Reddit is a free online forum that allows you to create posts and discussions on a variety of topics. Among the themes present in the site’s conversations are entertainment, sports, memes, and the main hot topics on the Internet. The interests are divided into communities, and users can vote for the content they consider most interesting. Thus, the algorithm distributes the post to more people. It is worth mentioning that the platform is only available in English and can be used on both desktop and mobile versions. Below, see details on how Reddit works and tips to take advantage of its features.

What is Reddit?

Reddit is a free virtual forum where people can talk about various topics in specific communities. You can post texts, links, images, and videos, which will be voted on by other users according to the relevance and popularity of the topic.

The platform is only available in English and can be accessed via a web browser or on cell phones; just download the app for Android or iPhone (iOS). Reddit has over 13 billion posts and comments and 50 million daily active users.

How does Reddit work?

Reddit is divided into specific communities, called Subreddits. Each of them has its topics, and to find them, simply type “reddit.com/r/” followed by the subject of discussion into the search bar at the top of the page. Once the user has typed in the topic of interest, Reddit will display the related posts and subreddits. On the forum homepage, it is also possible to check which subreddits are up and click on the posts to view the content. Next to each post or comment is a score and two arrows, one down and one up.

The arrow pointing up means an “upvote”, which is when a user believes that content should be directed to more people. The arrow pointing down is a “downvote” when a user thinks that the publication is not so relevant and does not need more visibility. From this dynamic, the most popular topics can make it to Reddit’s main page for more people to see.

When a user’s posts and comments are voted on, they earn karma, a numerical score that appears on their profile. Karma is an indicator that shows that the individual has relevance within the platform, but does not provide them with any additional features.

How to use Reddit?

You must sign up for Reddit to subscribe to subreddits, vote, and create a content feed. To create an account, click the “sign up” button in the upper right corner of the site. Then enter an email address and create a username and password. Once you are logged in, you can find subreddits on the home page or by using the search tool at the top of the page. To subscribe, simply click the “subscribe” button, which appears on the right side of each community.

The Reddit homepage will display the top content in the subreddits that the user is subscribed to. To vote, click on one of the two arrows that appear next to the posts. To answer questions asked by other users, click on the comment, type, and save.

To publish content, click on “create post”, the button that is on the right side of the screen or that appears when the user is in a subreddit. Once you have done this, you can publish text, images, videos, or links. It is important to note that to make any kind of post, it is necessary to send a descriptive title, as some subreddits only allow certain types of content to be published.

Reddit Tags

When browsing the forum it is common to come across “tags” attached to posts. They serve to provide information about the type of post produced and important details about its readability. “OC”, for example, is the tag for original content and indicates that the user is posting their work. “Spoiler” indicates that the post has content that may reveal details about a subject; if there are any images in the post, they will be blurred out.

“NSFW”, or “Not Safe For Work”, reinforces that the content is explicit and cannot be viewed in public places. “Flair”, finally, is the tag that makes it possible to tag the post with snippets of text that will categorize and offer more information about the content.

After you submit the post, it will appear in the subreddit after some time, because communities have different rules for releasing them. Some subreddits do not allow new users to submit content, and others require moderator review, for example. So it is important to read the rules of each community.

Tips for using Reddit

There are a few rules that can help you use Reddit safely and take advantage of the forum’s features. One of them is the ranking of each subreddit or post according to the following criteria: “Hot” is the default ranking, which shows posts with a lot of recent activity; “New” is the new posts, “Top”, is those that are at the top and “Rising” those that are moving up in the ranking. “Controversial” refers to posts with similar amounts of positive and negative votes.

It’s worth noting that some subreddits have FAQs, questions, and answers that can help you understand that community better. The subreddit rules are also found in the sidebar. To save a post or comment, just click “save”. The history of forum interaction and saved posts are stored in “My Profile”.

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