What is reddit?
Reddit is a source for what's new and popular on the web.
Users like you provide all of the content and decide, through voting, what's good (up arrow) and what's junk (down arrow).
Links that receive community approval bubble up towards #1, so the front
page is constantly in motion and (hopefully) filled with fresh,
interesting links.
What does the name "reddit" mean?
It's (sort of) a play on words -- i.e., "I read it on reddit." Also,
there are some unintentional but interesting Latin meanings to the word
"reddit"
What is that alien / bug thing?
That adorable and informative creature is the mascot for the reddit
community. It is also a registered trademark owned by reddit. You can
visit
redditalien.com for an archive of his past adventures.
Can anyone submit a link?
Yes -- all you need is
an account!
However, there is a cap on how many things you can post per time
increment, this is to prevent spamming. This restriction is the same for
both reddit gold members and non-gold members.
How is a submission's score determined?
A submission's score is simply the number of upvotes minus the number of
downvotes. If five users like the submission and three users don't it
will have a score of 2. Please note that the vote numbers are not "real"
numbers, they have been "fuzzed" to prevent spam bots etc. So taking
the above example, if five users upvoted the submission, and three users
downvote it, the upvote/downvote numbers may say 23 upvotes and 21
downvotes, or 12 upvotes, and 10 downvotes. The points score is correct,
but the vote totals are "fuzzed".
Why does a dot sometimes show up where the score should be?
For the first few hours after a submission is created, the score is not
displayed. This is intended to mitigate the bandwagon effect.
I made a mistake in my submission title, how can I edit it?
Submission titles cannot be edited. However, you can simply delete it
and resubmit it. The sooner you do this, the less likely you will lose
any votes or comments.
What is that number next to usernames? And what is karma?
The number next to a username is called that user's "karma." It reflects
how much good the user has done for the reddit community. The best way
to gain karma is to submit links that other people like and vote for,
though you won't get karma for self posts.
Why should I try to accumulate karma?
Why should you try to score points in a video game? Why should your favorite sports team try to win the championship?
Or, to look at things from a less competitive and more altruistic perspective, read
what philosophers have said about the matter
-- namely, don't set out to accumulate karma; just set out to be a good
person, and let your karma simply be a reminder of your legacy.
Note: Reddit makes no guarantees about attaining Nirvana.
Update: A redditor named jumpercable tried to redeem his karma.
See how it went (your mileage may vary).
What can I do to get my submissions noticed?
Remember that adage about not judging a book by its cover? No one
actually follows it. So choose your title carefully -- make it useful,
provide context, and be descriptive. Be careful though, if you're too
aggressive it could backfire. Phrases like, "Vote this up to spread the
word!" or "AMAZING!" tend to annoy most redditors, who will make sure
your post doesn't see the light of day.
Why don't my submissions show up on the New page?
I don't know. They really should. Maybe your account has been blocked for some reason.
Is reddit available in languages other than English?
Yes! In the upper-right corner of the page, there should be a link that
says, "English". Click it and you'll get a popup where you can change
to another language.
I want to change my username. Do I have to start a new account?
Yes. Once a user account is created, the username cannot be edited. You
can create a new user profile but cannot migrate karma, comment karma or
trophies to the new username.
Will you remove something defamatory about me or "my friend" from reddit?
In light of the protections afforded to online hosts of third party
content, such as reddit, we rarely remove such material, but we reserve
the right to do so for legal or other reasons.
Please note that reddit does not remove posts for containing insults or
negative commentary, but leaves such decisions to the moderators of
particular communities. Those moderators are not employees of or
retained by reddit‚ they are the persons who initiated the particular
community and their appointees. While posts that contain such content
can be distasteful, reddit is not in a position to arbitrate disputes.
Posts should be consistent with the rules of the community to which they
are posted.
The best way to deal with incorrect information on the Internet is to post the correct information next to it.
The reddit community is usually very supportive of such a response, and
will likely vote to give the correction greater prominence than the
original post. Redditors love a good counterpoint.
Is posting personal information ok?
NO. Reddit is a pretty open and free speech place, but it is not ok to
post someone's personal information, or post links to personal
information. This includes links to public Facebook pages and
screenshots of Facebook pages with the names still legible. We all get
outraged by the ignorant things people say and do online, but witch
hunts and vigilantism hurt innocent people and certain individual
information, including personal info found online is often false. Such
posts or comments may be removed by moderators or admins. Repeated
offenders may be banned. Posting professional links to contact a
congressman or the CEO of some company is probably fine, but don't post
anything inviting harassment, don't harass, and don't cheer on or vote
up obvious vigilantism.
Is posting political campaign information ok?
Yes. Reddit does not discriminate among candidates or differing
political viewpoints in any way, nor does it discriminate between
political and non-political topics. Reddit's terms of service require
all users not to violate any law, statute or regulation in the course of
their use. Reddit provides its basic service to all users without
charge and its provision of basic services for free is not a
contribution to any candidate, political committee, or political party
committee. Reddit does not control links to political sites, does not
endorse them, and is not responsible for any aspects of those sites.
