Reddit is the internet platform that combines social networking and forum discussions. Even those who don’t have a Reddit account have used it at least once to find information or answers since people there help each other all the time. So, what does Reddit mean?
Reddit’s name is a wordplay on the phrase “I read it.” Some users thought it came from a joke about a frog that reads books and says “Read it (Reddit),” while others found that the Latin word “reddit” translates to the verb “render” in English. However, the second two explanations seem to be only coincidental.
You can learn more about the meaning, functions, and purpose of Reddit here. If you’re curious to join, it’s good to first educate yourself on the essentials related to the website.
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What Does Reddit Mean? Get Yourself Acquainted With the Internet’s Favorite Website
Officially, the name Reddit comes from the phrase “I read it” as a play on words. Since it was created as a forum and social news aggregation website, the main form of communication is writing. However, many of its frequent users also call it a social media platform because of the ability to share multimedia files and formats.
Nowadays, there’s so much information on there that any new and interesting knowledge could start with the sentence “I read it on Reddit.” This was probably the main reason why three friends from the University of Virginia, Steve Huffman, Alexis Ohanian, and Aaron Swartz, founded the website in the first place.
Reddit’s mascot, the little alien-looking thing, is called Snoo, and it’s a trademarked Reddit logo.
Does Reddit Have an App for Windows and Mac?
In August 2021, Reddit introduced an official Windows app. It’s available on the Microsoft Store and can be downloaded on Windows 10 and 11. There are also other apps through which you can see Reddit’s posts on Windows: ReddPlanet, Infinity, and Baconit.
On Mac, Reddit is only available through other apps. Baconit is one of them, but you can also use Yack and Apollo for Reddit. The best way to use them is to download the official app on iOS or Android.
Don’t Become a User If You’re Not Ready to Participate In Subreddits
If you’re curious about Reddit at least a bit, you may be tempted to look around its communities. The official communities are called subreddits, which are in hundreds of thousands. Any topic you may be interested in, a community probably exists for it.
You don’t have to register to read posts in subreddits, but it’s necessary if you do wish to post and participate because the users aren’t idle. When someone posts in a subreddit, that post can be upvoted or downvoted, depending on the content and relevance.
Users also collect karma points, which are racked up whenever someone posts and participates in discussions. Officially, karma points are explained as the amount of good a user has done for the subreddit or the general community. If your posts were regularly upvoted, your karma would be higher, and you’d be able to start your subreddits.
What Kind of Information Can I Share and Use on Reddit?
While various information of any kind is usually welcome on Reddit, posting someone’s (or your own) personal information is discouraged and may result in a ban. Redditors and moderators won’t tolerate anything that incriminates another person or cause harm.Political campaigning is also allowed and sharing political views and opinions. However, Reddit doesn’t control websites that get posted for a political campaign on each page, but its management will react if any laws or regulations get broken.
Which Subreddit Is Good for New Users?
Anyone new that joins will be asked some questions about their topics of interest and hobbies and then given recommendations for joining a particular subreddit.
If you like sports, you’ll be suggested to join an NBA page or any other sport and league-related community. Each subreddit is labeled with “r/” at the beginning, and many have over a million followers.
The Most Popular Subreddits to Add to Your Reading List
People with various interests create an account on Reddit daily, and they all start by participating in subreddits that relate to their hobbies somehow. However, when you get into Reddit a bit more, you’ll see there are so many other communities you could follow.
Some of the most popular subreddits that you could join as a new user are:
- r/subredditoftheday – Subreddit of the Day page is a shortcut to finding subreddits that might interest you. You’ll save time on looking around,
- r/suggestmeabook – Suggest Me a Book is a book recommending page,
- r/netflixbestof – Netflix Best Of is similar to Suggest me a book, but focuses on shows and movies on Netflix,
- r/malefashionadvice and r/femalefashionadvice – Male and Female Fashion Advice communities focus on giving members style and fashion tips,
- r/eatcheapandhealthy – the Eat Cheap and Healthy community shares quick, money-saving, delicious recipes,
- r/personalfinance – Personal Finance community helps members manage their money better,
- r/explainlikeimfive – Explain Like I’m Five, abbreviated as ELI5, is one of the most active communities on the website with over 19 million followers. If you want to know how something works or just get simple explanations, join this community,
- r/videos – the Videos community has over 23 million followers who share interesting, fun, and cool videos.
Reddit Is the Internet Platform Everyone Gets Involved In
Reddit was created so people could post and use valuable information and connect worldwide. No matter where you’re from or what you’re into, becoming a Redditor will likely help you find people with similar interests and views. It’s a great place to make you feel like you’re not alone, but it’s important to stay respectful and follow the guidelines.
