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Reddit just passed Facebook as #3 most popular website in US

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Re: Reddit just passed Facebook as #3 most popular website in US

#401

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I also dislike reddit because it's hard to remember a name constantly. It's easier when there's a little profile picture next to the name. You go, "oh yeah, that guy. He's helpful." You remember those posters more often. To me, personally, I like Reddit because this kind of association is more difficult. I like reading a comment and not having any bias towards the user.

I think it depends on the hobby/forum. The parent mentioned automotive forums, and I would agree that I would much rather remember certain posters. The best written posts aren't always right, for some reason there's a large subset of people who will write an informative-sounding post containing incorrect information. If I'm asking what valve lash specs are or which pin # on a connector is the + EGR solenoid, then I d…

I can definitely see where credibility is of importance. You point to a great example. What is nice about Reddit is that you do have that option to remember names so that you can do exactly what you describe. Sometimes, subreddits will also take care of that with verified flairs, or alternatively, the user can go out of their way and use RES to make note of users they trust.

Re: Reddit just passed Facebook as #3 most popular website in US

#403
post #15

Reddit works because it’s anonymous, information-dense and relatively ad-free. Change any one of those three and the user base will abandon you. It’s been Reddit’s dilemma since the beginning: you can’t monetize a toxic user base that has total freedom. Sure you can try to drive away the toxic users, but it turns out that those toxic users are also pretty influential in non-toxic aspects. I’m still skeptical of Reddi…

As an immigrant with no family to rely on in the US, I always give credit to Reddit for helping me learn so many things from buying old/used car, applying to grad school, to looking for an apartment. Just like you said, its diverse user base means it has almost all the information one needs. I hope it never changes (although with the recent re-design, I'm afraid it might have unintended repercussions...)

I often use reddit as a search engine for answers with a "human touch" for lack of a better word. I once did this with del.icio.us back in the "social bookmarking" days. I'm curious if this is a big use case for Reddit users do this too?

Maybe not based on the low quality of their search engine...

Re: Reddit just passed Facebook as #3 most popular website in US

#404

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That doesn't say whether they are using an app on mobile or just a mobile browser. The app is (was? I haven't used it in ages) a notorious energy-hog that will drain your battery.

Unfortunately I can't find numbers that break down mobile site vs. native app use. Judging by how poorly maintained and how rarely updated the mobile site is, I think it's safe to assume that the vast majority of people are using the native apps, not the mobile site. Major features like the marketplace and video tabs are nowhere to be seen on the mobile site, for example. If the mobile sites were getting the bulk of…

I don't think that's safe to assume at all. A lot of phone users (think mostly older people) still don't really know what an app store is. I don't have any numbers, but from seeing how 'ordinary' people use their phones, I wouldn't make any assumptions about preferring apps.

As for facebook's priorities - they could surely also be neglecting the mobile site with the aim of getting people to install and use their app. Again, I don't know if this is the case, but it's certainly plausible.

Re: Reddit just passed Facebook as #3 most popular website in US

#405
post #94

The biggest value gain from Reddit, to me, is the ability to centralize effectively around different hobbies and activities. In the past, if you wanted to find an online community for a movie or a game, you had to find a forum for that community. Finding forums that are well managed and capture a good segment of the community is hard -- and Reddit just becomes a default place to look now. Let's say a new TV show star…

I also appreciate the open nature of Reddit. No account is required if you just want to read, and you don't need to be first "approved" to most subreddits to be able to contribute. No "real-name" policies that often do more harm than good either. While Facebook by default erects walls around content, Reddit by default promotes the free sharing and equal access to information, which resonates much more with the origin…

Pseudonymity makes this possible. Users don't post selfies on Reddit, nor their names, nor do they friend people (though you can follow users). On FB users fear for their privacy, and users fear moralizers.

Re: Reddit just passed Facebook as #3 most popular website in US

#406

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If my understanding is correct, subreddits that host NSFW material (or at least, a substantial amount of it) get tagged and age gated. I imagine it's pretty easy to let advertisers opt out of those areas.

Well 4chan has safe for work boards as well but has a lot of trouble attracting advertisers even to those.

All blue boards mean is no actual porn or like, gore. You can post people in the underwear or other racy imagery that is not actually safe for work.

Re: Reddit just passed Facebook as #3 most popular website in US

#407

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also appreciate the open nature of Reddit. No account is required if you just want to read, and you don't need to be first "approved" to most subreddits to be able to contribute. No "real-name" policies that often do more harm than good either. While Facebook by default erects walls around content, Reddit by default promotes the free sharing and equal access to information, which resonates much more with the origin…

Pseudonymity makes this possible. Users don't post selfies on Reddit, nor their names, nor do they friend people (though you can follow users). On FB users fear for their privacy, and users fear moralizers.

I wonder if Facebook happens to know people's Reddit ids through some nefarious data collection scheme.

Re: Reddit just passed Facebook as #3 most popular website in US

#408
post #324

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know the usage stats, but I think the app/website ratio is nowhere near the one of facebook. Some probable reasons for this (unbacked) claim: 1) Long sessions are more suitable on a laptop/desktop than on a smartphone (the average session time is ~15mn). 2) There is still a nerdy userbase (mostly early users) who prefer to use the website with all the features. 3) The app is relatively recent (April 2016 vs 2…

Nobody uses the official reddit apps. I've been using third party reddit apps (which are amazing) since 2010 (Galaxy S1).

[deleted]

Re: Reddit just passed Facebook as #3 most popular website in US

#409
post #15

Reddit works because it’s anonymous, information-dense and relatively ad-free. Change any one of those three and the user base will abandon you. It’s been Reddit’s dilemma since the beginning: you can’t monetize a toxic user base that has total freedom. Sure you can try to drive away the toxic users, but it turns out that those toxic users are also pretty influential in non-toxic aspects. I’m still skeptical of Reddi…

Possibly naive question: how does reddit make money, and how's it going for them? Ads, promoted content, reddit gold... Is that it?

I knew they were purchased by Conde Nast, then spun off at some point? Are they owned by VC now, or something?

Re: Reddit just passed Facebook as #3 most popular website in US

#410

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IMDB forums required signing up to even read threads, if memory serves. Every now and then I'd try to figure out where else I'd seen some actor, notice an interesting sounding topic at the bottom of the page, click on it, be told I had to register in order to read, and then get annoyed and leave. Note to companies: Don't do crap like this. Let people lurk. If they like the content then they'll create an account. Forc…

I think IMDB is a good example of why registration is a good thing: discussions on there were of very high quality and I learned a lot about a given movie by combing through them. You would have to have a subreddit for every movie out in order to come close to replicating that experience on Reddit, and it seems registration kept a lot of the riff-raff out.

There's a difference between requiring an account to lurk and requiring one to post messages
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