A beginner's guide to Reddit

Twelve years since it was created, Reddit has around one billion users per month checking in to “the front page of the Internet.” If you’re not quite clued up on “reddiquette”, however, the site might seem a little overwhelming. We’ve rounded up some of the basic skills you need to get set up, so you can get voting, commenting, and posting in no time.

Signing up

As with most websites these days, to sample the best of what Reddit has to offer, you’ll need to sign up for an account. Joining is quick and easy, and you’ll find the login and account setup prompts right at the top of the website. Once you’ve picked a username and a password, you’re good to go!

Browsing subreddits

When you’re all set up, you can start adding some subreddits to your account. Subreddits are like individual message boards that are devoted to one particular topic.

There are thousands of them to browse through, ranging from r/news to r/showerthoughts (each one starts with “r/”, followed by the topic).

Each subreddit is hosted by a moderator and comes with its own rules regarding posts, so if you see something you’re not happy with it’s easy to let someone know so that it can be removed.

Voting other people’s posts

The basis of Reddit has always been the same: the community has the power to decide whether your content sinks or swims. If you like a particular post, you can show your appreciation for it by clicking the up arrow, known as upvoting. If the post isn’t quite your cup of tea, you can express your displeasure by clicking the down arrow, or downvoting.

Every post has a grey number with an arrow above and below it, representing the rank of the post judged on the number of upvotes minus the number of downvotes. This system also works for comments.

Posting your own content

Whether you’re seeking advice on a personal relationship issue, hunting for new friends with similar interests in your area, or looking for somewhere to upload your original writing to get some feedback, Reddit has got your back.

With threads like r/AskReddit inviting a user to ask whatever question pops into their head, and r/NoSleep for aspiring horror authors, there’s almost no limit to what you can participate in.

Reddit karma

Once you’ve started to get involved in different subreddits and adhered to all of the rules, you can eventually start earning ‘good karma’ – Reddit’s version of brownie points. To check how much good karma you have, simply click on your username and your karma will be displayed.

Though karma acts like street cred on Reddit and can affect how other users view you, when it comes down to it, it actually has little impact on how you use the site. Having said that, it’s always good to know that others consider you to have good karma!