Why Reddit Asks Your Account to Be Older Than 10 Days and Have 100 Positive Karma (And How to Get There!)
Ever tried jumping into a conversation on a new Reddit subreddit, eager to share your thoughts or ask a burning question, only to be met with an automated message? That frustrating notification: “In order to post your account must be older than 10 days and have 100 positive karma.” If you’re new to Reddit, this can feel like hitting a brick wall. You might wonder, “Why the gatekeeping?” and “How on earth do I get this magical ‘karma’?”
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. This common restriction isn’t meant to personally exclude you, but rather to protect the unique communities that make Reddit valuable. Let’s break down the “why” behind these rules and give you a practical roadmap to building your account up and joining the conversation.
The “Why”: Protecting Communities from Chaos
Imagine a bustling town square where anyone, including complete strangers with unknown intentions, can immediately stand on a soapbox and shout whatever they want. It could quickly descend into noise, spam, scams, and disruption. That’s essentially what Reddit subreddits aim to avoid with these account restrictions.
1. Combating Spam and Bots: Reddit is a massive target for automated accounts (bots) and human spammers. They flood communities with irrelevant links, advertisements, scams, and low-effort junk. Requiring an account to be older than 10 days instantly eliminates the effectiveness of disposable accounts created solely for a single spam attack. Bots and spammers prefer quick, anonymous hits; making them wait over a week significantly raises the cost and effort for them.
2. Filtering Low-Effort Trolls: Trolls thrive on creating chaos and disruption. Like spammers, they often rely on new, anonymous accounts to avoid consequences. The 10-day age requirement forces them to either wait (losing the impulse) or invest time before trolling, making it less appealing. The 100 positive karma requirement acts as a further filter. Troll accounts typically accumulate negative karma quickly because their posts get downvoted. Getting to 100 positive karma requires some level of genuine participation or contribution, which trolls usually aren’t interested in.
3. Encouraging Familiarity and Observation: The 10-day waiting period isn’t just about stopping bad actors; it’s also a gentle nudge for new users. It encourages you to spend time reading the subreddit rules, understanding the community culture, seeing what kind of posts are valued, and getting a feel for the discussion style before jumping in to post. This helps maintain the subreddit’s unique vibe and quality.
4. Ensuring Basic Community Understanding: Earning 100 positive karma generally means you’ve successfully navigated some basic Reddit interactions elsewhere. You’ve likely figured out how voting works, understood how to format a post or comment (at least minimally), and learned that contributing something others find useful or interesting is rewarded. This basic level of platform literacy helps keep discussions within a subreddit productive and on-topic.
Demystifying Karma: Your Reputation Score
Think of karma less like a strict currency and more like a rough indicator of your contributions’ perceived value to the community. Here’s the simple breakdown:
Upvotes (▲): When other users like your post or comment, they click the up arrow. Each upvote typically adds +1 to your karma (though the exact calculation Reddit uses is a bit more complex and private).
Downvotes (▼): If users find your post/comment irrelevant, off-topic, rude, or low-quality, they click the down arrow. This subtracts from your karma.
“Positive Karma”: This refers to your overall net karma score being positive. You don’t need exactly 100 karma from the specific subreddit (though some very strict ones might have that rule). Your total account karma (visible on your profile) needs to be at least 100 positive.
Your Roadmap to 10 Days and 100 Karma (The Right Way!)
So, you’ve got a fresh account. How do you navigate these requirements effectively and authentically? Forget about shortcuts – focus on genuine participation:
1. Lurk and Learn (Use the 10 Days Wisely!): This is crucial. Don’t just wait passively. Actively visit the subreddit(s) you’re interested in. Read the “Rules” and “About” sections thoroughly – every subreddit has them, often pinned to the top. Observe what posts get upvoted, what gets downvoted or removed, and how people interact. What questions are asked? What kind of humor is appreciated? This observation period is invaluable.
2. Start Small: Find Places to Comment: Many smaller or more general subreddits (like `r/AskReddit`, `r/movies`, `r/books`, `r/CasualConversation`, `r/NoStupidQuestions`, `r/aww`, or hobbies you enjoy `r/gardening`, `r/gaming`, etc.) don’t have the 10-day/100-karma rule, or have much lower barriers. This is where you start building your reputation.
Add Value: Don’t just say “This!” or “Cool.” Provide thoughtful insights, answer questions if you know the answer, share relevant personal experiences (without oversharing), or offer sincere compliments. Look for posts where you can genuinely contribute something helpful or interesting.
Be Respectful: Engage in discussions politely, even if you disagree. Follow the subreddit rules. Rudeness or aggression is a fast track to downvotes.
Ask Clarifying Questions: If you see an interesting post you don’t fully understand, asking a polite, clarifying question can spark good discussion and show you’re engaged.
3. Post Wisely in Beginner-Friendly Subs: Once you feel comfortable, consider making your own posts in these same beginner-friendly communities.
Share Interesting Content: Found a fascinating article relevant to the sub? Share it with a brief summary. Have a funny meme perfectly suited to the sub? Post it (check rules about memes first!).
Ask Engaging Questions: Pose questions that genuinely spark discussion. “What’s your favorite underrated movie of all time?” often works better than “Do you like movies?”.
Share Your Wins (Appropriately): Did your garden finally bloom? Did you finish a challenging craft project? Relevant subs love seeing this, especially with pictures!
4. Patience is Key: Don’t try to force it. Authentic engagement naturally builds karma over time. Spamming low-effort comments or posts across multiple subs will likely get you downvoted or even banned. Focus on a few communities where you have genuine interest. Quality over quantity always wins.
5. Avoid Karma Traps: Steer clear of:
Begging for Upvotes: Posts/comments like “Upvote this if…” or “I need karma please” are often against rules and widely disliked.
Reposting Popular Content: While sometimes acceptable, blatantly reposting something that’s already highly visible is frowned upon.
Karma Farming Subreddits: Some subs exist purely to exchange upvotes. This goes against the spirit of Reddit, can get your account banned, and doesn’t teach you how to genuinely participate in actual communities. Avoid them.
Why These Rules Matter for YOU (Eventually!)
While the restrictions might feel like a hurdle now, they ultimately benefit you as a long-term Reddit user. Once you’ve crossed the threshold:
You’ll join better discussions: The subs that use these rules often have higher quality content and more thoughtful interactions because spam and trolls are filtered out.
Your contributions are more likely to be seen: In busy communities, low-effort spam drowns out genuine posts. These rules help ensure your well-intentioned post gets attention.
You’ll understand the culture: Your observation period means you’ll be less likely to accidentally break rules or post something off-topic, leading to a better experience for you and others.
The Takeaway: It’s About Community Health
That “In order to post your account must be older than 10 days and have 100 positive karma” message is really Reddit’s way of saying, “Let’s make sure everyone here is invested in keeping this place great.” It’s a protective measure born from years of battling online noise. Use your first 10 days to learn the ropes, start contributing thoughtfully in welcoming spaces, and build your karma authentically by adding value. Before you know it, you’ll be past the barrier, ready to dive into the communities you’re passionate about, contributing to the vibrant discussions that make Reddit unique. Happy Redditing!
Please indicate: Thinking In Educating » Why Reddit Asks Your Account to Be Older Than 10 Days and Have 100 Positive Karma (And How to Get There