15 upvotes, 2 direct replies (showing 2)
View submission: Reddit and Karma Explained
As you will recall, each Subreddit has its own rules and requirements, and you read earlier about how to find them all[1]. Always read the rules of an unfamiliar sub carefully *before* actively participating in it. If your comment breaches their rules in some way, it will be removed and you might even get a ban from the sub right from the start.
1: https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnToReddit/comments/pjsazs/finding_a_subreddits_rules/
When entering a new sub, browse for a few minutes to get a general feel of the place. Do you see many comments with emojis? Do they use txt spk or casual profanity? If not, don’t be the one to start as that won’t end well.
Look out for restrictions. Some subreddits have lists of banned words (some for fun like r/AVoid5 - a community that can post anything as long as it doesn’t contain the letter E, but others for more serious reasons) and some subs, like r/OutOfTheLoop require posts AND top-level (parent)[2] comments to follow a particular format. Some may require you to be “approved” before you can participate; again, some for fun like r/FruitRevolution (who require you to have a fruit-based username), and others for more serious reasons. All these restrictions and their permissions will be for a reason unique to that sub and will be detailed in the subreddit rules.
2: https://i.redd.it/xi4m0dvwd9fb1.jpg
Sometime during your working life you will be asked to provide a C.V.: a summary of your life skills and habits, carefully crafted by you to show perfect strangers that you’re the best person for the position they’re offering. But many employers spend just a few seconds scanning each C.V. before sticking it in the 'Yes' or 'No' pile, and a whole rainforest of books have been written over the years on how to make your C.V. stand out from the rest.
It’s a similar situation here on Reddit. If a mod wants to know who a user in their sub is, the first thing they do is look at the user’s profile. It doesn’t take long to assess from the variety of subs, types of posts and content of comments whether that user is going to be a good and thoughtful contributor to their sub or not. You are judged in seconds, not minutes.
Whichever subs you choose to participate in, comment with thoughtfulness on a few posts or other comments and your karma will build up gradually. Asking relevant questions or just being affirming with good, interesting, useful or witty comments will attract the upvotes. Where applicable, make a pun or a pop-culture reference. Reddit loves puns and pop-culture references. If you are really stuck on ‘small-talk’ stuff to say, this guide on Lost for Words[3] might be useful, and my Mod Post on Big Talk about Small Talk[4] will give some insight on why it’s ‘valuable currency’ on Reddit.
3: https://www.reddit.com/r/EncyclopaediaOfReddit/comments/110mxfa/lost_for_words/
4: https://www.reddit.com/r/NewToReddit/comments/ovodna/sunday_funday/
There are some holes in the Redditing Road waiting for you right from the very start. There’s more details as to why I say all this, but you won’t go far wrong following this pared-down advice that you have previously read about, and a short note on one we haven’t yet covered.
Some subreddits have deliberately set a low character limit. r/AmItheAsshole state in their rules about tl:dr (Too Long; Didn’t Read) that there’s a 3000 character limit to post[5] there.
5: https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq/
In general across Reddit, there’s a 6,800 (or thereabouts) character limit on each comment. It used to be 10,000 but has apparently been reduced somewhat. To give you an idea how long this is, this comment is 6,762. A bug report[6] suggests this is variable and it might well be. Because I myself can’t seem to post or edit any comments longer than 6,800, that’s what I recommend. Don’t forget that invisible markdown commands, punctuation and spaces also count as characters.
6: https://www.reddit.com/r/bugs/comments/u8oydh/cant_post_comments_with_character_count_higher/
When I know my comment is going to be long and involved, I compose it in a notes app then use this useful free tool to check the length: https://www.charactercountonline.com[7] before replying in Reddit (just in case the app crashes or updates in the meantime).
7: https://www.charactercountonline.com
Right. That’s enough warnings for now, let’s get onto the good stuff!
On opening a Post to read it, at the very bottom of the screen (mobile) will be a reply bar “Add a comment”[8]. On desktop (or mobile browser), this will be a box directly below the post “What are your thoughts?”[9].
8: https://i.redd.it/aflunndmqvfb1.jpg
9: https://i.redd.it/7sa0cd2ksvfb1.jpg
Commenting in this will reply directly to the OP (the person who submitted the post) and they will be notified that someone replied to them. This Parent Comment seen here on mobile[10] and here on desktop or browser[11] can be replied to by OP or other Redditors and you will be notified when someone replies to you.
10: https://i.redd.it/dqe6icyxh4gb1.jpg
11: https://i.redd.it/d2m0sxofi4gb1.jpg
To reply to one of the existing comments on a post is slightly different. Directly underneath the comment will be a “Reply” arrow (mobile) or speech bubble (desktop) icon which will bring up a dialogue box. This will reply directly to the person who made the comment and they will be notified that someone replied to them. The post OP will not be notified of these Child Comments seen here on mobile[12] and here on desktop or browser[13].
12: https://i.redd.it/avrgo1zuj4gb1.png
13: https://i.redd.it/nwo4tcd6k4gb1.jpg
You can even post images or reaction gifs in a comment in many subreddits, but not all. However, in these, you can post links to outside sources or other Reddit posts. More on this later!
14: https://www.reddit.com/r/NewToReddit/comments/p8t966/comment/h9srtpt/
Comment by llamageddon01 at 21/08/2021 at 15:35 UTC*
13 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Before we start, here’s One Simple Trick for you. I frequently see reports here of people getting large amounts of upvotes by doing this and there’s no reason why you can’t join those ranks:
1: https://i.redd.it/hi4w88migjq81.jpg
Subreddits use karma requirements to prevent spam, ban evasion, and trolls. The subs listed below have kindly decided not to do that, which enables new users like yourself to participate more freely. **Please treat them fairly in return.** Don’t forget: always upvote anything you agree with, find useful, respond to or just like.
So, let’s now go on a field trip and get you that wide comment experience to fill up your Reddit C.V.!
What I would like you to do is say hello and “ping” me there, and tell me a particular thing in a certain way following my instructions. To ping another Redditor, type out their username with u/ as a prefix, so to ping me, you need to type u/llamageddon01. You will see the text changes colour and becomes a live link to my profile, as well as alerting me to your response. For that reason, it’s important to check the spelling of a username first!
2: https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnToReddit/comments/15ixh80/hello_new_redditors/
Sort by ‘New’ or ‘Rising’[3] and find a post from today that you think you can make a meaningful or witty comment to. You might be surprised at how much stuff in that sub is easy to talk about. Your own similar or relevant experiences in the little things of life will be very welcome here.
3: https://i.redd.it/hi4w88migjq81.jpg
Be aware that sorting by New here may bring up some... interesting... posts before Automod deletes them, so ‘Rising’ might be a better sort for now. One thing about this sub that’s a little different to most is that post and comment scores are not visible for a certain period of time to avoid ‘bandwagon’ effects. But just because you can’t see them yet doesn’t mean they’re not being voted on. Puns and pop-culture references are especially welcome here where appropriate.
Again, using sort by new, find a post from today and reply to either the OP in a parent comment or someone else in a child comment. This sub might seem meaningless but let me assure you that IT ISN’T. People here are looking for a little of that “human touch” to their lives. Remember, no matter how small the kindness is, it has the potential to make a big difference in someone else's life. You don’t have to be false, or ‘sickly sweet’ but don’t be mean either. Honesty is welcomed here so long as it isn’t unnecessarily brutal.
Please note that some of these subs may still filter your content for review - this means that your content might not appear on the sub straight away and will look as if it is removed. Please give the mods time to review your content, and if it fits the community it will be approved and appear in the sub's feed.
You have already learned how to use >!spoiler text!< and you might want to include **bold,** *italic,* or ~~strikethrough~~ text in your comments as well. “New Reddit” for desktop or mobile browser has a “Fancy Pants” (rich text format) Editor, where you can choose various options from icons below the text entry field, or for “Markdown Mode” there’s a useful list here[4] for reference. Again, you can use our “sister sub” r/LearnToReddit to either read more[5] or even join in one of our Monthly Markdown Challenges[6] to practice using this formatting. There’s also an incredibly useful tool at https://redditpreview.com[7] you could use.
4: https://www.reddit.com/wiki/markdown
5: https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnToReddit/comments/qgk0nt/how_to_format_posts_and_comments/
You now have several comments in your profile that show you frequent different types of subreddits. This proves to the observer that you’re a good ‘all-rounder’, can read and abide by the different rules of different subs, and aren’t a spambot, single-word-spammer, shill, troll, or just someone out to cause trouble.
You are now ready to comment on some of the other subs on our recommended list. You will find the link to this list in the next part of this guide.
Comment by llamageddon01 at 04/08/2023 at 17:08 UTC*
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
There are plenty of subs throughout Reddit where you’re able to comment - and even post - right away, especially for niche hobbies, some T.V. shows or other fandoms. However, because subreddits aren’t required to disclose their minimum Karma requirements, you’ll just have to use the ol’ trial-and-error method of finding them which can be frustrating.
So, to start you off on your Karma journey, we keep a list of some No-to-Low Karma Subreddits where new users can comment. You may even be able to post on some of them too, but we’ll look at that later. We call this the NUFS (New-User Friendly Subreddits) List.
The subs named on this list are there with permission and can message the mods of r/NewToReddit for removal at any time. They also reserve the right to change their karma minimums at any time, and should you find yourself restricted in that way on any of our NUFS, please send us a Modmail[1] to let us know.
1: https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/NewToReddit
We understand this is a valuable resource you might want to share elsewhere on Reddit. Please may we ask that you **only do this by posting the Wiki link below or the link to this page**. This is because we need to maintain control over the list so that we can edit it as needed. Each sub is only there with permission, and should a sub wish to be removed or changes its rules in the meantime, we need to be able to amend the list which we can’t if you’ve copied it into a post or comment. Also, this means that you’re sharing the most up-to-date version as more subs are added!
Please be mindful not to disclose specific details of community minimum account age or karma requirements of any subreddit, NUFS or otherwise. This is so we are not sharing any information that other mods don't wish us to share.
We keep this list on our Wiki, and mobile users might find it easier to navigate by posting the link into a browser.
2: https://www.reddit.com/r/NewToReddit/wiki/index/newusersubs
We also list these subs in a Custom Feed[3] which can be found here:
3: https://www.reddit.com/r/EncyclopaediaOfReddit/comments/110mnku/custom_feed/
4: https://www.reddit.com/user/solariahues/m/newuser_friendly_subs/
Should you wish to share this list anywhere else on Reddit, the link to this page is:
5: https://www.reddit.com/r/NewToReddit/comments/p8t966/reddit_and_karma_explained/h9srtpt/
Please treat these subreddits with respect; just because their karma requirement is low doesn’t mean the quality of their content should be too. Be sure to read and abide by their rules[6] as with all unfamiliar subs, and unless they say otherwise, no NSFW outside of their remit, no spam, no begging for karma or upvotes, and no repost Karma farming are allowed.
6: https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnToReddit/comments/pjsazs/finding_a_subreddits_rules/
Please be careful not to post or comment too frequently on these subs; we don’t want them to think you’re a spammer. As said previously, it might be that your content doesn’t appear on the sub right away. This does not necessarily mean it has been removed; some subreddits filter all new content for review. Where this happens, please give the mods time to review your content, and if it fits the community it will be approved and appear in the sub's feed.
We take a quick look at the communities on this list to make sure they are active, established, well modded, and are relatively newbie friendly at the time of addition, and we do check they're still active occasionally. However, we take no responsibility for their content, and neither is inclusion on this list an endorsement.
We try to make sure that the communities on this list are as inclusive, safe for everyone, and as welcoming to all as possible, and are communities on topics that are not too likely to be very controversial. This tends to preclude communities about religion or politics and polarising topics, and also adult and gore communities.
Our list serves the purpose of enabling new users to make genuinely thoughtful posts and comments in an environment where they can earn their badly needed initial karma. Communities where there is controversy can be hard to navigate, and jumping in unprepared or with easily lost low karma would only further restrict new redditors.
If you do engage with any sub around any potentially controversial topic, we suggest lurking and checking the rules to ascertain the culture of the community **before** engaging, and remember that these communities might be more likely to downvote. Downvotes, especially as a new redditor with low karma, may restrict which subs you can participate in even further, especially if you go into negative karma as noted in a previous part of this guide.
Don’t forget, asking relevant questions or just being affirming with good, interesting, useful or witty comments will attract the upvotes. Do all this without being controversial (there’s plenty of time for that once you’re established if that’s the way you want to roll) and you’ll get your karma sooner than you might think.
Now you’re an experienced commenter, let’s move onto the next part of this guide: Posting.
