Ramblings of an old Doc

 

To complement Island Dog’s recent article “More Ways to Promote Your Skins”  I’m posting to help folks understand more about Reddit  with

a new, free manual available through makeuseof.com  which just came to me in email.

 

 

Reddit can be confusing (an understatement), but the guide is well written, short and explains the site’s organization well. Reddit is essentially a collection of links (so you’d be well served to have an extension like “Web of Trust” to sniff the links to be safe) posted by members which are posted to various SubReddits (more specific areas of interest), much like our forums.

Reddit is based on users voting on the usefulness/humor/entertainment value of posted links, moving them ‘up’ or ’down’ on the site in its various forums/sub-forums. The front page shifts constantly based on the instantaneous voting tabulation. According to users that allows one to sift through the morass of data/sites, etc. on the net more efficiently. While that may be helpful, it would tend to militate against ‘unpopular’ ideas/views and make them less accessible (just a quick observation, but tangential). Numbers don’t determine ‘value’.

Reddit has a plethora of places in it (the SubReddits) and you’ll have to shop around until you find the area which suits you best, according to the guide. here’s the Table of Content from the Guide to give you an idea of what’s covered:

In this, realize I’m a noob when it comes to all things Reddit. Therefore, I’m biased. It’s not very easy to get where you want to go. It’s not an easy site to use, and it’s search function is not helpful. I’d advise keeping the link in Island Dog’s article:

http://www.reddit.com/r/customization/

and one I found:

http://www.reddit.com/r/customization/comments/lgib1/welcome_to_our_wincustomize_readers/

 

Join and help expose folks to skinning!


Comments
on Nov 03, 2011

It's one of the simplest sites there is to use... if you understand the concept of subreddits (subforums) and you understand how the comment system works (nested, instead of the regular first-come-first-serve) you're all set.

on Nov 04, 2011

nested comment threads.  thats makes much more sense.  Thanks, worth checking out

on Nov 05, 2011

Trying to indoctrinate more more people into the Reddit Hive Mind DrJBHL?  I failed to find that chapter in the manual.

on Nov 05, 2011

Tell the author... or... download it and in the guide find:

You're welcome.

on Nov 06, 2011

Wow that's a very PR sanitized way to put it

and thank you, next time I'll actually use it.

on Nov 07, 2011

 

"hive mind"

....that'll be something like a gestalt ....a group of people so stupid they only become sentient when there's enough of them ....

on Nov 07, 2011

committee - 1 a body that keeps minutes and wastes hours 2 the unwilling, selected from the unfit, to do the unnecessary 3 individuals who can do nothing individually and sit to decide that nothing can be done together 4 12 individuals doing the work of one 5 a life form with six or more legs and no brain.

hive mind - An oxymoron.

on Nov 07, 2011

The ironic thing about the hive mind is that it is very fickle. For example, a while back a woman posted about her experiences of being raped. A lot of people offered advice or their sympathies. Then somebody did some background research and found out that she probably wasn't raped, just seeking attention. A lot of people then scorned her for what she was doing. Then, somebody else went through the background check again and posted convincing arguments of why it couldn't be seen as evidence that she was faking. And, of course, the hive mind turned in favour of her and against the original checker. This all happened within a few days. In the end, everybody agreed that you couldn't really know anything about what happened, but just in case she should have been treated with respect, and then that became the opinion of the hive mind.

I would say that the "hive mind" is a term to describe how an apparent majority holds an opinion, that is often repeated but not necessarily true. On Reddit, due to its up- and downvotes, such an opinion quickly becomes the only one visible. It is important to understand that the "hive mind" isn't really real, noone would say that they belong to it. And yet, it is possible to see it and measure it because of the up-/down-vote system.

on Nov 07, 2011

Heavenfall
It is important to understand that the "hive mind" isn't really real, no one would say that they belong to it. And yet, it is possible to see it and measure it because of the up-/down-vote system.

Ahhh... the Zen of Reddit.

"Plausible deniability" comes to mind (non-hive). Also, for some reason Sgt. Schultz's ("Hogan's Heroes"), "I know nothing. Nothing."

 

 

on Nov 07, 2011

Heavenfall
The ironic thing about the hive mind is that it is very fickle. For example, a while back a woman posted about her experiences of being raped. A lot of people offered advice or their sympathies. Then somebody did some background research and found out that she probably wasn't raped, just seeking attention. A lot of people then scorned her for what she was doing. Then, somebody else went through the background check again and posted convincing arguments of why it couldn't be seen as evidence that she was faking. And, of course, the hive mind turned in favour of her and against the original checker. This all happened within a few days. In the end, everybody agreed that you couldn't really know anything about what happened, but just in case she should have been treated with respect, and then that became the opinion of the hive mind.

Yep...my definition is about spot-on....