAT ESTABLISHES NOTABILITY OF THAT SUBREDDIT-->
[[File:American Chemical Society - What Chemists Do - Nathan Allen.webm||thumbtime=15|thumb|right|Nathan Allen speaks about the r/science community to the [[American Chemical Society]]]]

Discussions on Reddit are organized into user-created areas of interest called "subreddits". There are about 138,000 active subreddits among a total of 1.2 million, as of July 2018.<ref name="Marotti18">{{cite news |title=Reddit to open Chicago office as part of advertising push |last1=Marotti |first1=Ally |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-reddit-chicago-office-20180418-story.html |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=April 23, 2018 |accessdate=June 25, 2018}}</ref><ref name="RedditMetrics">{{cite web |url=http://redditmetrics.com/history |title=New subreddits by date (How Reddit grew over time) |publisher=Redditmetrics.com |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref> Subreddit names begin with "r/". For instance, r/science is a community devoted to discussing scientific topics and r/television is a community devoted to discussing TV shows. Meanwhile, r/popular features top-ranked posts across all of Reddit, excluding not-safe-for-work communities and others that are most commonly filtered out by users (even if they are safe for work).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Menegus|first1=Bryan|title=Reddit Is Finally Fixing its Trump Spam Problem|url=https://gizmodo.com/reddit-is-finally-fixing-its-trump-spam-problem-1792061056|accessdate=February 2, 2018|publisher=Gizmodo|date=June 2, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Scarola17">{{cite web |url=https://www.inverse.com/article/27943-reddit-popular-subreddit-homepage |title=Reddit Gave Its Homepage a Makeover |author=Cory Scarola |date=February 16, 2017 |work=[[Inverse (website)|Inverse]] |accessdate=September 13, 2018}}</ref> The subreddit r/all does not filter topics.<ref name="Shah17"/>

In a 2014 interview with [[Memeburn]], Erik Martin, then general manager of Reddit, remarked that their "approach is to give the community moderators or curators as much control as possible so that they can shape and cultivate the type of communities they want".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Atagana|first1=Michelle|title=Creating a more curious generation through memes: Q&A with Reddit GM|url=http://memeburn.com/2014/08/creating-a-curious-generation-through-memes-qa-with-reddit-gm/|accessdate=September 11, 2014|publisher=Memeburn.com|date=August 22, 2014}}</ref> Subreddits often use themed variants of Reddit's alien mascot, Snoo, in the visual styling of their communities.<ref name="Klara15">{{cite news |title=How an Alien Doodle Became Reddit’s Simple, Versatile Logo |last1=Klara |first1=Robert |url=https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/how-alien-doodle-became-reddits-simple-versatile-logo-166848/ |newspaper=[[Adweek]] |date=September 14, 2015 |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref>

====Top 10 subreddits====
{{As of|2018|08|01|df=US}}, the top 10 subreddits by number of subscribers are:<ref name="TopSubreddits">{{cite web |url=http://redditmetrics.com/top |title=Top Subreddits |publisher=Redditmetrics.com |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Subreddit
! Subscribers
|-
| r/announcements
| 21,352,277
|-
| r/funny
| 18,974,028
|-
| r/AskReddit
| 18,752,990
|-
| r/todayilearned
| 18,434,007
|-
| r/science
| 18,321,396
|-
| r/worldnews
| 18,310,545
|-
| r/pics
| 18,259,401
|-
| r/IAmA
| 17,745,577
|-
| r/gaming
| 17,696,844
|-
| r/videos
| 17,424,011
|}

===Other features===
{{anchor|Reddit gold}} Reddit Premium (formerly Reddit Gold) is a premium membership that allows users to view the site ad-free.<ref name="Investopedia"/><ref name="Trachtenberg18"/> Users may also be gifted coins if another user particularly valued the comment or post, generally due to humorous or high-quality content. Reddit Premium unlocks several features not accessible to regular users, such as comment highlighting, exclusive subreddits, and a personalized Snoo (known as a "snoovatar").<ref>{{cite web | title=What is Reddit Gold—and why do people keep giving it away? | website=The Daily Dot | date=2017-07-24 | url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/what-is-reddit-gold/ | access-date=2017-09-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Create your own reddit alien avatar with reddit gold|url=https://redditblog.com/2015/01/07/create-your-own-reddit-alien-avatar-with-reddit-gold/|website=redditblog.com|accessdate=4 November 2017|date=7 January 2015}}</ref> Reddit Gold was renamed Reddit Premium in 2018. In addition to gold coins, users can gift silver and platinum coins to other users as rewards for quality content.<ref name="Asarch18">{{cite news |title=Reddit Gold Update: How To Give And Get New Silver and Platinum Icons |last1=Asarch |first1=Steven |url=https://www.newsweek.com/reddit-gold-silver-platinum-premium-how-get-awards-1172321 |work=[[Newsweek]] |date=October 16, 2018 |accessdate=November 12, 2018}}</ref>

On the site, redditors commemorate their "cake day" once a year, on the anniversary of the day their account was created.<ref name="Statt17">{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/18/16788908/reddit-mobile-app-update-chat-mod-tools |title=Reddit overhauls mobile app with chat function and new moderation tools |author=Mick Statt |date=December 18, 2017 |publisher=[[The Verge]] |accessdate=May 17, 2018}}</ref> Cake day adds an icon of a small slice of cake next to the user's name for 24 hours.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/cakeday |title=Enjoy your complimentary karma |website=Reddit |accessdate=August 8, 2014}}</ref>

In 2017, Reddit developed its own real-time chat software for the site.<ref name="Pardes-July18-2018">{{cite news |title=Reddit reinvents the chat room with community chat |last1=Pardes |first1=Arielle |url=https://www.wired.com/story/reddit-introduces-subreddit-chat/ |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=July 18, 2018 |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref> While some established subreddits have used third-party software to chat about their communities, the company built chat functions that it hopes will become an integral part of Reddit.<ref name="Pardes-July18-2018"/> Individual chat rooms were rolled out in 2017 and community chat rooms for members of a given subreddit were rolled out in 2018.<ref name="Pardes-July18-2018"/><ref name="Keane18">{{cite web |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/reddits-subreddit-chat-rooms-bring-back-fast-paced-conversation/ |title=Reddit's chat rooms are bringing back fast-paced conversation |author=Sean Keane |date=July 19, 2018 |publisher=[[CNET]] |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Roettgers18">{{cite news |title=Reddit Is Testing Community Chat Rooms to Take on Discord |last1=Roettgers |first1=Janko |url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/reddit-community-chat-rooms-1202822388/ |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=May 25, 2018 |accessdate=September 13, 2018}}</ref>
References

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Will Nicol (July 19, 2018). "What is Reddit? A beginner's guide to the front page of the internet". Digital Trends. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Michael Franco (September 5, 2018). "The Beginner's Guide to Reddit". Lifehacker. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  3. ^ Nudd, Tim (December 1, 2014). "The Meaning of 35 Brand Names, From Etsy to Reddit". Adweek. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  4. ^ "Reddit Frequently Asked Questions". Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  5. ^ a b Pardes, Arielle (April 2, 2018). "The inside story of Reddit's redesign". Wired. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e Molina, Brett (August 31, 2017). "Reddit is extremely popular. Here's how to watch what your kids are doing". USA Today. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  7. ^ "Reddit.com Traffic, Demographics and Competitors - Alexa". www.alexa.com. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  8. ^ a b Rich McCormick (February 15, 2017). "Reddit overhauls its front page for new users and lurkers". The Verge. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  9. ^ "Reddit algorithm". seomoz.
  10. ^ Gutman, Rachel (June 28, 2018). "Reddit's Case for Anonymity on the Internet". The Atlantic. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  11. ^ Melly Parker. "What to Know Before Making a Reddit Account". Chron.com. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  12. ^ Andrew Couts (November 8, 2012). "How to create your own Reddit community". Digital Trends. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  13. ^ Fiona Zublin (October 13, 2016). "The poet laureate of Reddit". Ozy. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  14. ^ Packham, Alfie (July 31, 2016). "Meet Shitty: the internet's favourite self-deprecating watercolourist". The Guardian. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  15. ^ a b Kim Renfro (January 13, 2016). "From whom the troll trolls: A day in the life of a Reddit moderator". Tech Insider. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  16. ^ Morris, Kevin (October 5, 2012). "Meet the mods—the true stars of Reddit". The Daily Dot. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  17. ^ Marotti, Ally (April 23, 2018). "Reddit to open Chicago office as part of advertising push". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  18. ^ "New subreddits by date (How Reddit grew over time)". Redditmetrics.com. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  19. ^ Menegus, Bryan (June 2, 2017). "Reddit Is Finally Fixing its Trump Spam Problem". Gizmodo. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  20. ^ Cory Scarola (February 16, 2017). "Reddit Gave Its Homepage a Makeover". Inverse. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  21. ^ Shah, Saqib (February 15, 2017). "Reddit is eliminating explicit content from its public homepage". Digital Trends. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  22. ^ Atagana, Michelle (August 22, 2014). "Creating a more curious generation through memes: Q&A with Reddit GM". Memeburn.com. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
  23. ^ Klara, Robert (September 14, 2015). "How an Alien Doodle Became Reddit's Simple, Versatile Logo". Adweek. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  24. ^ "Top Subreddits". Redditmetrics.com. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  25. ^ Vanessa Page (November 30, 2016). "How Reddit makes money". Investopedia. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  26. ^ Trachtenberg, Jeffrey (April 19, 2018). "Reddit taps Time Inc. veteran Jen Wong as its COO". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  27. ^ "What is Reddit Gold—and why do people keep giving it away?". The Daily Dot. 2017-07-24. Retrieved 2017-09-15.
  28. ^ "Create your own reddit alien avatar with reddit gold". redditblog.com. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  29. ^ Asarch, Steven (October 16, 2018). "Reddit Gold Update: How To Give And Get New Silver and Platinum Icons". Newsweek. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  30. ^ Mick Statt (December 18, 2017). "Reddit overhauls mobile app with chat function and new moderation tools". The Verge. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  31. ^ "Enjoy your complimentary karma". Reddit. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  32. ^ a b c Pardes, Arielle (July 18, 2018). "Reddit reinvents the chat room with community chat". Wired. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  33. ^ Sean Keane (July 19, 2018). "Reddit's chat rooms are bringing back fast-paced conversation". CNET. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  34. ^ Roettgers, Janko (May 25, 2018). "Reddit Is Testing Community Chat Rooms to Take on Discord". Variety. Retrieved September 13, 2018.

@ZappaOMatic: Are you still interested in editing this article? I'll reiterate: I know this is a large rewrite, I'm happy to work through it subsection-by-subsection, if that's preferred. Also pinging Hei Liebrecht: My draft includes updates to Reddit Premium, which you'd flagged on this page as being needed, so I wonder if you'd like to take a look? As I do have a financial conflict of interest, since I'm making this suggestion on behalf of Reddit as part of my work at Beutler Ink, I won't make any edits to the article myself. Instead, I welcome input from uninvolved editors and assistance taking live changes as appropriate. Let me know if you have any feedback or questions! Thanks in advance, 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 21:43, 15 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]

@16912 Rhiannon: Sorry for the over-a-week delay, I completely overlooked this (and your post on my talk) in my alerts. Personally, I think The front page and Core features are a bit too small to be their own sections; I understand why/how they're split, but I feel they could either be expanded or combined together, especially since both have an overlap in aspects like the voting system. I'm not going to implement all of them since these are pretty sweeping changes and my hands are pretty tied over the next week or so, but a first glance suggests the rest of the sections look pretty good. Zappa⚡Matic 05:30, 25 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]
On the whole, I think this is a nice rewrite that trims some fat and improves the organization of ideas. A few specific comments:
  • I think the discussion of r/popular and r/all would fit better in the "Front page" subsection than in the "Subreddits" section. (They're not like normal subreddits in that you can't submit to them directly, they don't have moderators, and they combine content from multiple subreddits. They're basically generic versions of the front page.)
  • I think the analogy to bulletin board systems and/or message boards currently in the article are useful (but they don't survive in this draft).
  • I would cut The site ranks among the top 10 websites in the world by traffic. It's mentioned in the lead, and I don't think it's especially relevant to this section.
  • Not sure how I feel about the removal of the § April Fools' Day section. Given that The Button (Reddit) and Place (Reddit) have been considered notable enough to merit their own articles, it seems like the Reddit article should mention them (and link to the corresponding articles) somewhere. But maybe it would make sense to make it a subsection of § Community and culture instead? (Or maybe even history?)
Colin M (talk) 16:11, 25 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Regarding the April Fools' Day section: Looking at the userspace diff provided, it looks like the proposal is to move it to the Community section (as part of a Traditions subsection) rather than the Site overview like it currently is. NFLisAwesome (ZappaOMati) 16:43, 25 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Updated request based on feedback

@ZappaOMatic and Colin M: Great feedback! Thank you for taking the time to give this a thorough and thoughtful review. Based on your recommendations, I updated my draft to:

  • Delete The front page and Core features subheaders, and tweaked the language to eliminate any overlap of content
  • Moved up the discussion of r/popular and r/all
  • Added back the analogy to bulletin boards
  • Cut the site rank

I also wanted to note that, yes, I agree the Reddit's April Fools experiments belong in this article. However, I cut the April Fools subsection from this portion of the overview, and I will suggest including it in Community and culture in my next request.

Request to update Site overview
Site overview

Reddit is a website comprising user-generated content—including photos, videos, links, and text-based posts—and discussions of this content, essentially a bulletin board system.[1][2] The name "Reddit" is a play-on-words with the phrase "read it", i.e., "I read it on Reddit."[3][4] As of 2018, there are approximately 330 million Reddit users, called "redditors".[5] The site's content is divided into categories or communities known on-site as "subreddits", of which there are more than 138,000 active communities.[6]

As a network of communities, Reddit's core content consists of posts from its users.[1][2] Users can comment on others' posts to continue the conversation.[1] A key feature to Reddit is that users can cast positive or negative votes, called upvotes and downvotes, for each post and comment on the site.[1] The number of upvotes or downvotes determines the posts' visibility on the site, so the most popular content is displayed to the most people.[1] Users can also earn "karma" for their posts and comments, which reflects the user's standing within the community and their contributions to Reddit.[1]

The most popular posts from the site's numerous subreddits are visible on the front page to those who browse the site without an account.[6][7] By default for those users, the front page will display the subreddit r/popular, featuring top-ranked posts across all of Reddit, excluding not-safe-for-work communities and others that are most commonly filtered out by users (even if they are safe for work).[8][9] The subreddit r/all does not filter topics.[10] Registered users who subscribe to subreddits see the top content from the subreddits to which they subscribe on their personal front pages.[6][7]

Front-page rank—for both the general front page and for individual subreddits—is determined by a combination of factors, including the age of the submission, positive ("upvoted") to negative ("downvoted") feedback ratio, and the total vote-count.[11]

Users and moderators

There are approximately 330 million Reddit users, called "redditors".[5] Registering an account with Reddit is free and does not require an email address.[12][13] In addition to commenting and voting, registered users can also create their own subreddit on a topic of their choosing.[14] In Reddit style, usernames begin with "u/". For example, noteworthy redditors include u/Poem_for_your_sprog, who responds to messages across Reddit in verse,[15] and u/Shitty_Watercolour, who posts paintings in response to posts.[16]

Subreddits are overseen by moderators, Reddit users who earn the title by creating a subreddit or being promoted by a current moderator.[6] These moderators are volunteers who manage their communities, set and enforce community-specific rules, remove posts and comments that violate these rules, and generally work to keep discussions in their subreddit on topic.[6][17][18] Admins, by contrast, are paid to work for Reddit.[17]

Subreddits
Nathan Allen speaks about the r/science community to the American Chemical Society

Discussions on Reddit are organized into user-created areas of interest called "subreddits". There are about 138,000 active subreddits among a total of 1.2 million, as of July 2018.[19][20] Subreddit names begin with "r/". For instance, r/science is a community devoted to discussing scientific topics and r/television is a community devoted to discussing TV shows.

In a 2014 interview with Memeburn, Erik Martin, then general manager of Reddit, remarked that their "approach is to give the community moderators or curators as much control as possible so that they can shape and cultivate the type of communities they want".[21] Subreddits often use themed variants of Reddit's alien mascot, Snoo, in the visual styling of their communities.[22]

Top 10 subreddits

As of August 1, 2018, the top 10 subreddits by number of subscribers are:[23]

Subreddit Subscribers
r/announcements 21,352,277
r/funny 18,974,028
r/AskReddit 18,752,990
r/todayilearned 18,434,007
r/science 18,321,396
r/worldnews 18,310,545
r/pics 18,259,401
r/IAmA 17,745,577
r/gaming 17,696,844
r/videos 17,424,011
Other features

Reddit Premium (formerly Reddit Gold) is a premium membership that allows users to view the site ad-free.[24][25] Users may also be gifted coins if another user particularly valued the comment or post, generally due to humorous or high-quality content. Reddit Premium unlocks several features not accessible to regular users, such as comment highlighting, exclusive subreddits, and a personalized Snoo (known as a "snoovatar").[26][27] Reddit Gold was renamed Reddit Premium in 2018. In addition to gold coins, users can gift silver and platinum coins to other users as rewards for quality content.[28]

On the site, redditors commemorate their "cake day" once a year, on the anniversary of the day their account was created.[29] Cake day adds an icon of a small slice of cake next to the user's name for 24 hours.[30]

In 2017, Reddit developed its own real-time chat software for the site.[31] While some established subreddits have used third-party software to chat about their communities, the company built chat functions that it hopes will become an integral part of Reddit.[31] Individual chat rooms were rolled out in 2017 and community chat rooms for members of a given subreddit were rolled out in 2018.[31][32][33]

Markup

==Site overview==
Reddit is a website comprising [[user-generated content]]—including photos, videos, links, and text-based posts—and discussions of this content, essentially a [[bulletin board system]].<ref name="Nicol18">{{cite web |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/what-is-reddit/ |title=What is Reddit? A beginner's guide to the front page of the internet |author=Will Nicol |date=July 19, 2018 |publisher=[[Digital Trends]] |accessdate=July 26, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Franco17">{{cite web |url=https://lifehacker.com/a-beginners-guide-to-reddit-1798643829 |title=The Beginner's Guide to Reddit |author=Michael Franco |date=September 5, 2018 |publisher=[[Lifehacker]] |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref> The name "Reddit" is a [[play-on-words]] with the phrase "read it", i.e., "I read it on Reddit."<ref name="Nudd14">{{cite news |title=The Meaning of 35 Brand Names, From Etsy to Reddit |last1=Nudd |first1=Tim |url=https://www.adweek.com/creativity/meaning-35-brand-names-etsy-reddit-161694/ |newspaper=[[Adweek]] |date=December 1, 2014 |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/wiki/faq|title=Reddit Frequently Asked Questions|accessdate=April 10, 2014}}</ref> {{As of|2018}}, there are approximately 330 million Reddit users, called "redditors".<ref name="Pardes18"/> The site's content is divided into categories or communities known on-site as "subreddits", of which there are more than 138,000 active communities.<ref name="Molina17">{{cite news |title=Reddit is extremely popular. Here's how to watch what your kids are doing |last1=Molina |first1=Brett |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2017/08/31/reddit-extremely-popular-heres-how-watch-what-your-kids-doing/607996001/ |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=August 31, 2017 |accessdate=July 26, 2018}}</ref>

As a network of communities, Reddit's core content consists of posts from its users.<ref name="Nicol18"/><ref name="Franco17"/> Users can comment on others' posts to continue the conversation.<ref name="Nicol18"/> A key feature to Reddit is that users can cast positive or negative votes, called upvotes and downvotes, for each post and comment on the site.<ref name="Nicol18"/> The number of upvotes or downvotes determines the posts' visibility on the site, so the most popular content is displayed to the most people.<ref name="Nicol18"/> Users can also earn "karma" for their posts and comments, which reflects the user's standing within the community and their contributions to Reddit.<ref name="Nicol18"/>

The most popular posts from the site's numerous subreddits are visible on the front page to those who browse the site without an account.<ref name="Molina17"/><ref name="McCormick17">{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/15/14632390/reddit-front-page-popular-change-new-users |title=Reddit overhauls its front page for new users and lurkers |author=Rich McCormick |date=February 15, 2017 |publisher=[[The Verge]] |accessdate=July 26, 2018}}</ref> By default for those users, the front page will display the subreddit r/popular, featuring top-ranked posts across all of Reddit, excluding not-safe-for-work communities and others that are most commonly filtered out by users (even if they are safe for work).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Menegus|first1=Bryan|title=Reddit Is Finally Fixing its Trump Spam Problem|url=https://gizmodo.com/reddit-is-finally-fixing-its-trump-spam-problem-1792061056|accessdate=February 2, 2018|publisher=Gizmodo|date=June 2, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Scarola17">{{cite web |url=https://www.inverse.com/article/27943-reddit-popular-subreddit-homepage |title=Reddit Gave Its Homepage a Makeover |author=Cory Scarola |date=February 16, 2017 |work=[[Inverse (website)|Inverse]] |accessdate=September 13, 2018}}</ref> The subreddit r/all does not filter topics.<ref name="Shah17">{{cite news |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/reddit-popular-front-page-update/ |title=Reddit is eliminating explicit content from its public homepage |last1=Shah |first1=Saqib |date=February 15, 2017 |work=[[Digital Trends]] |accessdate=May 25, 2018}}</ref> Registered users who subscribe to subreddits see the top content from the subreddits to which they subscribe on their personal front pages.<ref name="Molina17"/><ref name="McCormick17"/>

Front-page rank—for both the general front page and for individual subreddits—is determined by a combination of factors, including the age of the submission, positive ("upvoted") to negative ("downvoted") feedback ratio, and the total vote-count.<ref name="SEOmoz">{{cite web |url=http://www.seomoz.org/blog/reddit-stumbleupon-delicious-and-hacker-news-algorithms-exposed|title=Reddit algorithm|website=[[seomoz]]}}</ref>

===Users and moderators===
There are approximately 330 million Reddit users, called "redditors".<ref name="Pardes18"/> Registering an account with Reddit is free and does not require an email address.<ref name="Gutman18">{{cite news |title=Reddit's Case for Anonymity on the Internet |last1=Gutman |first1=Rachel |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/06/reddit-anonymity-privacy-authenticity/564071/ |magazine=[[The Atlantic]] |date=June 28, 2018 |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Parker-Chron">{{cite web |url=https://smallbusiness.chron.com/before-making-reddit-account-72389.html |title=What to Know Before Making a Reddit Account |author=Melly Parker |publisher=Chron.com |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref> In addition to commenting and voting, registered users can also create their own subreddit on a topic of their choosing.<ref name="Couts12">{{cite web |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/how-to/how-to-create-your-own-subreddit/ |title=How to create your own Reddit community |author=Andrew Couts |date=November 8, 2012 |publisher=[[Digital Trends]] |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref> In Reddit style, usernames begin with "u/". For example, noteworthy redditors include u/Poem_for_your_sprog, who responds to messages across Reddit in verse,<ref name="Zublin16">{{cite web |url=https://www.ozy.com/good-sht/the-poet-laureate-of-reddit/71962 |title=The poet laureate of Reddit |author=Fiona Zublin |date=October 13, 2016 |publisher=[[Ozy (magazine)|Ozy]] |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref> and u/Shitty_Watercolour, who posts paintings in response to posts.<ref name="Packham16">{{cite news |title=Meet Shitty: the internet's favourite self-deprecating watercolourist |last1=Packham |first1=Alfie |url=https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2016/jul/31/meet-shitty-the-internets-favourite-self-deprecating-watercolourist |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=July 31, 2016 |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref>

Subreddits are overseen by moderators, Reddit users who earn the title by creating a subreddit or being promoted by a current moderator.<ref name="Molina17"/> These moderators are volunteers who manage their communities, set and enforce community-specific rules, remove posts and comments that violate these rules, and generally work to keep discussions in their subreddit on topic.<ref name="Molina17"/><ref name="Renfro16">{{cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-a-reddit-moderator-2016-1 |title=From whom the troll trolls: A day in the life of a Reddit moderator |author=Kim Renfro |date=January 13, 2016 |publisher=[[Tech Insider]] |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref><ref name="DailyDot-Morris-051012">{{cite news |title=Meet the mods—the true stars of Reddit |last1=Morris |first1=Kevin |url=https://www.dailydot.com/news/reddit-moderators-interview-bep-raerth-syncretic/ |work=The Daily Dot |date=October 5, 2012 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref> Admins, by contrast, are paid to work for Reddit.<ref name="Renfro16"/>

===Subreddits===
<!--DO NOT ADD INFORMATION ON ANY SUBREDDITS TO THIS SECTION WITHOUT CITING A RELIABLE SECONDARY SOURCE THAT ESTABLISHES NOTABILITY OF THAT SUBREDDIT-->
[[File:American Chemical Society - What Chemists Do - Nathan Allen.webm||thumbtime=15|thumb|right|Nathan Allen speaks about the r/science community to the [[American Chemical Society]]]]

Discussions on Reddit are organized into user-created areas of interest called "subreddits". There are about 138,000 active subreddits among a total of 1.2 million, as of July 2018.<ref name="Marotti18">{{cite news |title=Reddit to open Chicago office as part of advertising push |last1=Marotti |first1=Ally |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-reddit-chicago-office-20180418-story.html |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=April 23, 2018 |accessdate=June 25, 2018}}</ref><ref name="RedditMetrics">{{cite web |url=http://redditmetrics.com/history |title=New subreddits by date (How Reddit grew over time) |publisher=Redditmetrics.com |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref> Subreddit names begin with "r/". For instance, r/science is a community devoted to discussing scientific topics and r/television is a community devoted to discussing TV shows. Meanwhile, r/popular features top-ranked posts across all of Reddit, excluding not-safe-for-work communities and others that are most commonly filtered out by users (even if they are safe for work).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Menegus|first1=Bryan|title=Reddit Is Finally Fixing its Trump Spam Problem|url=https://gizmodo.com/reddit-is-finally-fixing-its-trump-spam-problem-1792061056|accessdate=February 2, 2018|publisher=Gizmodo|date=June 2, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Scarola17">{{cite web |url=https://www.inverse.com/article/27943-reddit-popular-subreddit-homepage |title=Reddit Gave Its Homepage a Makeover |author=Cory Scarola |date=February 16, 2017 |work=[[Inverse (website)|Inverse]] |accessdate=September 13, 2018}}</ref> The subreddit r/all does not filter topics.<ref name="Shah17"/>

In a 2014 interview with [[Memeburn]], Erik Martin, then general manager of Reddit, remarked that their "approach is to give the community moderators or curators as much control as possible so that they can shape and cultivate the type of communities they want".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Atagana|first1=Michelle|title=Creating a more curious generation through memes: Q&A with Reddit GM|url=http://memeburn.com/2014/08/creating-a-curious-generation-through-memes-qa-with-reddit-gm/|accessdate=September 11, 2014|publisher=Memeburn.com|date=August 22, 2014}}</ref> Subreddits often use themed variants of Reddit's alien mascot, Snoo, in the visual styling of their communities.<ref name="Klara15">{{cite news |title=How an Alien Doodle Became Reddit’s Simple, Versatile Logo |last1=Klara |first1=Robert |url=https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/how-alien-doodle-became-reddits-simple-versatile-logo-166848/ |newspaper=[[Adweek]] |date=September 14, 2015 |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref>

====Top 10 subreddits====
{{As of|2018|08|01|df=US}}, the top 10 subreddits by number of subscribers are:<ref name="TopSubreddits">{{cite web |url=http://redditmetrics.com/top |title=Top Subreddits |publisher=Redditmetrics.com |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Subreddit
! Subscribers
|-
| r/announcements
| 21,352,277
|-
| r/funny
| 18,974,028
|-
| r/AskReddit
| 18,752,990
|-
| r/todayilearned
| 18,434,007
|-
| r/science
| 18,321,396
|-
| r/worldnews
| 18,310,545
|-
| r/pics
| 18,259,401
|-
| r/IAmA
| 17,745,577
|-
| r/gaming
| 17,696,844
|-
| r/videos
| 17,424,011
|}

===Other features===
{{anchor|Reddit gold}} Reddit Premium (formerly Reddit Gold) is a premium membership that allows users to view the site ad-free.<ref name="Investopedia"/><ref name="Trachtenberg18"/> Users may also be gifted coins if another user particularly valued the comment or post, generally due to humorous or high-quality content. Reddit Premium unlocks several features not accessible to regular users, such as comment highlighting, exclusive subreddits, and a personalized Snoo (known as a "snoovatar").<ref>{{cite web | title=What is Reddit Gold—and why do people keep giving it away? | website=The Daily Dot | date=2017-07-24 | url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/what-is-reddit-gold/ | access-date=2017-09-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Create your own reddit alien avatar with reddit gold|url=https://redditblog.com/2015/01/07/create-your-own-reddit-alien-avatar-with-reddit-gold/|website=redditblog.com|accessdate=4 November 2017|date=7 January 2015}}</ref> Reddit Gold was renamed Reddit Premium in 2018. In addition to gold coins, users can gift silver and platinum coins to other users as rewards for quality content.<ref name="Asarch18">{{cite news |title=Reddit Gold Update: How To Give And Get New Silver and Platinum Icons |last1=Asarch |first1=Steven |url=https://www.newsweek.com/reddit-gold-silver-platinum-premium-how-get-awards-1172321 |work=[[Newsweek]] |date=October 16, 2018 |accessdate=November 12, 2018}}</ref>

On the site, redditors commemorate their "cake day" once a year, on the anniversary of the day their account was created.<ref name="Statt17">{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/18/16788908/reddit-mobile-app-update-chat-mod-tools |title=Reddit overhauls mobile app with chat function and new moderation tools |author=Mick Statt |date=December 18, 2017 |publisher=[[The Verge]] |accessdate=May 17, 2018}}</ref> Cake day adds an icon of a small slice of cake next to the user's name for 24 hours.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/cakeday |title=Enjoy your complimentary karma |website=Reddit |accessdate=August 8, 2014}}</ref>

In 2017, Reddit developed its own real-time chat software for the site.<ref name="Pardes-July18-2018">{{cite news |title=Reddit reinvents the chat room with community chat |last1=Pardes |first1=Arielle |url=https://www.wired.com/story/reddit-introduces-subreddit-chat/ |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=July 18, 2018 |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref> While some established subreddits have used third-party software to chat about their communities, the company built chat functions that it hopes will become an integral part of Reddit.<ref name="Pardes-July18-2018"/> Individual chat rooms were rolled out in 2017 and community chat rooms for members of a given subreddit were rolled out in 2018.<ref name="Pardes-July18-2018"/><ref name="Keane18">{{cite web |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/reddits-subreddit-chat-rooms-bring-back-fast-paced-conversation/ |title=Reddit's chat rooms are bringing back fast-paced conversation |author=Sean Keane |date=July 19, 2018 |publisher=[[CNET]] |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Roettgers18">{{cite news |title=Reddit Is Testing Community Chat Rooms to Take on Discord |last1=Roettgers |first1=Janko |url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/reddit-community-chat-rooms-1202822388/ |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=May 25, 2018 |accessdate=September 13, 2018}}</ref>
References

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Will Nicol (July 19, 2018). "What is Reddit? A beginner's guide to the front page of the internet". Digital Trends. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Michael Franco (September 5, 2018). "The Beginner's Guide to Reddit". Lifehacker. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  3. ^ Nudd, Tim (December 1, 2014). "The Meaning of 35 Brand Names, From Etsy to Reddit". Adweek. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  4. ^ "Reddit Frequently Asked Questions". Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  5. ^ a b Pardes, Arielle (April 2, 2018). "The inside story of Reddit's redesign". Wired. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e Molina, Brett (August 31, 2017). "Reddit is extremely popular. Here's how to watch what your kids are doing". USA Today. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Rich McCormick (February 15, 2017). "Reddit overhauls its front page for new users and lurkers". The Verge. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  8. ^ Menegus, Bryan (June 2, 2017). "Reddit Is Finally Fixing its Trump Spam Problem". Gizmodo. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  9. ^ Cory Scarola (February 16, 2017). "Reddit Gave Its Homepage a Makeover". Inverse. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  10. ^ Shah, Saqib (February 15, 2017). "Reddit is eliminating explicit content from its public homepage". Digital Trends. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  11. ^ "Reddit algorithm". seomoz.
  12. ^ Gutman, Rachel (June 28, 2018). "Reddit's Case for Anonymity on the Internet". The Atlantic. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  13. ^ Melly Parker. "What to Know Before Making a Reddit Account". Chron.com. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  14. ^ Andrew Couts (November 8, 2012). "How to create your own Reddit community". Digital Trends. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  15. ^ Fiona Zublin (October 13, 2016). "The poet laureate of Reddit". Ozy. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  16. ^ Packham, Alfie (July 31, 2016). "Meet Shitty: the internet's favourite self-deprecating watercolourist". The Guardian. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  17. ^ a b Kim Renfro (January 13, 2016). "From whom the troll trolls: A day in the life of a Reddit moderator". Tech Insider. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  18. ^ Morris, Kevin (October 5, 2012). "Meet the mods—the true stars of Reddit". The Daily Dot. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  19. ^ Marotti, Ally (April 23, 2018). "Reddit to open Chicago office as part of advertising push". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  20. ^ "New subreddits by date (How Reddit grew over time)". Redditmetrics.com. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  21. ^ Atagana, Michelle (August 22, 2014). "Creating a more curious generation through memes: Q&A with Reddit GM". Memeburn.com. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
  22. ^ Klara, Robert (September 14, 2015). "How an Alien Doodle Became Reddit's Simple, Versatile Logo". Adweek. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  23. ^ "Top Subreddits". Redditmetrics.com. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  24. ^ Vanessa Page (November 30, 2016). "How Reddit makes money". Investopedia. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  25. ^ Trachtenberg, Jeffrey (April 19, 2018). "Reddit taps Time Inc. veteran Jen Wong as its COO". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  26. ^ "What is Reddit Gold—and why do people keep giving it away?". The Daily Dot. 2017-07-24. Retrieved 2017-09-15.
  27. ^ "Create your own reddit alien avatar with reddit gold". redditblog.com. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  28. ^ Asarch, Steven (October 16, 2018). "Reddit Gold Update: How To Give And Get New Silver and Platinum Icons". Newsweek. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  29. ^ Mick Statt (December 18, 2017). "Reddit overhauls mobile app with chat function and new moderation tools". The Verge. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  30. ^ "Enjoy your complimentary karma". Reddit. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  31. ^ a b c Pardes, Arielle (July 18, 2018). "Reddit reinvents the chat room with community chat". Wired. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  32. ^ Sean Keane (July 19, 2018). "Reddit's chat rooms are bringing back fast-paced conversation". CNET. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  33. ^ Roettgers, Janko (May 25, 2018). "Reddit Is Testing Community Chat Rooms to Take on Discord". Variety. Retrieved September 13, 2018.

Thanks again for your suggestions. Let me know if this draft addresses your feedback adequately! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 20:05, 1 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

@16912 Rhiannon: Sorry for the late reply, forgot about this until now. That looks a lot better! Went ahead and added them in, but I kept the April Fool's section intact for now until you're ready to present your outline for it, upon which it'll be addressed accordingly. NFLisAwesome (ZappaOMatic) 19:38, 12 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks, Zappa/NFLisAwesome, for adding the draft to the article! Definitely makes sense to me re: retaining the April Fools material for right now. And thanks to all for the feedback and suggestions, I really do appreciate it. I'll be back soon with a request to incorporate an updated Community and culture, which will include the April Fools details. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 20:42, 13 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Using official Reddit blog to source usage statistics

The lead currently has the claim "Across 2018, Reddit saw 153 million submissions, 1.2 billion comments, and 27 billion upvotes from its users.". This used to be sourced to https://redditblog.com/2018/12/04/reddit-year-in-review-2018. Recently Tycoon24 removed that source with the edit summary rmv Unreliable self promotional information. I restored the source, claiming that a primary source is appropriate for this sort of information. FlightTime reverted my edit, saying Blogs are not a reliable source. At this point, I think it would be good to discuss our options here. I see a few:

  1. Keep the sentence and leave it unsourced (current state)
  2. Keep the sentence and restore the redditblog.com source (previous state)
  3. Restore the redditblog.com source and change the sentence to something like "Reddit reported that in 2018 they received 153 million submissions, ...."
  4. Remove the sentence

My vote would be for option 2. Again, I think the official Reddit blog is an appropriate source for this claim per WP:SELFSOURCE: "Self-published or questionable sources may be used as sources of information about themselves, especially in articles about themselves". And I don't think there is reasonable doubt as to the authenticity of the numbers. I'm also okay with option 3. I think the current state (option 1) is by far the worst option, since it involves leaving the claim unsourced. It also feels kind of silly, since obviously those specific numbers came from the Reddit blog post. Colin M (talk) 18:17, 23 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]

If the claim cannot be reliably sourced, then option 4 is the logical course. - FlightTime (open channel) 18:31, 23 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Are you saying you don't think WP:SELFSOURCE applies? If so, could you explain why? Colin M (talk) 19:52, 23 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 1 March 2019

Link "hamburger menu" to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger_button AlwaysHereLearning (talk) 17:21, 1 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

 Done with thanks, NiciVampireHeart 17:55, 1 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Request to update Community and culture

Hi there! It's me again with another request on behalf of Reddit. As I mentioned in my previous request, I'm sharing my draft of an updated Community and culture section to replace the existing Community and culture section. This is not a total rewrite, as my draft is based on the existing content, with some additions, deletions, and tweaks. My initial idea is to make this a subsection within the Site overview section, as this content describes the community and culture on the site, rather than describing the company culture at Reddit. If others feel like that might be too unwieldy, an alternative suggestion I have is to keep Community and culture as its own section and place it directly underneath Site overview. Also open to other ideas!

This is a large rewrite and being mindful of everyone's time, I've shared the full section draft, but if editors would still prefer to review this subsection-by-subsection, that would be great, too!

I've attempted to streamline the writing, consolidate details, remove potentially biased and promotional content, add citations to secondary sources and delete material sourced only to primary sources, update where appropriate, better organize the material, and add general improvements where possible. My draft:

  • Shortens and moves "the Reddit effect" to the top of Community and culture
  • Shortens Philanthropic efforts to include some of the highest-profile and largest donations made, based on secondary sourcing. Also adds a new item to the section, and removes items citing only primary sources
  • Reorganizes the subheadings under Sociopolitical efforts
  • Removes Cannabis legalization, as this seems unusual to point out one topic supported by redditors
  • Develops material on SOPA/PIPA and net neutrality
  • Moves Mr. Splashy Pants
  • Rewrites the Restoring Truthiness campaign subsection to exclude primary sources, basing the material on secondary coverage of the event and Reddit's role in it
  • Develops a short section, AMAs ("Ask Me Anything"), linking to the main article
  • Develops a new section on RedditGifts, linking to the main article
  • Adds a small section on Global Reddit Meetup Day
  • Adds noteworthy April Fools' Day events. Removes the 2018 Circle of Trust experiment, which cites only primary sources. Edits down the existing content a bit to make it less detailed. None of these need to be so overly detailed, especially when two of the experiments have their own Wikipedia articles
  • Trims Commercial activity. For instance, there is a lengthy example about Nissan on Reddit in the live article and advice for how companies can engage on Reddit. It seemed out of place and excessive.
Request to update Community and culture
Community and culture

The website is known for its open nature and diverse user community that generate its content.[1] Its demographics allows for wide-ranging subject areas, as well as the ability for smaller subreddits to serve more niche purposes.[2] The possibilities that subreddits provide create new opportunities for raising attention and fostering discussion across various areas. In gaining popularity in terms of unique users per day, Reddit has been a platform for to raise publicity for a number of causes.[3] Additionally, the user base of Reddit has given birth to other websites, including image sharing community and image host Imgur, which started in 2009 as a gift to Reddit's community.[4] In its first five months, it jumped from a thousand hits per day to a million total page views.[5]

Statistics from Google Ad Planner suggest that 74% of Reddit users are male.[6] In 2016 the Pew Research Center published research showing that 4% of U.S. adults use reddit, of which 67% are men. 78% of users get news from Reddit.[7] Users tend to be significantly younger than average with less than 1% of users being 65 or over.[7]

Reddit is known in part for its passionate user base,[8] which has been described as "offbeat, quirky, and anti-establishment".[9] Also known as the "Slashdot effect", the Reddit effect occurs when a smaller website crashes due to a high influx of traffic after being linked to on Reddit; this is also called the Reddit "hug of death".[10][11]

Others raise the negative aspects of the potential for Reddit's communities to possess a "hive mind" of sorts, embodying some negative aspects of group interaction theories like crowd psychology and collective consciousness.[12]

Philanthropic efforts

Users have used Reddit as a platform for their charitable and philanthropic efforts.[13] Redditors raised more than $600,000 for charity in support of comedians Jon Stewart's and Stephen Colbert's Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear; more than $180,000 for Haiti earthquake relief efforts; and delivered food pantries' Amazon wish lists.[13][14] In 2010, Christians, Muslims, and atheists held a friendly fundraising competition, where the groups raised more than $50,000.[15] A similar donation drive in 2011 saw the atheism subreddit raise over $200,000 for charity.[16] In February 2014, Reddit announced it would donate 10% of its annual ad revenue to non-profits voted upon by its users.[17] As a result of the campaign, Reddit donating $82,765 each to Electronic Frontier Foundation, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Doctors Without Borders, Erowid Center, Wikimedia Foundation, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, NPR, Free Software Foundation, Freedom From Religion Foundation, and Tor Project.[18]

Sociopolitical efforts
See also: Digital citizen, Netizen, and Online social movement

Reddit has been used for a wide variety of political engagement including the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama,[19][20] Donald Trump,[21] Hillary Clinton,[22] and Bernie Sanders.[23] It has also been used for self-organizing sociopolitical activism such as protests, communication with politicians and active communities. Reddit has become a popular place for worldwide political discussions.[24]

Internet activism

Reddit users have been engaged in the defense of Internet privacy, net neutrality and Internet anonymity.

Reddit created an Internet blackout day and was joined by Wikipedia and other sites in 2012 in protest of the Stop Online Piracy and Protect IP acts.[25][26] On January 18, Reddit participated in a 12-hour sitewide blackout to coincide with a congressional committee hearing on the measures.[26][27] During that time, Reddit displayed a message on the legislation's effects on Reddit, in addition to resources on the proposed laws.[27] In May 2012, Reddit joined the Internet Defense League, a group formed to organize future protests.[28]

The site and its users protested the Federal Communications Commission as it prepared to scrap net neutrality rules.[29] In 2017, users upvoted "Battle for the Net" posts enough times that they filled up the entire front page.[29] On another day, the front page was overtaken by posts showcasing campaign donations received by members of Congress from the telecommunications industry.[29] Reddit CEO Steve Huffman has also advocated for net neutrality rules.[30][31] In 2017, Huffman told The New York Times that without net neutrality protections, "you give internet service providers the ability to choose winners and losers".[30] On Reddit, Huffman urged redditors to express support for net neutrality and contact their elected representatives in Washington, D.C.[31] Huffman said that the repeal of net neutrality rules stifles competition. He said he and Reddit would continue to advocate for net neutrality.[32]

Mr. Splashy Pants
Mister Splashy Pants logo used on November 27, 2007
Reddit communities occasionally coordinate Reddit-external projects such as skewing polls on other websites, like the 2007 incident when Greenpeace allowed web users to decide the name of a humpback whale it was tracking. Reddit users voted en masse to name the whale "Mr. Splashy Pants", and Reddit administrators encouraged the prank by changing the site logo to a whale during the voting. In December of that year, Mister Splashy Pants was announced as the winner of the competition.[33]
Restoring Truthiness campaign

As a response to Glenn Beck's August 28, 2010, Restoring Honor rally, Reddit users contributed more than $600,000 for charity as part of the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear by comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.[13] Some media sources attributed the origins of the rally to calls from redditors for a "Restoring Truthiness" event at the National Mall.[34] New York Magazine wrote that discussion for a satirical public event took place behind the scenes at Stewart's The Daily Show as early as mid-August.[35] The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear was held in Washington, D.C., on October 30, 2010. In a message to the Reddit community, Colbert later added, "I have no doubt that your efforts to organize and the joy you clearly brought to your part of the story contributed greatly to the turnout and success."[36]

March for Science
Main article: March for Science

The March for Science originated from a discussion on Reddit over the deletion of all references to climate change from the White House website, about which a user commented that "There needs to be a Scientists' March on Washington".[37][38][39] On April 22, 2017, more than 1 million scientists and supporters participated in more than 600 events in 66 countries across the globe.[40]

Community traditions
AMAs ("Ask Me Anything")
Main article: /r/IAmA

AMAs, or "Ask Me Anything" interviews, are among Reddit's most popular features. As of August 1, 2018, r/IAmA, which is the most popular community for AMAs, was the eighth most popular subreddit on the site with 17.7 million subscribers.[41] During an AMA on r/IAmA and other subreddits, users can ask questions to interviewees. Notable participants include then-United States President Barack Obama (while campaigning for the 2012 election),[42] Bill Gates (multiple times),[43] and Donald Trump (also while campaigning).[44] AMAs have featured CEO Steve Huffman, [45], as well as figures from the entertainment industry (including Elizabeth Banks and George Clooney),[46][47] literature (Margaret Atwood),[48] space (Buzz Aldrin),[49] privacy (Edward Snowden),[50] and others, such as experts who answered questions about the transgender community.[51] The Atlantic wrote that an AMA "imports the aspirational norms of honesty and authenticity from pseudonymous Internet forums into a public venue".[52]

RedditGifts
Main article: RedditGifts

RedditGifts is a program that offers gift exchanges throughout the year.[53] The fan-made RedditGifts site was created in 2009 for a Secret Santa exchange among Reddit users, which has since become the world's largest[54] and set a Guinness World record.[55] In 2009, 4,500 redditors participated.[54] For the 2010 holiday season, 92 countries were involved in the secret Santa program. There were 17,543 participants, and $662,907.60 was collectively spent on gift purchases and shipping costs.[56][57][58] In 2014, about 200,000 users from 188 countries participated.[59] Several celebrities have participated in the program, including Bill Gates,[60] Alyssa Milano,[61] and Snoop Dogg.[62] Eventually, the secret Santa program expanded to various other occasions through RedditGifts, which Reddit acquired in 2011.[54]

Global Reddit Meetup Day

The online Reddit community conducts real-world meetups across the globe each summer.[63] These in-person meetups are called Global Reddit Meetup Day.[63][64]

April Fools experiments
Main articles: The Button (Reddit) and Place (Reddit)

Reddit has a tradition of creating April Fools' Day jokes and experiments on its site. In 2009, the site was rebranded for the day as Reddigg, a dig on its at the time more-popular rival, Digg.[65] In 2010, all Reddit users became administrators on April Fools' Day. They could ban users and vote on posts as much as they pleased.[66] The next year, Reddit launched Reddit Mold. Users who signed up for Reddit Mold saw fewer comments, and gradually lost the ability to type letters of the alphabet until the only remaining letters were "M", "P", and "H".[66] On April Fools' Day 2012, Reddit released its time machine, called "timereddits".[67]

On April Fools' Day 2015, a social experiment subreddit called /r/thebutton appeared. It displayed a button and a 60-second countdown timer. User accounts created before that day were eligible to participate. A user could only click the button once or opt not to click it. If a user clicked the button the timer was globally reset to 60 seconds,[68] and the user's "flair" (an icon next to the user's name) changed color. Colors were assigned based on a gradient from purple to red with purple signifying up to 60 seconds and red as low as 0 seconds.[69]

For April Fools' Day 2016, another experiment was launched involving the "Robin" chat widget. After clicking a titular button, an IRC-like chat window was opened with one other user, and allowed a certain time to pick among three options, "Grow," "Stay" and "Abandon".[70] "Grow" would join the chat with another group, "Stay" would close the group chat and create a subreddit with that group as moderators and "Abandon" would close the group chat.[70]

April Fools' Day 2017 featured a social experiment based on /r/place. The subreddit contained a collaborative pixel art canvas, where a user could place a pixel every five minutes (the timer was temporarily ten and twenty minutes for a few hours on April 1).[71] More than a million redditors collaborated to the work of art, painting more than 16 million tiles.[72] Just before the end of its three-day experiment, more than 90,000 redditors were viewing and placing tiles on the virtual canvas.[72] Newsweek called Place "the internet's best experiment yet"[73] and Paste said it was "the iconic picture of our time".[74]

Commercial activity

In February 2013, Betabeat published a post that recognized the influx of multinational corporations like Costco, Taco Bell, Subaru, and McDonald's posting branded content on Reddit that was made to appear as if it was original content from legitimate Reddit users.[75] Reddit's former director of communications noted that while a large number of chief marketing officers want to "infiltrate the reddit community on behalf of their brand," she emphasized that "self-promotion is frowned upon" and the site is "100 percent organic."[76][77][78][79] She recommended that advertisers design promotions that "spark conversations and feedback."[80] Reddit's users are more privacy-conscious than on other websites, using tools like AdBlock and proxies,[81] and they hate "feeling manipulated by brands" but respond well to "content that begs for intelligent viewers and participants."[82] Lauren Orsini writes in ReadWrite that "Reddit's huge community is the perfect hype machine for promoting a new movie, a product release, or a lagging political campaign" but "very specific set of etiquette. Redditors don't want to advertise for you, they want to talk to you."[83] Journalists have used the site as a basis for stories, though they are advised by the site's policies to respect that "reddit's communities belong to their members" and to seek proper attribution for people's contributions.[84]

In 2017, Reddit partnered with Audi to host live AMAs with actress Elizabeth Banks and actor Adam Scott answering questions from Reddit users while in the passenger seat of a car going 130 mph around a racetrack in California.[46] Anki (company), a San Francisco-based robotics company, held an interactive livestream where Reddit was given full control of Cozmo, and were tasked with guiding the robot through a series of escape rooms.[85]

In 2018, Reddit hired Jen Wong as COO, responsible for the company's business strategy and growth, and introduced native mobile ads.[86] Reddit opened a Chicago office to be closer to major companies and advertising agencies located in and around Chicago.[87]

Also in 2018, Reddit sought to increase its brand partnerships, by increasing the size of its brand partnerships team, and increasing its offerings for advertisers, including new formats for mobile and desktop in addition to sponsored posts, programmatic ads, and 24-hour takeover pages.[88] Additionally, TBS premiered an episode of its animated show Final Space prior to its TV debut.[88]

Reddit has increased its efforts to work with content publishers with features that allow publishers to create their own profile pages and host video.[89] These efforts included an editorial collaboration with Time magazine and a WBUR podcast, Endless Thread.[89] In 2016 and 2017, Reddit released tools helping publishers source and credit redditors, monitor who a publisher's content is shared on the site, and post content directly to followers.[89] The Washington Post uses the features to communicate with Reddit's user base and be more transparent about its journalists' work.[89] The Washington Post uses its profile to post stories, memes, gifs, jokes, and facilitate and participate in AMAs.[90]

Markup

===Community and culture===

The website is known for its open nature and diverse user community that generate its content.<ref>[https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/01/ama-how-a-weird-internet-thing-became-a-mainstream-delight/282860/ AMA how a weird internet thing became a mainstream delight] [[The Atlantic]] January 2014</ref> Its demographics allows for wide-ranging subject areas, as well as the ability for smaller subreddits to serve more niche purposes.<ref name="Renfro16"/> The possibilities that subreddits provide create new opportunities for raising attention and fostering discussion across various areas. In gaining popularity in terms of unique users per day, Reddit has been a platform for to raise publicity for a number of causes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blueglass.com/blog/could-reddit-be-the-worlds-most-influential-website/ |title=Could Reddit be the world's most influential website? |publisher=BlueGlass |accessdate=April 26, 2012 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120504154827/http://www.blueglass.com/blog/could-reddit-be-the-worlds-most-influential-website/ |archivedate=May 4, 2012 |df= }}</ref> Additionally, the user base of Reddit has given birth to other websites, including [[image sharing]] community and [[image hosting service|image host]] [[Imgur]], which started in 2009 as a gift to Reddit's community.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/7zlyd/my_gift_to_reddit_i_created_an_image_hosting/|title=My Gift to Reddit: I created an image hosting service that doesn't suck. What do you think?|first=Alan|last=Schaaf|website=Reddit|date=February 23, 2009|accessdate=April 9, 2013}}</ref> In its first five months, it jumped from a thousand hits per day to a million total page views.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://allthingsd.com/20120515/interview-imgurs-path-to-1-billion-image-views-per-day/|title=Interview: Imgur's Path to a Billion Image Views Per Day - Liz Gannes - Social - AllThingsD|website=AllThingsD}}</ref>

Statistics from Google Ad Planner suggest that 74% of Reddit users are male.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/20/social-media-by-gender-women-pinterest-men-reddit-infographic_n_1613812.html|title=Social Media By Gender: Women Dominate Pinterest, Twitter, Men Dominate Reddit, YouTube (INFOGRAPHIC)|date=June 21, 2012|publisher=|accessdate=April 17, 2017|via=Huff Post}}</ref> In 2016 the Pew Research Center published research showing that 4% of U.S. adults use reddit, of which 67% are men. 78% of users get news from Reddit.<ref name=journalism>{{cite web|url=http://www.journalism.org/2016/02/25/reddit-news-users-more-likely-to-be-male-young-and-digital-in-their-news-preferences/ |title=Seven-in-Ten Reddit Users Get News on the Site |last=Barthel |first=Michael |last2=Stoking |first2=Galen |last3=Holcomb |first3=Jesse |last4=Mitchell |first4=Amy |quote=While just 4% of U.S. adults report using Reddit, about seven-in-ten of these users (78%) get news on the site.|date=February 25, 2016|publisher=Pew Research Center|accessdate=May 28, 2017}}</ref> Users tend to be significantly younger than average with less than 1% of users being 65 or over.<ref name=journalism/>

Reddit is known in part for its passionate user base,<ref name="Marotti18"/> which has been described as "offbeat, quirky, and anti-establishment".<ref name="Spector17">{{cite news |title=Hipster internet favorite Reddit may have to lose its edge to go public |last1=Spector |first1=Nicole |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/hipster-internet-favorite-reddit-may-have-lose-its-edge-go-n824866 |newspaper=[[NBC News]] |date=December 4, 2017 |accessdate=June 25, 2018}}</ref> Also known as the "[[Slashdot]] effect", the Reddit effect occurs when a smaller website crashes due to a high influx of traffic after being linked to on Reddit; this is also called the Reddit "hug of death".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.abc.net.au/newseditors/2012/08/the-reddit-effect.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101224936/http://blogs.abc.net.au/newseditors/2012/08/the-reddit-effect.html|title=The Reddit effect |author=abc blog |publisher=ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |date=August 31, 2012 |accessdate=October 1, 2013|archivedate=November 1, 2014|deadurl=yes}}</ref><ref name="Lee18">{{cite news |title=Reddit holds the secret to fixing Facebook |last1=Lee |first1=Dave |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-43383766 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=March 14, 2018 |accessdate=September 11, 2018}}</ref>

Others raise the negative aspects of the potential for Reddit's communities to possess a "hive mind" of sorts, embodying some negative aspects of group interaction theories like [[crowd psychology]] and [[collective consciousness]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/reddit.com |title=Reddit.com Site Info |publisher=Alexa.com |accessdate=April 26, 2012}}</ref>

====Philanthropic efforts====
Users have used Reddit as a platform for their charitable and philanthropic efforts.<ref name="Morris15">{{cite web |url=https://www.dailydot.com/society/reddit-charity-alexis-ohanian-list/ |title=How Reddit saved the world |author=Kevin Morris |date=December 11, 2015 |work=[[The Daily Dot]] |accessdate=September 12, 2018}}</ref> Redditors raised more than $600,000 for charity in support of comedians [[Jon Stewart]]'s and [[Stephen Colbert]]'s [[Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear]]; more than $180,000 for Haiti earthquake relief efforts; and delivered food pantries' Amazon wish lists.<ref name="Morris15"/><ref name="Sullivan18">{{cite web |url=https://www.bigissue.com/latest/food/reddits-global-foodbank-is-delivering-amazon-wish-lists-to-the-hungry/ |title=Reddit’s global food bank is delivering Amazon wish lists to the hungry |author=Ben Sullivan |date=May 8, 2018 |work=The Big Issue |accessdate=September 12, 2018}}</ref> In 2010, [[Christians]], [[Muslims]], and [[atheists]] held a friendly fundraising competition, where the groups raised more than $50,000.<ref name="2011 Charity Drive (With recap of 2010 drive)">{{cite news|last=Miles|first=Tom|title=Irreverent atheists crowdsource charitable giving|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/12/us-atheists-donations-idUSTRE7B81SU20111212 |accessdate=June 18, 2013|newspaper=Reuters|date=December 12, 2011}}</ref> A similar donation drive in 2011 saw the atheism subreddit raise over $200,000 for charity.<ref name="USA Today">{{cite news|last=Winston|first=Kimberly|title=Atheists aim to change image of penny-pinching Scrooges|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2011-12-21/atheists-charity-donations/52146680/1|accessdate=June 18, 2013|newspaper=USA Today|date=December 21, 2011}}</ref> In February 2014, Reddit announced it would donate 10% of its annual ad revenue to non-profits voted upon by its users.<ref name="Lowensohn14">{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/2/28/5458390/reddits-giving-away-10-percent-of-money-made-off-its-ads-to-charity |title=Reddit's giving away 10 percent of money made off its ads to charity this year |author=Josh Lowensohn |date=February 28, 2014 |work=[[The Verge]] |accessdate=September 12, 2018}}</ref> As a result of the campaign, Reddit donating $82,765 each to [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]], [[Planned Parenthood Federation of America]], [[Doctors Without Borders]], [[Erowid Center]], [[Wikimedia Foundation]], [[Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies]], [[NPR]], [[Free Software Foundation]], [[Freedom From Religion Foundation]], and [[Tor Project]].<ref name="Weber15">{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2015/02/26/these-10-charities-will-get-10-of-reddits-2014-ad-revenue/ |title=These 10 charities will get 10% of Reddit’s 2014 ad revenue |author=Harrison Weber |date=February 26, 2015 |work=[[VentureBeat]] |accessdate=September 12, 2018}}</ref>

====Sociopolitical efforts====
{{See also|Digital citizen|Netizen|Online social movement}}
Reddit has been used for a wide variety of political engagement including the presidential campaigns of [[Barack Obama]],<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kanalley|first1=Craig|title=Barack Obama Reddit AMA: President Participates In 'Ask Me Anything' Thread|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/29/barack-obama-reddit-ama_n_1840908.html|publisher=Huffington Post|accessdate=April 23, 2017|date=August 29, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=How Obama Won The Internet|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/mhastings/how-obama-won-the-internet|publisher=BuzzFeed|accessdate=April 23, 2017|language=en}}</ref> [[Donald Trump]],<ref>{{cite web|last1=Lagorio-chafkin|first1=Christine|title=Reddit and the God Emperor of the Internet|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/20/opinion/sunday/reddit-and-the-god-emperor-of-the-internet.html |publisher=The New York Times|accessdate=April 23, 2017|date=November 19, 2016}}</ref> [[Hillary Clinton]],<ref name="Recode-Kulwin-060316">{{cite news |title=Hillary Clinton Drops In on Reddit's r/HillaryClinton: 'Senpai Notices Us!' |last1=Kulwin |first1=Noah |url=https://www.recode.net/2016/3/6/11586732/hillary-clinton-drops-in-on-reddits-rhillaryclinton-senpai-notices-us |work=Recode |date=March 6, 2016 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref> and [[Bernie Sanders]].<ref name="Mic-Krieg-020915">{{cite news |title=How Bernie Sanders' Online Army Is Using Reddit to Fuel His 2016 Campaign Surge |last1=Krieg |first1=Gregory |url=https://mic.com/articles/124761/how-bernie-sanders-online-army-is-using-reddit-to-fuel-his-2016-campaign-surge#.5IKn7BSHp |work=Mic |date=September 2, 2015 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref> It has also been used for self-organizing sociopolitical activism such as protests, communication with politicians and active communities. Reddit has become a popular place for worldwide political discussions.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Surprising Ways You Ruined Your Interview Before You Even Opened Your Mouth|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/40410078/the-surprising-ways-you-ruined-your-interview-before-you-even-opened-your-mouth|publisher=Fast Company|accessdate=April 23, 2017|date=April 21, 2017}}</ref>

=====Internet activism=====
Reddit users have been engaged in the defense of [[Internet privacy]], [[net neutrality]] and [[Internet anonymity]].

Reddit created an Internet blackout day and was joined by Wikipedia and other sites in 2012 in protest of the [[Stop Online Piracy Act|Stop Online Piracy]] and [[Protect IP Act|Protect IP]] acts.<ref name="Ngak12">{{cite news |title=Wikipedia, MoveOn, Reddit, Mozilla shuts down to protest SOPA/PIPA, how to prepare |last1=Ngak |first1=Chenda |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wikipedia-moveon-reddit-mozilla-shuts-down-to-protest-sopa-pipa-how-to-prepare/ |work=[[CBS News]] |date=January 17, 2012 |accessdate=September 13, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Savov12">{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2012/1/18/2715300/sopa-blackout-wikipedia-reddit-mozilla-google-protest |title=The SOPA blackout: Wikipedia, Reddit, Mozilla, Google, and many others protest proposed law |author=Vlad Savov |date=January 18, 2012 |work=[[The Verge]] |accessdate=September 13, 2018}}</ref> On January 18, Reddit participated in a 12-hour sitewide blackout to coincide with a congressional committee hearing on the measures.<ref name="Savov12"/><ref name="Cheredar011012">{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2012/01/10/reddit-blackout-sopa-pipa/ |title=Reddit goes black Jan. 18 to protest SOPA & PIPA — Who else will join? |author=Tom Cheredar |date=January 10, 2012 |work=[[VentureBeat]] |accessdate=September 13, 2018}}</ref> During that time, Reddit displayed a message on the legislation's effects on Reddit, in addition to resources on the proposed laws.<ref name="Cheredar011012"/> In May 2012, Reddit joined the [[Internet Defense League]], a group formed to organize future protests.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.internetdefenseleague.org/members|title=The Internet Defense League - Protecting the Free Internet since 2012|website=internetdefenseleague.org}}</ref>

The site and its users protested the [[Federal Communications Commission]] as it prepared to scrap net neutrality rules.<ref name="Rogers17">{{cite web |url=https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/a3j3x5/net-neutrality-reddit-protestors-took-over-front-page |title=How Net Neutrality Protesters Took Over Reddit |author=Kaleigh Rogers |date=December 12, 2017 |work=[[Motherboard (website)|Motherboard]] |accessdate=September 13, 2018}}</ref> In 2017, users upvoted "Battle for the Net" posts enough times that they filled up the entire front page.<ref name="Rogers17"/> On another day, the front page was overtaken by posts showcasing campaign donations received by members of Congress from the telecommunications industry.<ref name="Rogers17"/> Reddit CEO Steve Huffman has also advocated for net neutrality rules.<ref name="Kang17">{{cite news |title=F.C.C. repeals net neutrality rules |last1=Kang |first1=Cecilia |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/14/technology/net-neutrality-repeal-vote.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 14, 2017 |accessdate=March 13, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Ingram17">{{cite news |title=Reddit flexes its muscle over net neutrality |last1=Ingram |first1=Mathew |url=https://www.cjr.org/analysis/reddit-net-neutrality-fcc.php |newspaper=[[Columbia Journalism Review]] |date=December 6, 2017 |accessdate=March 13, 2018}}</ref> In 2017, Huffman told ''The New York Times'' that without net neutrality protections, "you give internet service providers the ability to choose winners and losers".<ref name="Kang17"/> On Reddit, Huffman urged redditors to express support for net neutrality and contact their elected representatives in [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref name="Ingram17"/> Huffman said that the repeal of net neutrality rules stifles competition. He said he and Reddit would continue to advocate for net neutrality.<ref name="BloombergTech17">{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2017-12-14/reddit-ceo-net-neutrality-vote-stifles-competition-video |title=Reddit CEO says net neutrality vote stifles competition |date=December 14, 2017 |publisher=[[Bloomberg LP]] |accessdate=April 30, 2018}}</ref>

=====Mr. Splashy Pants=====
[[File:Reddit Mr. Splashy Pants.png|thumb|right|[[Mister Splashy Pants]] logo used on November 27, 2007]] Reddit communities occasionally coordinate Reddit-external projects such as skewing polls on other websites, like the 2007 incident when [[Greenpeace]] allowed web users to decide the name of a humpback whale it was tracking. Reddit users voted en masse to name the whale "Mr. Splashy Pants", and Reddit administrators encouraged the prank by changing the site logo to a whale during the voting. In December of that year, [[Mister Splashy Pants]] was announced as the winner of the competition.<ref>{{cite web|author=Feature story |url=http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/features/splashy-101207/ |title=Mister Splashy Pants the whale – you named him, now save him |publisher=Greenpeace.org |date=December 10, 2007 |accessdate=August 8, 2014}}</ref>

=====Restoring Truthiness campaign=====
As a response to [[Glenn Beck]]'s August 28, 2010, [[Restoring Honor rally]], Reddit users contributed more than $600,000 for charity as part of the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear by comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.<ref name="Morris15"/> Some media sources attributed the origins of the rally to calls from redditors for a "Restoring Truthiness" event at the [[National Mall]].<ref name="Bell10">{{cite news |title='Rally to Restore Sanity' to meet 'March to Keep Fear Alive;' Reddit users talk about starting the online campaign |last1=Bell |first1=Melissa |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/blog-post/2010/09/rally_to_restore_sanity_to_mee.html |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 17, 2010 |accessdate=September 12, 2018}}</ref> ''[[New York Magazine]]'' wrote that discussion for a satirical public event took place behind the scenes at Stewart's ''[[The Daily Show]]'' as early as mid-August.<ref name="Smith10">{{cite web|url=http://nymag.com/arts/tv/profiles/68086/index1.html|title=America Is a Joke|author=Chris Smith|date=September 12, 2011|work=[[New York Magazine]]|publisher=New York Media LLC.|pages=2, 5|accessdate=September 18, 2010}}</ref> The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear was held in Washington, D.C., on October 30, 2010. In a message to the Reddit community, Colbert later added, "I have no doubt that your efforts to organize and the joy you clearly brought to your part of the story contributed greatly to the turnout and success."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/ee20j/stephen_colbert_has_answered_your_questions/ |title=Stephen Colbert has answered your questions : IAmA |website=Reddit |date=November 30, 2010 |accessdate=December 4, 2011}}</ref>

=====March for Science=====
{{Main|March for Science}}
The March for Science originated from a discussion on Reddit over the deletion of all references to [[climate change]] from the [[White House]] website, about which a user commented that "There needs to be a Scientists' March on Washington".<ref>{{cite web|title=The March for Science began with this person’s ‘throwaway line’ on Reddit|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/04/21/the-march-for-science-began-with-this-persons-throwaway-line-on-reddit/|publisher=Washington Post|accessdate=April 23, 2017}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/01/24/are-scientists-going-to-march-on-washington/|title=Are scientists going to march on Washington?|website=The Washington Post|access-date=January 31, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Foley|first1=Katherine Ellen|title=The global March for Science started with a single Reddit thread|url=https://qz.com/965485/the-global-march-for-science-started-with-a-single-reddit-thread/|publisher=Quartz|accessdate=April 23, 2017}}</ref> On April 22, 2017, more than 1 million scientists and supporters participated in more than 600 events in 66 countries across the globe.<ref name="LAT-Feinblatt-050418">{{cite news |title=March for Science rally April 14 will call for evidence-based policy |last1=Feinblatt |first1=Scott |url=http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-wknd-et-rally-for-science-20180405-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=April 5, 2018 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref>

====Community traditions====
=====AMAs ("Ask Me Anything")=====
{{Main|/r/IAmA}}
AMAs, or "Ask Me Anything" interviews, are among Reddit's most popular features. {{As of|2018|08|01|df=US}}, r/IAmA, which is the most popular community for AMAs, was the eighth most popular subreddit on the site with 17.7 million subscribers.<ref name="TopSubreddits"/> During an AMA on r/IAmA and other subreddits, users can ask questions to interviewees. Notable participants include then-United States President [[Barack Obama]] (while campaigning for the [[United States presidential election, 2012|2012 election]]),<ref name="potus-telegraph">{{cite news | title=President Obama makes online appearance on Reddit |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-election/9507620/President-Obama-makes-online-appearance-on-Reddit.html |accessdate=August 30, 2012 |date=August 29, 2012 |newspaper=The Telegraph |location=London}}</ref> [[Bill Gates]] (multiple times),<ref name="gatesAMA">{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/27/bill-gates-reddit-ama-trump-reaction.html|title=Bill Gates is 'concerned' about U.S. influence overseas and political divide online|publisher=CNBC|author=Michelle Castillo|date=February 27, 2017|quote=Gates participated in an "ask me anything" feature on Reddit that allows notable people to answer questions from users. This is the fifth time Gates has participated.}}</ref> and [[Donald Trump]] (also while campaigning).<ref name="trumpAMA">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/27/donald-trump-reddit-ama|title=From the media to moon landings: Trump takes questions in Reddit AMA|publisher=The Guardian|date=28 July 2016|author=Scott Bixby}}</ref> AMAs have featured CEO Steve Huffman, <ref name="Inc-Lagorio-Chafkin-041018">{{cite news |title=Reddit Confirms New Russian Meddling Efforts |last1=Lagorio-Chafkin |first1=Christine |url=https://www.inc.com/christine-lagorio/reddit-finds-new-russian-interference-campaign.html |work=Inc. |date=October 4, 2018 |accessdate=October 10, 2018}}</ref>, as well as figures from the entertainment industry (including [[Elizabeth Banks]] and [[George Clooney]]),<ref name="Adage-Schultz-250917">{{cite news |title=Audi's Reddit 'Ask Me Anything' with Elizabeth Goes 130 MPH |last1=Schultz |first1=E.J. |url=https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/audi-s-elizabeth-banks-reddit-130-mph/310614/ |work=Ad Age |date=September 25, 2017 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Variety-Bacardi-28-01-14">{{cite news |title=George Clooney Talks 'Monuments Men,' Playing Batman in Reddit AMA |last1=Bacardi |first1=Francesca |url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/george-clooney-talks-monuments-men-playing-batman-in-reddit-ama-1201075072/ |work=Variety |date=January 28, 2014 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref> literature ([[Margaret Atwood]]),<ref name="LAT-Schaub-311214">{{cite news |title=Margaret Atwood's charming Reddit AMA |last1=Schaub |first1=Michael |url=http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-margaret-atwood-charming-reddit-ama-20141231-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=December 31, 2014 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref> space ([[Buzz Aldrin]]),<ref name="Guardian-080714">{{cite news |title=Buzz Aldrin's AMA: colonising Mars and the moon's 'magnificent desolation' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/jul/08/buzz-aldrin-ama-mars-colony-moon-landing |newspaper=The Guardian |date=July 8, 2014 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref> privacy ([[Edward Snowden]]),<ref name="ZDNet-Whittaker-230215">{{cite news |title=Any regrets, Edward Snowden? "I'd have come forward sooner" |last1=Whittaker |first1=Zack |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/edward-snowden-reddit-ama/ |work=ZDNet |date=February 23, 2015 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref> and others, such as experts who answered questions about the transgender community.<ref name="TeenVogue-McNamara-280717">{{cite news |title=Experts Answer Reddit Questions About Transgender People |last1=McNamara |first1=Brittney |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/reddit-transgender-ama-busts-myths |work=Teen Vogue |date=July 28, 2017 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref> ''The Atlantic'' wrote that an AMA "imports the aspirational norms of honesty and authenticity from pseudonymous Internet forums into a public venue".<ref name="Madrigal14">{{cite news |title=AMA: How a Weird Internet Thing Became a Mainstream Delight |last1=Madrigal |first1=Alexis C. |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/01/ama-how-a-weird-internet-thing-became-a-mainstream-delight/282860/ |newspaper=[[The Atlantic]] |date=January 7, 2014 |accessdate=September 12, 2018}}</ref>

=====RedditGifts=====
{{Main|RedditGifts}}
RedditGifts is a program that offers gift exchanges throughout the year.<ref name="Boran16">{{cite news |title=Give and receive gifts online with Redditgifts |last1=Boran |first1=Marie |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/give-and-receive-gifts-online-with-redditgifts-1.2789833 |newspaper=[[Irish Times]] |date=September 15, 2016 |accessdate=September 12, 2018}}</ref> The fan-made RedditGifts site was created in 2009 for a [[Secret Santa]] exchange among Reddit users, which has since become the world's largest<ref name="Kumparak11">{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/08/23/reddit-acquires-redditgifts/ |title=Reddit Acquires Fan-Made Secret Santa Site, RedditGifts |author=Greg Kumparak |date=August 23, 2011 |work=[[TechCrunch]] |accessdate=September 12, 2018}}</ref> and set a [[Guinness World Records|Guinness World record]].<ref name="DailyDot-2106-17">{{cite news |title=TIL 30 interesting facts about Reddit |last1=Bond |first1=John-Michael |last2=Powell |first2=Austin |url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/reddit-history/ |newspaper=The Daily Dot |date=June 21, 2017 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref> In 2009, 4,500 redditors participated.<ref name="Kumparak11"/> For the 2010 holiday season, 92 countries were involved in the secret Santa program. There were 17,543 participants, and $662,907.60 was collectively spent on gift purchases and shipping costs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2010/12/23/secret-santa-success-caps-banner-year-for-reddit/ |title=Secret Santa success caps banner year for Reddit |last1=Boitnott |first1=John |date=December 23, 2010 |website=VentureBeat Interpreting Innovation |publisher=VentureBeat |accessdate=January 3, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-12-20/secret-santa-the-creator-of-reddits-gift-exchange-the-worlds-biggest/ | title = The Biggest Secret Santa Gift Exchange in the World | accessdate = February 12, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://redditgifts.com/statistics/ | title = Statistics for Secret Santa 2010 | accessdate = February 12, 2011 }}</ref> In 2014, about 200,000 users from 188 countries participated.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/nearly-1-000-reddit-ottawa-users-signed-up-for-gift-exchange-1.2880013|title=Nearly 1,000 Reddit Ottawa users signed up for gift exchange|publisher=[[CBC News]]|date=December 19, 2014|accessdate=December 20, 2014}}</ref> Several celebrities have participated in the program, including [[Bill Gates]],<ref>{{cite news|last1=McCluskey|first1=Megan|title=Bill Gates Gave One Reddit User an Amazingly Thoughtful Secret Santa Gift|url=http://time.com/4153766/bill-gates-reddit-secret-santa/|accessdate=April 27, 2016|date=December 17, 2015}}</ref> [[Alyssa Milano]],<ref name="CNN-Criss-210917">{{cite news |title=Bill Gates was her secret Santa, and it was as awesome as you'd think |last1=Criss |first1=Doug |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/20/health/bill-gates-secret-santa-trnd/index.html |work=CNN |date=September 21, 2017 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref> and [[Snoop Dogg]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ballingall|first1=Alex|title=Web community's holiday gift exchange has more than 212,000 participants this year, including celebrities and people from 188 countries|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/12/22/reddit_secret_santa_could_pair_you_with_snoop_dogg.html|accessdate=April 27, 2016|date=December 22, 2014}}</ref> Eventually, the secret Santa program expanded to various other occasions through [[RedditGifts]], which Reddit acquired in 2011.<ref name="Kumparak11"/>

=====Global Reddit Meetup Day=====
The online Reddit community conducts real-world meetups across the globe each summer.<ref name="Shaer12">{{cite news |title=Reddit in the Flesh |last1=Shaer |first1=Matthew |url=http://nymag.com/news/features/reddit-2012-7/ |newspaper=[[New York Magazine]] |date=July 8, 2012 |accessdate=September 12, 2018}}</ref> These in-person meetups are called Global Reddit Meetup Day.<ref name="Shaer12"/><ref name="Leasca13">{{cite news |title=Reddit Meetup: Can users turn online connections into real ones? |last1=Leasca |first1=Stacey |url=http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-global-reddit-meetup-day-20130614-story.html |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=June 15, 2013 |accessdate=September 12, 2018}}</ref>

=====April Fools experiments=====
{{Main article|The Button (Reddit)|Place (Reddit)}}
Reddit has a tradition of creating [[April Fools' Day]] jokes and experiments on its site. In 2009, the site was rebranded for the day as Reddigg, a dig on its at the time more-popular rival, [[Digg]].<ref name="Moore09">{{cite news |title=Reddit rebranded as Reddigg for April Fool's Day |last1=Moore |first1=Matthew |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/5091085/Reddit-rebranded-as-Reddigg-for-April-Fools-Day.html |newspaper=[[The Telegraph]] |date=April 1, 2009 |accessdate=September 12, 2018}}</ref> In 2010, all Reddit users became administrators on April Fools' Day. They could ban users and vote on posts as much as they pleased.<ref name="Bergen12">{{cite news |title=Page Prank: The Best Online April Fools' Day Jokes |last1=Bergen |first1=Jennifer |url=https://www.pcmag.com/feature/296132/page-prank-the-best-online-april-fools-day-jokes |newspaper=[[PC Magazine]] |date=April 1, 2012 |accessdate=September 12, 2018}}</ref> The next year, Reddit launched Reddit Mold. Users who signed up for Reddit Mold saw fewer comments, and gradually lost the ability to type letters of the alphabet until the only remaining letters were "M", "P", and "H".<ref name="Bergen12"/> On April Fools' Day 2012, Reddit released its time machine, called "timereddits".<ref name="Eördögh12">{{cite web |url=https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/reddit-time-machine-timereddits-april-fools/ |title=Step inside Reddit’s time machine |author=Fruzsina Eördögh |date=April 2, 2012 |work=[[The Daily Dot]] |accessdate=September 12, 2018}}</ref>

On [[April Fools' Day]] 2015, a [[social experiment]] subreddit called /r/thebutton appeared. It displayed a button and a 60-second countdown timer. User accounts created before that day were eligible to participate. A user could only click the button once or opt not to click it. If a user clicked the button the timer was globally reset to 60 seconds,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vox.com/2015/4/10/8383165/reddit-button-explained|title=The button: the fascinating social experiment driving Reddit crazy|first1=Timothy |last1=Lee |date=April 14, 2015 |website=Vox |publisher=[[Vox Media]] |accessdate=April 24, 2015}}</ref> and the user's "flair" (an icon next to the user's name) changed color. Colors were assigned based on a gradient from purple to red with purple signifying up to 60 seconds and red as low as 0 seconds.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.redditblog.com/2015/06/the-button-has-ended.html|title=The button has ended|author=powerlanguage |date=June 8, 2015|website=Reddit}}</ref>

For April Fools' Day 2016, another experiment was launched involving the "Robin" chat widget. After clicking a titular button, an [[Internet Relay Chat|IRC]]-like chat window was opened with one other user, and allowed a certain time to pick among three options, "Grow," "Stay" and "Abandon".<ref name="BusinessInsider16">[http://www.businessinsider.com/reddit-robin-what-it-is-and-how-it-works-2016-4 Reddit's 'Robin' is a brilliant social experiment that pits millions of internet users against each other] Business Insider April 1, 2016</ref> "Grow" would join the chat with another group, "Stay" would close the group chat and create a subreddit with that group as moderators and "Abandon" would close the group chat.<ref name="BusinessInsider16"/>

April Fools' Day 2017 featured a social experiment based on /r/place. The subreddit contained a collaborative [[pixel]] art canvas, where a user could place a pixel every five minutes (the timer was temporarily ten and twenty minutes for a few hours on April 1).<ref>{{cite news|title=Reddit's new 'Place' is forcing millions of users to work together to make something great|url=http://uk.businessinsider.com/reddit-place-april-fools-experiment-canvas-2017-3?r=US&IR=T|accessdate=April 1, 2017|website=Business Insider|language=en}}</ref> More than a million redditors collaborated to the work of art, painting more than 16 million tiles.<ref name="BI-Weinberger-030417">{{cite news |title=Over 1 million Reddit users waged a virtual war to create this bizarre work of art with 16 million pixels |last1=Weinberger |first1=Matt |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/reddit-place-april-fools-experiment-creates-pixel-art-final-version-2017-4 |work=Business Insider |date=April 3, 2017 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref> Just before the end of its three-day experiment, more than 90,000 redditors were viewing and placing tiles on the virtual canvas.<ref name="BI-Weinberger-030417"/> ''[[Newsweek]]'' called Place "the internet's best experiment yet"<ref name="Newsweek-Cuthbertson-110417">{{cite news |title=Reddit Place: The Internet's Best Experiment Yet |last1=Cuthbertson |first1=Anthony |url=https://www.newsweek.com/reddit-place-internet-experiment-579049 |work=Newsweek |date=April 11, 2017 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref> and [[Paste (magazine)|Paste]] said it was "the iconic picture of our time".<ref name="Paste-Rhode-030417">{{cite news |title=Redditors Collaborate to Create the Iconic Picture of Our Time |last1=Rhode |first1=Jason |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/04/redditors-collaborate-to-create-the-iconic-picture.html |work=Paste |date=April 3, 2017 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref>

=====Commercial activity=====
In February 2013, Betabeat published a post that recognized the influx of multinational corporations like [[Costco]], [[Taco Bell]], [[Subaru]], and [[McDonald's]] posting branded content on Reddit that was made to appear as if it was original content from legitimate Reddit users.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://betabeat.com/2013/02/hail-corporate-the-increasingly-insufferable-fakery-of-brands-on-reddit/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230134914/http://betabeat.com/2013/02/hail-corporate-the-increasingly-insufferable-fakery-of-brands-on-reddit/|title=Hail Corporate: The Increasingly Insufferable Fakery of Brands on Reddit|last=Holiday|first=Ryan|publisher=''Betabeat''|date=February 21, 2013|archivedate=December 30, 2014|deadurl=yes}}</ref> Reddit's former director of communications noted that while a large number of chief marketing officers want to "infiltrate the reddit community on behalf of their brand," she emphasized that "self-promotion is frowned upon" and the site is "100 percent organic."<ref name=prspeak>{{cite web |url= http://blog.prspeak.com/blog/prspeak/2014/05/how-reddit-stays-genuine-and-what-that-means-for-marketers |title=Victoria Taylor Tells PAN how Reddit Stays Genuine and What That Means for Marketers |publisher=PAN communications |date=May 21, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prnewsonline.com/topics/social-media/2013/10/28/on-reddit-unlike-other-social-sites-its-about-the-topic-not-the-brand/ |title=On Reddit, Unlike Other Social Sites, It's About the Topic, Not the Brand |website=PR News |date=October 28, 2013 |quote="Brands that are mentioned on the site are in a casual context, similar to being in a local bar or coffee shop, rather than a mall, which is much more of a commercial space" |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705072000/http://www.prnewsonline.com/topics/social-media/2013/10/28/on-reddit-unlike-other-social-sites-its-about-the-topic-not-the-brand/ |archivedate=July 5, 2015 |df= }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.digitalgov.gov/2014/09/03/to-learn-about-reddit-listen-first/ |title=To Learn About reddit, Listen First |date=September 3, 2014 |quote=Victoria Taylor, director of communications at reddit, said the point of posting to reddit is not to have content go viral; it is to build credibility}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.brandwatch.com/2014/05/social-media-journalism-intrinsically-linked-organism/ |website=Brandwatch |title=Social Media and Journalism: An Intrinsically Linked Organism |quote=The communities on Reddit don't want to feel used or exploited. That's where listening comes in.|date=May 20, 2014}}</ref> She recommended that advertisers design promotions that "spark conversations and feedback."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.techaffect.com/2014/10/22/the-real-low-down-from-reddit/ |archive-url=https://archive.is/20160702111842/http://www.techaffect.com/2014/10/22/the-real-low-down-from-reddit/ |dead-url=yes |archive-date=July 2, 2016 |title=The Real Low-Down From Reddit |website=Tech Affect |date=October 22, 2014 }}</ref> Reddit's users are more [[Internet privacy|privacy-conscious]] than on other websites, using tools like [[AdBlock]] and [[Proxy server|proxies]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geomarketing.com/reddits-safe-play-in-the-game-of-geo-targeting |title=Reddit's Safe Play in the Game of Geo-Targeting |author=Nicole Spector |date=June 18, 2014}}</ref> and they hate "feeling manipulated by brands" but respond well to "content that begs for intelligent viewers and participants."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://strategyonline.ca/2014/06/05/reddit-knows-new-study-reveals-what-canadians-want/ |title=Reddit knows: new study reveals what Canadians want |website=StrategyOnline.ca |date=June 5, 2014 |author=Megan Haynes}}</ref> Lauren Orsini writes in [[ReadWrite]] that "Reddit's huge community is the perfect hype machine for promoting a new movie, a product release, or a lagging political campaign" but "very specific set of etiquette. Redditors don't want to advertise for you, they want to talk to you."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://readwrite.com/2014/09/24/how-to-host-a-reddit-ama |title=Let your audience ask you anything |website=ReadWrite |date=September 24, 2014}}</ref> Journalists have used the site as a basis for stories, though they are advised by the site's policies to respect that "reddit's communities belong to their members" and to seek proper attribution for people's contributions.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWFkKHHdaAw |title=Reddit - the front page of the internet: New user behaviour and social media trends |website=BBC Academy: Journalism |publisher=[[BBC]] via YouTube |date=November 7, 2013}}</ref>

In 2017, Reddit partnered with [[Audi]] to host live AMAs with actress Elizabeth Banks and actor Adam Scott answering questions from Reddit users while in the passenger seat of a car going 130 mph around a racetrack in California.<ref name="Adage-Schultz-250917">{{cite news |title=Audi's Reddit 'Ask Me Anything' with Elizabeth Goes 130 MPH |last1=Schultz |first1=E.J. |url=https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/audi-s-elizabeth-banks-reddit-130-mph/310614/ |work=Ad Age |date=September 25, 2017 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref> Anki (company), a San Francisco-based robotics company, held an interactive livestream where Reddit was given full control of Cozmo, and were tasked with guiding the robot through a series of escape rooms.<ref name="Polygon-Alexander-141117">{{cite news |title=Reddit holding its own 'Twitch Plays' game, featuring a tiny robot and several subreddits |last1=Alexander |first1=Julia |url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/11/14/16637688/reddit-cozmo-escape-room-twitch |work=Polygon |date=November 14, 2017 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref>

In 2018, Reddit hired Jen Wong as COO, responsible for the company's business strategy and growth, and introduced native mobile ads.<ref name="Trachtenberg18"/> Reddit opened a Chicago office to be closer to major companies and advertising agencies located in and around Chicago.<ref name="CT-Marotti-180418">{{cite news |title=Reddit to open Chicago office as part of advertising push |last1=Marotti |first1=Ally |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-reddit-chicago-office-20180418-story.html |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=April 18, 2018 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref>

Also in 2018, Reddit sought to increase its brand partnerships, by increasing the size of its brand partnerships team, and increasing its offerings for advertisers, including new formats for mobile and desktop in addition to sponsored posts, programmatic ads, and 24-hour takeover pages.<ref name="Digiday-Flynn-240418">{{cite news |title=Reddit to grow its 75-person brand partnerships team by 50 percent to woo advertisers |last1=Flynn |first1=Kerry |url=https://digiday.com/marketing/reddit-to-grow-75-person-brand-partnerships-team-by-50-percent-to-woo-advertsiers/ |work=Digiday |date=April 24, 2018 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref> Additionally, [[TBS]] premiered an episode of its animated show ''[[Final Space]]'' prior to its TV debut.<ref name="Digiday-Flynn-240418"/>

Reddit has increased its efforts to work with content publishers with features that allow publishers to create their own profile pages and host video.<ref name="Digiday-Willens-080318">{{cite news |title='We're making inroads': Reddit it trying to tighten its relationship with publishers |last1=Willens |first1=Max |url=https://digiday.com/media/reddit-trying-tighten-relationship-publishers/ |work=Digiday |date=March 8, 2018 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref> These efforts included an editorial collaboration with ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine and a [[WBUR]] podcast, ''Endless Thread''.<ref name="Digiday-Willens-080318"/> In 2016 and 2017, Reddit released tools helping publishers source and credit redditors, monitor who a publisher's content is shared on the site, and post content directly to followers.<ref name="Digiday-Willens-080318"/> ''[[The Washington Post]]'' uses the features to communicate with Reddit's user base and be more transparent about its journalists' work.<ref name="Digiday-Willens-080318"/> ''The Washington Post'' uses its profile to post stories, memes, gifs, jokes, and facilitate and participate in AMAs.<ref name="NL-Wang-081117">{{cite news |title=The Washington Post on Reddit surprises users with its non-promotional, ultra helpful presence |last1=Wang |first1=Shan |url=http://www.niemanlab.org/2017/11/the-washington-post-on-reddit-surprises-users-with-its-non-promotional-ultra-helpful-presence/ |work=Nieman Lab |date=November 8, 2017 |accessdate=October 9, 2018}}</ref>
References

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@ZappaOMatic and Colin M: Pinging to see if either one (or both!) of you might be interested to provide feedback on this request. As I do have a financial conflict of interest, since I'm making this suggestion on behalf of Reddit as part of my work at Beutler Ink, I won't make any edits to the article myself. Instead, I welcome input from uninvolved editors and assistance taking live changes as appropriate. Let me know if you have any feedback or questions! Thanks in advance, 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 21:46, 15 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

@ZappaOMatic and Colin M: Just a friendly nudge to see if you're interested in this request, too. Thanks! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 15:11, 22 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Comments from Colin M

Hey 16912 Rhiannon, thanks for the nudge. This is a page on my watchlist that I've been hitting the snooze button on for too long. :)

I spent a while reviewing your proposed draft and comparing it to the existing version, and I have a lot of thoughts (so many that I'm carving out a little subsection here - feel free to reply to comments inline if that's easier). Overall, I think it's great. I'm especially a big fan of some of the cuts and condensing. The shortening of the 'philanthropy' section is great. And appreciate your cuts of some fluffy prose like "users can use one of the largest communities on the Internet for new, revolutionary, and influential purposes".

That said, I do have some comments/questions/suggested changes.

Section structure

I don't think it's a good idea to nest all of this content under a 'Community and culture' subsection under the 'Site overview' section. One problem is that, once you get to the level of sub-subsections and beyond, the text of the headings becomes visually indistinguishable, so the structure can kind of get lost. (e.g. ====Sociopolitical efforts==== and =====Internet activism===== have the same formatting, so it's not obvious that the latter is nested under the former).

Also, I think it's useful to keep the 'Site overview' section relatively brief. And I think it's possible to semantically separate them by saying that 'Site overview' is about how the site is structured (in terms of subreddits, posts, moderators, upvotes, etc.), whereas 'Community and culture' is about how the community of users have used that structure.

My proposed hierarchy (with sections at a given level in no particular order) would be: 

Community and culture [top-level section]
    Philanthropy
    Activism
        Internet activism
        Restoring Truthiness campaign
        March for Science
        Mr. Splashy Pants
    Community traditions
        AMAs ("Ask Me Anything")
        RedditGifts
        Global Reddit Meetup day
        April Fools experiments
    Commercial activity

I noticed in your draft that you put 'Commercial activity' as a subsection of 'Community traditions'. Was that an accident?

I could be convinced that 'Community traditions' should be elsewhere, since they're mostly things that are organized by Reddit admins rather than users. (Though I'm not sure where a better place would be. Maybe 'Site overview', but I'd rather not bloat that section. Maybe you could make it a new top-level section?)

Commercial activity

In your summary of changes, you said you'd trimmed this section, but I'm pretty sure your version is actually longer!

The new content seems fine based on a first read (I haven't dug into the sources yet). But I think it might be out of place in 'Community and culture'. The current version of this section focuses on 'astroturfing' and inorganic content, and especially to the community's attitude toward that.

The new content talks more about how Reddit as a business has approached advertising (and is not so much about the community).

What do you think about having a 'Community and culture > Astroturfing' section (with something close to the current at 'Commercial activity'), and adding the stuff about Reddit's traditional advertising, brand partnerships, business strategy etc. to the top-level 'Corporate affairs' section?

Other comments on this section:

  • Additionally, TBS premiered an episode of its animated show Final Space prior to its TV debut. Should this say they premiered it on Reddit?
  • Reason for removing the sentence about affiliate links? It was cited to a reddit blog post, but based on a quick google search, it seems like there was secondary coverage, e.g. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/reddit-introduces-affiliate-links
  • Grammar/typo issue: monitor who a publisher's content is shared on the site

Other misc notes

Reddit is known in part for its passionate user base,[8] which has been described as "offbeat, quirky, and anti-establishment".[9] Also known as the "Slashdot effect", the Reddit effect occurs when a smaller website crashes due to a high influx of traffic after being linked to on Reddit. The second sentence seems like a non-sequitur? Maybe the 'hug of death' thing could be mentioned somewhere in 'Site overview' (like when talking about how posts can be text, images, or links)? (I also personally wouldn't mind just not mentioning it.)

Others raise the negative aspects of the potential for Reddit's communities to possess a "hive mind" of sorts, embodying some negative aspects of group interaction theories like crowd psychology and collective consciousness. Not introduced in this diff, but just noticed the citation for this line is completely unrelated to its content. I'll make an edit later to add a {{fact}} tag or remove the sentence.

Update: Actually, just noticed this looked weird because it was stranded from some context. In the original text there was a sentence before this, "Almost all of the user reviews on Alexa.com, which rates Reddit's monthly unique traffic rating 125th in the United States, mention Reddit's "good content" as a likable quality." I still can't find that information at the url, but I'm guessing it used to be there, or else I need a subscription to see it. I'm inclined to just nuke this point. Even if the source supports it, I don't think Alexa user reviews are particularly reliable/noteworthy. (The "hive mind" idea is kind of interesting, but maybe it's better covered in the section talking about historical controversies in Reddit's history, ideally with RS citations.) Colin M (talk) 21:58, 22 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Another pre-existing issue I noticed: some wonky incorporation of quotes in the 'Commercial activity' section. Needs a copy edit.

Regarding the removal of Circle of Trust experiment, you may be aware of this already, but just in case, primary sources on Wikipedia are not necessarily "bad". An official blog post from Reddit announcing feature X is appropriate to source the claim "Reddit announced feature X". (That said, I'm pretty neutral on removing that content on the grounds of noteworthiness.)

Just to confirm (since I didn't see it mentioned in your summary of changes): removing the 'Blocked in Indonesia and China' section was intentional? (Again, I'm pretty neutral on whether it should be kept anywhere in the article. I do think it's a bit weird to live in the 'Community and culture' section.)

I think shortening the "Restoring Truthiness campaign" section is a good idea, but I think the proposed version obscures the timeline of events a bit. To me, the first sentence gives the impression that what happened was: 1) Stewart and Colbert announce rally. 2) Redditors raise money for charity in support of rally. Which makes the next sentence confusing (why would people think that Redditors caused the rally to happen?). I might try my hand at clarifying it later.

Is there another section heading we could use instead of 'Internet activism'? The first thing I thought when I read it was that it was referring to activism that's organized or performed on the internet. Not activism about the internet. What about using the term Digital rights instead? (Or even the original section name: "Internet privacy, neutrality and anonymity")

The short section on Mr. Splashy Pants is interesting, but I don't think it quite fits under the heading 'Sociopolitical activism'. Also, I'm a little ambivalent on its noteworthiness relative to the topic. The section cites an article on Greenpeace.org - I'd be more inclined to include it if we could cite some independent coverage.

Incorporating changes

I'll boldly incorporate most of these changes shortly. I'm going to try to break it up into some incremental bite-sized edits to make the edit history more readable (and to make it easier if someone wants to revert and discuss any particular change). For changes I wasn't sure about (e.g. the 'Commercial activity' section), I'm going to default to keeping the status quo for now. But looking forward to further discussing that stuff soon to reach consensus. Colin M (talk) 20:32, 22 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Phew, okay, I've incorporated most of your draft. Exceptions:

  • I used the section structure I posted above (keeping 'Community and culture' as a top-level section). Also renamed 'Sociopolitical efforts' to just 'Activism'.
  • Put the 'Commercial activity' changes on hold, pending discussion
  • Kept old section name of 'Internet privacy, neutrality and anonymity' instead of 'Internet activism'
  • Didn't add Mr. Splashy Pants section
  • I decided to just trim some detail from the existing text of the 'Restoring Truthiness campaign' section rather than use the rewrite. Let me know if you think it's still too long.

Also, I'm sorry for all the username-ping notifications that must have generated. But I think Wikipedia has some legal requirement to include username attribution in any edit summary where you're incorporating content written by someone else. Colin M (talk) 22:04, 22 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

@Colin M: Thanks very much for all your work on this! I like the structure as you set it, and I agree with your changes. I appreciate your careful review of my proposal, and welcome the improvements.
As for your question about the Blocked in Indonesia and China subsection: That content was added to the article either as I was creating my draft, or afterward, so that's why it was not in my draft.
Also, I noticed a small typo that I'm hoping you can fix. Can you delete the word "for" in this sentence in the opening paragraph: "Reddit has been a platform for to raise publicity for a number of causes"?
Lastly, thanks for your thoughtful feedback on Commercial activity. You're correct that my proposed section is longer than the current content. I should have said I trimmed some existing content while also adding new material. I am mulling your suggestions to see how we can fix this up, and discussing with Reddit. I hope to be back soon with more on that. Thanks again! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 16:57, 25 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
@Colin M: My apologies for the delay. I've been giving this some thought, and I wanted to circle back with some feedback. But first, I wanted to thank you for being so thoughtful about the changes.
  • Thanks for the note on Mr. Splashy Pants. If we use this Time article, which shows the importance of the moment in Reddit's history, can we re-incorporate Mr. Splashy Pants?
  • I also want to note that Reddit users have "pseudonymity", not "anonymity". Perhaps that section header could be updated to include "pseudonymity"?
  • As for Commercial activity, I suggest we make this its own section heading in the article, rather than split it up. A section informing reads of several aspects of commercial activity on the site offers a more robust look at the issue.
What do you think? Let me know if it would be helpful to offer markup for any of the above suggestions. And once again, thank you for your thoughtful feedback and work improving this article! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 21:38, 11 April 2019 (UTC)[reply]
@16912 Rhiannon:
  • re Mr. Splashy Pants: where would you insert this? As a section under "Activism"? I feel like the content doesn't quite jibe with that label (would you really call skewing a poll to promote a silly name a form of 'activism'?).
  • re pseudo- vs. ano- nymity. The first sentence at Internet anonymity says Most commentary on the Internet is essentially done anonymously, using unidentifiable pseudonyms. So I'm inclined to say that the wording change isn't necessary. That said, I don't actually see any support for the claim that Reddit users have engaged in the defense of Internet anonymity/pseudonymity, so maybe the simplest thing would be to remove it?
  • re Commercial activity: Sure, having a separate section sounds fine to me. Markup would be welcome (as well as where in the article you think it should be inserted). But I think such a section should incorporate some of the content in the current "Commercial activity" section re astroturfing. Colin M (talk) 16:07, 16 April 2019 (UTC)[reply]
@Colin M: I'll work on getting you updated markup for Commercial activity. I hope to have that to you for review soon!
  • re pseudo- vs. ano- nymity: You raise good points on this. Honestly, I would be OK with not changing the wording, or with removing it. Whichever you think is best, I would support.
  • re Mr. Splashy Pants placement: I agree that under Activism isn't quite right. Perhaps it would be better placed at the end of the Community traditions subsection, or as its own subsection at the end of the Community and culture section. What do you think?
Again, thank you very much for all your work on this! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 20:45, 17 April 2019 (UTC)[reply]
or as its own subsection at the end of the Community and culture section Yeah, this seems like the least awkward choice. I don't think it makes sense in Community traditions, since it's not an ongoing/recurring tradition. Colin M (talk) 20:40, 23 April 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Sounds good! To help with adding it as a subsection, I've put together an updated draft that incorporates the Time article I mentioned above. Thanks again! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 20:47, 25 April 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Mr. Splashy Pants with new source
Mr. Splashy Pants
Mister Splashy Pants logo used on November 27, 2007
Reddit communities occasionally coordinate Reddit-external projects such as skewing polls on other websites, like the 2007 incident when Greenpeace allowed web users to decide the name of a humpback whale it was tracking. Reddit users voted en masse to name the whale "Mr. Splashy Pants", and Reddit administrators encouraged the prank by changing the site logo to a whale during the voting. In December of that year, Mister Splashy Pants was announced as the winner of the competition.[1][2]
Markup

===Mr. Splashy Pants===

[[File:Reddit Mr. Splashy Pants.png|thumb|right|[[Mister Splashy Pants]] logo used on November 27, 2007]] Reddit communities occasionally coordinate Reddit-external projects such as skewing polls on other websites, like the 2007 incident when [[Greenpeace]] allowed web users to decide the name of a humpback whale it was tracking. Reddit users voted en masse to name the whale "Mr. Splashy Pants", and Reddit administrators encouraged the prank by changing the site logo to a whale during the voting. In December of that year, [[Mister Splashy Pants]] was announced as the winner of the competition.<ref>{{cite web|author=Feature story |url=http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/features/splashy-101207/ |title=Mister Splashy Pants the whale – you named him, now save him |publisher=Greenpeace.org |date=December 10, 2007 |accessdate=August 8, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Nicks13">{{cite news |title=The Six Most Important Moments in Reddit History |last1=Nicks |first1=Denver |url=http://techland.time.com/2013/10/01/the-six-most-important-moments-in-reddit-history/ |newspaper=[[Time (magazine]] |date=October 1, 2013 |accessdate=April 25, 2019}}</ref>

References

References

  1. ^ Feature story (December 10, 2007). "Mister Splashy Pants the whale – you named him, now save him". Greenpeace.org. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  2. ^ Nicks, Denver (October 1, 2013). "The Six Most Important Moments in Reddit History". Time (magazine. Retrieved April 25, 2019.

Incorrect Categories

Reddit is not Free Software, so should not be in the following categories:

  • Free content management systems
  • Free software programmed in Python
  • Free wiki software

--31.221.91.66 (talk) 12:33, 29 April 2019 (UTC)[reply]

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