Crastinate

Reddit took a risky step today and opened up their algorithm of how they rank stories to the public. I’ve written before about how opening your site’s code to the public can be risky. The real threat with Reddit is people learning the nuances of the algorithm and then gaming the system to get their posts undeservedly to the front page.

Reddit, Digg, Google and any other site that ranks has kept their ranking algorithm a secret for a reason. The algorithm, in theory, is supposed to present an accurate representation of how the collective would rank the items displayed. This is all theory, however, and in practice, there are always ways to game the system. This is why Google constantly tweaks their algorithm (to the frustration of SEO companies everywhere).

This risk that Reddit is taking could lead to great things. We might see a group collaboration behind perfecting the algorithm. Or we might see a few sites getting a disproportionate amount of front page views. My guess is that we’ll see the latter before we see the former. Feel free to check out the code for yourself here. As Techcrunch points out, Digg is still the leader in this category.

Update: Techrunch has taken the code and made a Reddit copycat site. Let the copycats and gaming begin!

Ely Rosenstock