That Frustrating Reddit Message: Why 10 Days and 100 Karma Matter (And How to Get There!)
You’re excited. You’ve found the perfect subreddit – maybe it’s a niche hobby group, a local community board, or a place to discuss your favorite show. You’ve got a question to ask, a meme to share, or an insightful comment ready to go. You hit “post” or “comment,” and then… bam. That dreaded message appears:
> “In order to post your account must be older than 10 days and have 100 positive karma.”
Frustration sets in. Why the roadblock? What even is “karma”? And how long must you wait? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. This is Reddit’s way of trying to keep its vast communities healthy and spam-free. Let’s break down exactly what this means, why it exists, and crucially, how you can navigate past this gatekeeper.
Why Reddit Plays Gatekeeper: The Logic Behind the Lock
Imagine a massive, bustling city park where anyone can set up a soapbox and start speaking. Sounds idealistic, right? But what happens when spammers, trolls, and bad actors show up, drowning out genuine conversation with scams, hate speech, or irrelevant junk? The park quickly becomes unusable. Reddit faces this challenge on a colossal scale, with millions of daily users across thousands of unique communities (subreddits).
The `10-day age + 100 karma` requirement (or variations set by individual subreddits, which often have stricter rules) acts as a simple but effective filter:
1. Combating Spam Bots: Automated spammers create accounts by the thousands. Requiring them to wait 10 days before posting significantly slows down their operations and increases the chance Reddit’s automated systems or moderators will catch and ban them before they can flood communities.
2. Discouraging Trolls & Bad Faith Actors: Trolls thrive on causing chaos and quickly moving on. A 10-day wait and needing to earn karma forces some level of investment. It’s a hurdle many casual troublemakers won’t bother with.
3. Ensuring Basic Community Understanding: Ten days isn’t long, but it gives new users a chance to lurk. By reading posts and rules (always read the subreddit rules!), newbies get a feel for a community’s culture, norms, and topics before jumping in. This helps maintain the subreddit’s unique vibe.
4. Verifying “Real” Users: Karma, earned when others upvote your posts or comments, acts as a rough indicator that you’re contributing something others find valuable. Reaching 100 positive karma suggests you’re likely a genuine user engaging reasonably well, not just a bot or someone out solely to cause problems.
5. Empowering Moderators: Subreddits are mostly run by volunteer moderators. These requirements drastically reduce the volume of low-quality or malicious content they have to manually remove, making their tough jobs slightly more manageable. It protects their communities.
Decoding the 10-Day Rule: Patience is a Reddit Virtue
This part is straightforward but non-negotiable. Your Reddit account must have been created, and then left untouched for posting in restricted subs, for at least 10 full days (240 hours). It’s a simple timer.
What to Do: Mark your account creation date on a calendar. Use this time productively! Lurk actively in the subreddits you want to join. Read their rules carefully (often found in the sidebar or “About” section). Observe the types of posts that succeed and the comments that get upvoted. This is invaluable research. You can also start participating in subreddits that don’t have these restrictions to begin building karma (more on that next).
Cracking the Karma Code: What It Is and How to Earn Your First 100
Karma is Reddit’s reputation system. Think of it loosely as a points system reflecting how much the community values your contributions.
How it Works:
When someone upvotes your post or comment, you gain a small amount of karma.
When someone downvotes your post or comment, you lose a small amount of karma.
The exact formula is secret, but it’s not 1:1 (e.g., 10 upvotes ≠ +10 karma). Reddit weights votes to prevent manipulation. Crucially, only positive karma counts towards this threshold – downvotes reduce your total.
Why “Positive” Karma Matters: The rule specifies positive karma. If you get heavily downvoted early on, your total karma could be low or even negative, even if you have some upvotes. Focus on constructive contributions.
How to Earn Your First 100 Karma (The Right Way):
1. Start Small & Relevant: Target smaller, niche subreddits related to your genuine interests (e.g., r/aww, r/mildlyinteresting, r/casualconversation, specific hobby subs like r/knitting or r/gardening). Smaller communities are often friendlier and less overwhelming.
2. Be a Great Commenter First: Often easier than posting! Find posts where you have genuine, insightful, or helpful things to add. Answer questions thoughtfully, share relevant experiences (without making it about you), or offer sincere compliments. Funny, on-point comments can also do well. Quality over quantity is key. One insightful comment can earn more karma than ten mediocre ones.
3. Post Wisely: If posting, ensure it truly fits the subreddit’s purpose. Share interesting questions, cool finds (checking they aren’t reposts!), or unique content. READ THE RULES FIRST – posting off-topic is a fast track to downvotes.
4. Be Positive and Respectful: Reddit generally rewards kindness and helpfulness. Avoid arguments, especially early on. Sarcasm can easily backfire if misunderstood.
5. Avoid Controversial Debates Early: Steer clear of highly polarizing topics (politics, religion, etc.) in large subs until you have a karma buffer. Downvotes can pile up quickly.
6. Utilize “Free Karma” Subs? Proceed with Caution: Subs like r/FreeKarma4You exist, but using them is often frowned upon. Many “real” subreddits can detect this, and it doesn’t teach you how to engage properly. Focus on genuine participation.
7. Consider r/NewToReddit: This sub is specifically for new users to ask questions and get advice in a supportive environment. Participating there can be a great way to learn and earn some initial karma safely.
The Combined Hurdle: Why Both Are Needed Together
The power lies in the combination. A spam bot might survive 10 days undetected, but earning 100 karma organically is very difficult for automation. A troll might manage to scrape together 100 karma through low-effort posts quickly, but being forced to wait 10 days cools their disruptive impulses. Requiring both creates a much stronger barrier against the most common threats while allowing genuine users a clear, though slightly delayed, path to full participation.
Beyond the Threshold: What Happens Next?
Once you pass both milestones – your account is >10 days old and you have >100 positive karma – the doors to that subreddit swing open! You should be able to post and comment freely (within that sub’s other rules, of course). Remember:
Karma Isn’t Static: Keep participating positively to maintain and grow it. Downvotes can still push your total down, though significant drops usually require sustained negative contributions.
Subreddit Rules Reign Supreme: Many popular or sensitive subreddits set much higher karma/age thresholds (e.g., 500 karma, 30 days, or even more). Always check a subreddit’s specific rules before trying to post.
Keep Learning: Reddit has a unique culture. Continue observing, respecting rules, and contributing value. This is your ticket to becoming a valued community member.
The Takeaway: It’s a Fence, Not a Wall
That “must be older than 10 days and have 100 positive karma” message feels like a rejection, but it’s really Reddit’s attempt at crowd control. It’s a fence designed to keep the worst elements out while giving genuine users a manageable path in. By understanding the why behind the rule and focusing on authentic, positive participation in welcoming communities, you’ll vault over that fence before you know it. Use your initial waiting period to learn, then start building karma through helpful contributions. Your voice will be heard soon enough! Happy Redditing!
Please indicate: Thinking In Educating » That Frustrating Reddit Message: Why 10 Days and 100 Karma Matter (And How to Get There