Online communities are, in essence, similar to those from the real world. These communities are the digital space for like-minded people to get together, socialize and share their thoughts with millions of other users. The known number of subreddits available on Reddit exceeds over a million.
Although the online communities in principle encourage dialogues, the growing restrictions on online communities seem to hinder the freedom of speech within them. The limitations and supervisions affect the flow of the community and naturally confine them to a homogenous outlook. Pioneering as always, Reddit has found a solution for this predicament in blockchain technology. Reddit would allow its users to own a slice of their communities based on something known as ‘community points.’ The points can be earned through performance and reputation inside the community.
The community points, in essence, are blockchain tokens allocated to the users based on their contribution to the community. Various activities like content creation and moderation would help the users to earn community points. With this idea of self-governance, Reddit not just reinstates freedom of speech but also adapts to a more efficient system for content moderation.
Although the practical outcome is yet to be seen, the following list brings a few of the speculated outcomes of decentralization of online communities on Reddit.
Community points indicate community ownership and reputation, but they may also be used for community governance, moderation, and unlocking premium services. They can also be utilized in bespoke tools that are not available on Reddit or other platforms.
Most significantly, Community Points are a versatile tool that each community may tailor to its specific requirements. Each community has its own set of Points, which it may personalize with its own name, distribution, symbol, rules, and applications.