Reddit is a social news, media rating, and discussion website that was founded in 2005, by Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian, while they were college roommates. Most of us these days are familiar with Reddit, and it has been called the ‘front page of the internet.’ Everybody knows the success story of other internet ventures, such as Facebook and Napster, but not many people are au fait with Reddit.
We’re going to look more closely at the way Reddit was conceived and created, as well as the impact it has had on the internet, and 21st Century America. Now one of the largest websites in the world, with one of the most popular online communities, Reddit is popular all over the world. So, let’s peel back some of the layers of the internet, and look at just how the Reddit phenomenon was started.
Founding
Reddit was founded by friends and university students Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian. They came up with the idea as graduates and expanded their team by bringing others on board, as well as merging with company Infogami in early 2006. And in late October of the same year, Conde Nast acquired the company, which relocated to San Francisco. The company continued to grow in size and stature, and premium membership program Reddit Gold was introduced. In July of this year, following a round of investment, the company reached a value of over $1.8 billion.
Content
One of the things that has made Reddit so popular is the fact that it is a discussion platform. While it isn’t meant as a bastion of free speech, it does allow people to explore and exercise free speech, to a certain extent. Reddit accounts are free to sign up to and do not require an email address. Text posts, links, and comments help users to accrue points, which elevate their account further. It is a site that allows honest and open discussion to happen, which often means that the discussions can get controversial. There have been several controversies surrounding Reddit in the past, and the company has taken steps to clamp down more on controversial and potentially problematic content.
Future direction
The company has evolved and changed a lot over its 12-year existence and ranks in the Top 10 most visited websites in the world. There have been big changes at Reddit over the years, and they have all played a part in shaping the future direction of the company. For example, Reddit announced in February 2013, that it would be accepting Bitcoin payments, becoming one of the first companies to accept the digital currency. In 2016, the website launched a new blocking tool which is designed to cut down on things like cyberbullying, and ensure their members could chat without having to face abuse.
One of the most popular sites in the world, Reddit is definitely responsible for changing the way people discuss and share things online. There are so many different benefits to Reddit, and it has become one of the most important websites in the world. The history of Reddit is an important one and has had a huge bearing on the social news side of the internet.
