Reddit is an American social news aggregation, content rating, and forum social network. Registered users submit content to the site such as links, text posts, images, and videos, which are then voted up or down by other members. Posts are organized by subject into user-created boards called "subreddits". Submissions with more upvotes appear towards the top of their subreddit and, if they receive enough upvotes, ultimately on the site's front page. Reddit administrators moderate the communities. Moderation is also conducted by community-specific moderators, who are unpaid volunteers. It is operated by Reddit, Inc., based in San Francisco.
Some of the key events about Reddit
- 2005Reddit was founded as a social news and discussion website
- 2006Reddit introduced the concept of subreddits, allowing users to create and moderate their own communities
- 2008Reddit made its source code open-source, promoting transparency and community involvement
- 2009Controversial subreddits promoting racism and hate speech emerged on the platform
- 2010The platform launched its "Reddit Gold" premium membership program to support the site's operations
- 2011Reddit faced criticism for hosting child exploitation content before banning it
- 2013Users wrongly accused an innocent person of being the Boston Marathon bomber
- 2014Reddit launched its official mobile app, making the platform more accessible to users on-the-go
- 2014The site was criticized for its slow response in removing leaked celebrity photos
- 2015The site introduced the "Reddit AMA" (Ask Me Anything) feature, facilitating direct interactions between users and notable figures
- 2015Reddit fired a popular employee, leading to widespread user protests and blackouts
- 2016The CEO admitted to secretly editing user comments that were critical of him
- 2017Reddit redesigned its website to improve user experience and attract new users
- 2018The platform surpassed Facebook to become the third most visited website in the United States
- 2018A major data breach exposed user data, including email addresses and passwords
- 2019Reddit accepted a $150 million investment from Chinese company Tencent, raising censorship concerns
- 2020Reddit introduced a new feature called "Community Points" to reward users for their contributions
- 2020The platform was accused of allowing COVID-19 misinformation to spread unchecked
- 2021The site played a significant role in the GameStop stock market event, demonstrating its influence on real-world financial markets
- 2023Controversial API changes led to widespread protests and the shutdown of many third-party apps
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.