14 upvotes, 2 direct replies (showing 2)
View submission: Reddit and Karma Explained
Reddit is its own corner of the Internet, but it is still very much part of the Internet, and you should exercise caution when sharing personal information. Reddit is open to anyone to read; you don’t have to join or be a member to see the vast majority of things posted here and unlike some social media, stuff on Reddit is easily searched through Google and other search engines.
Reddit is as anonymous as you want it to be. However, for someone determined to track you down, it’s still possible to piece together the small things you might leak out over time.
Let’s say, for instance, you might have posted and commented a few times in different subreddits some advice or information that implies you have knowledge about an educational curriculum. You might post some comments about your local sports team. Perhaps you like to talk about a niche hobby you're into. You make several comments about craft beer. You post about your dream car and the grudging love for your current clunker. You’ve posted pics of your dog or asked for identification of that weed in your garden.
If you're posting to a subreddit that relates to your school, college or workplace (maybe even an unofficial subreddit set up by other students or employees of said workplace/company), be careful what you say. Some people can deduce based upon information posted who you are and where specifically you study or work. Not only that, but it’s almost inevitable that your impromptu one-time “off my chest” rant might well find its way into the hands of the very people you don’t want it to be, with undesirable consequences. Some people use “Alt” or "throwaway" accounts for using in those subs, which might be worth your consideration as they cannot be linked to your ‘main’ Reddit account even if you set it up with the same email.
To “Dox” is to spread out personal information on somebody. This might not only comprise their identity or their address, but other potentially sensitive information such as their work, school, or relationships. Most often, though, it's somebody's location. Arguably the biggest threat when it comes to doxxing is the information somebody posts online themselves: their full name, occupation, school, pictures of themselves and loved ones, and pictures of themselves at or near specific locations. This is made easier with platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where people share stuff about themselves liberally but don't bother too much to secure this info.
LinkedIn has been used to dox people on Reddit in the past. To be safe, do not view Reddit and LinkedIn simultaneously, and make sure your Reddit account has a separate email account and provider to your LinkedIn account, with a different password.
Don’t upload or share anything to any digital media you wouldn’t want your family, friends, peers, workmates or employers seeing, no matter how innocent (or otherwise). Once you upload something anywhere and it gets on the Internet you lose all control of it, especially if someone else screenshots or shares it. Reddit is no exception as it isn’t just open for anyone to view, it’s also very “Googleable”. Getting an image shared worldwide is easy; getting it removed is virtually impossible. It’s also incredibly easy to use a reverse image search to find that selfie or other photo you posted to Reddit that’s also on your Instagram or Facebook account. Combine that with what I say above and you’ve inadvertently given away far more information about yourself than you ever wanted to share on Reddit. Compartmentalising your internet activity is a very good idea in this day and age.
Reddit is intended to be an anonymous site, overall, but people post photos of themselves and their lives on here all the time. It’s more up to your preference about your own privacy and if you’re happy having your photos on Reddit forever. People can use things against you such as selfies, if they intend to insult you during an argument or sometimes users will save photos and post them to subreddits for negative reasons and photos can also be used to find other social media accounts or personal information about you that’s online. These are all things you should be wary of while having yourself on your profile.
If someone is harassing you or someone else, reporting the specific post, comment, chat or private message to Reddit is the best way to let us know. Reddit has clear guidelines[1] on what to do in these situations, as does our[2] sister sub r/LearnToReddit.
2: https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnToReddit/comments/qyxjyk/how_to_report/
3: https://www.reddit.com/r/NewToReddit/comments/p8t966/comment/jvpynle/
Comment by llamageddon01 at 11/08/2023 at 12:16 UTC*
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Reddit is unfortunately plagued with spam accounts whose sole purpose is to part you from your hard-earned cash. A good general rule to follow in life is “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”, and it’s far better to lose an opportunity than lose your credit card details. Here’s a few to watch out for:
Never click links from Posts, Comments or Direct Messages that ask you to download something, log into something or share your details, even if you think they might be genuine. There have in the past been phishing schemes on Reddit where scam hyperlinks were posted in some comments. Clicking on the hyperlink would bring up the Reddit login page where you were told to log in again. However, the page was actually fake and instead collected information from the users who tried to log in so that the phisher could go into the user’s account and lock them out by changing the password. This allowed them to use the genuine user’s accounts to spam NSFW posts, and the genuine users lost their accounts completely. If you’re asked to log into anything from a link whether it be Reddit or a website you want to visit, don’t do it. Leave the post and go to the app or site directly instead.
Be mindful of Direct Messages (DMs) and Direct Chat requests from someone with an unfamiliar username. It isn’t uncommon to receive porn-based spam[1] via our private messaging system where someone will promise chat or sample pictures for “free” which end up being anything but. Ignore them, no matter how tempting the offer might seem. Some platforms now show the recent Subreddit activity of the requester, and if not, clicking their username will show their posting history. This should give you a idea of whether they're acting in good faith or not. You do not have to respond to any request. The Chat has a “Refuse” button and the requester will not know if you choose that option.
1: https://www.reddit.com/r/pornscam/comments/i27umq/scammers_pming_me_trying_to_scam_me/
Again, as you read in Part 3 of this guide, be very wary of any posts displaying t-shirts, posters, prints, mugs, incense holders, stickers - basically anything saying “look at my cool stuff” or similar - and **never ever** ask where you can get one. These will be unofficial merchandising bot accounts and it is highly likely that the vast majority (if not all) links will eventually lead you to dodgy phishing, dropship or credit-card scam sites.
These types of posts are prevalent on fandom subs, and one dedicated to the “How To Train Your Dragon” universe issues a warning entitled **Why you should not buy T-shirts/hoodies/mugs linked in comments.**[2] Don’t be tempted by buying or even commenting on anything merch-related you see because you run the very real risk of being scammed, and if you reply to such posts, some subreddits will instantly permaban you as an accomplice of the shill even if you aren’t. If you really REALLY want that thingy, you should try to find a reputable dealer elsewhere. Or Amazon.
2: https://www.reddit.com/r/httyd/comments/cl3el6/
Unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg. When you get the chance, it really will be worthwhile reading my expanded guide to Scams and Spam on Reddit[3] which also covers charity and crypto scams to watch out for.
Please read the official rules on using Reddit as a marketplace[4]. When considering a gift or transaction of goods or services not prohibited by this policy, keep in mind that Reddit is not intended to be used as a marketplace and takes no responsibility for any transactions individual users might decide to undertake in spite of this. Always remember: you are dealing with strangers on the internet[5] who may well not be who they say they are.
4: https://www.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043513471
5: https://i.redd.it/osmpkor1tphb1.jpg
For further reading on scams, see the following links:
“If you want this t-shirt, say yes in the Comments”
6: https://www.reddit.com/r/NewToReddit/comments/p8t966/comment/jvpyu3v/
Comment by llamageddon01 at 11/08/2023 at 12:18 UTC*
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
When you or someone else is in the middle of something painful, it may feel like you don’t have a lot of options. There are various support communities across Reddit that have been created to provide safe spaces for people who want to connect with others who have been through or may be going through the same thing as you.
At r/NewToReddit, we get frequent requests for particular categories of subreddits, and I thought I’d share these lists with you too, in case you see someone who might benefit from them:
Relationship and Advice Subreddits
1: https://www.reddit.com/r/CasualConversation/wiki/support
2: https://www.reddit.com/r/CasualConversation/wiki/directory
Sometimes you might see a post or comment that you feel needs some serious intervention. When you access a user’s profile there is an option called 'get them help and support'. Selecting this means that Reddit sends them an anonymous automated message with some suicide helpline phone numbers and links. Please do not abuse this resource.
