Reddit Presentation
Transcript: WHAT is reddit? WHAT is reddit? Reddit is an online platform where different communities called “subreddits”, online forums that center on particular topics, are made and joined by users called “redditors”. BRIEF HISTORY BRIEF HISTORY In 2005, the idea and initial development of Reddit is credited to Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian. Huffman and Ohanian attended a lecture by programmer-entrepreneur Paul Graham in Boston, Massachusetts, during their spring break from University of Virginia. After speaking with Huffman and Ohanian following the lecture, to get sufficient funds, Graham invited the two to apply to his money startup incubator – the "Y Combinator". During a brainstorming session to pitch for a startup, an idea was created for what Graham called the "front page of the Internet". Supported by the funding from the "Y Combinator", Huffman coded the site in Common Lisp (programming language) and together with Ohanian launched Reddit in June 2005. "subreddits" "subreddits" A subreddit is a specific online community, and the posts associated with it, on the social media website Reddit. Subreddits are dedicated to a particular topic that people write about, and they're denoted by /r/, followed by the subreddit's name, e.g., /r/gaming. "redditors" "redditors" A redditor is a person who uses Reddit. While anyone (including those without a Reddit account) can use Reddit as a lurker, most Redditors actively post and engage with others' content. What is its intended USE? What is its intended USE? It is meant to be a virtual space where people can come together in online communities and talk about their common interests in depth. People ask questions, share stories, and produce material related to a topic. What is it used for NOW? What is it used for NOW? Aside from talking about shared interests, it is also a source of news and information on a variety of topics. People occasionally share their problems or questions to seek advice or knowledge from other redditors. There are also subreddits that are related to current events and regularly give updates and detailed analyses on those topics. Inquiries Inquiries Updates Updates Analyses Analyses FEATURES FEATURES Platform Features Platform Features Posts can be upvoted or downvoted, affecting a user score called ‘karma’ Anonymity Targeted audiences User-driven Interactive Features Interactive features (human to machine, human to human) Posts Upvoting, Downvoting Comments and replies Suggested Updates Suggested Updates Better search function (comment histories, organize user comments by sub) Function to sort by best/worst comments ISSUES ISSUES Spam Reddit continues to deal with trolls and bots that proliferate spam on the platform. GameStop Controversy Members of a subreddit called ‘r/WallStreetBets’ drove up the prices of a stock called GameStop on the market. Hate Speech Reddit banned the pro-Donald Trump subreddit ‘r/The_Donald’ and other communities where users have been attacking others and promoting hate and false speech. Sources Sources Bruce Brumberg, J. D. (2021, March 2). Reddit And GameStop Lessons: Former SEC Enforcement Chief Explains Stock Manipulation And How To Avoid Trouble. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucebrumberg/2021/02/04/reddit-and-gamestop-lessons-former-sec-enforcement-chief-explains-stock-manipulation-and-how-to-avoid-trouble/?sh=2208f3ca2859. Dive Into Anything. reddit. (n.d.). https://www.redditinc.com/. Isaac, M. (2020, June 29). Reddit, Acting Against Hate Speech, Bans 'The_Donald' Subreddit. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/29/technology/reddit-hate-speech.html. Los Angeles Times. (2021, February 19). Can democracy work on the internet? Reddit tells a mixed story. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2021-02-19/can-democracy-work-on-the-internet-reddit-tells-a-mixed-story. Widman, J. (2021, March 29). What is Reddit? Digital Trends. https://www.digitaltrends.com/web/what-is-reddit/.