Reddit has launched a new "trending subreddit" feature on its main page designed to drive more traffic to up-and-coming subreddits. It's also a handy way for people to discover new subreddits but make no mistake, it's a business move first and foremost.
Each day, Reddit will highlight five subreddits that have been automatically selected using a secret algorithmic formula based on increased traffic as of late. The site will only ever highlight safe for work subreddits (sorry, no new porn subreddits to explore) and those trying to game the system by getting a subreddit into the trending list won't have much luck.
That's because the formula for subreddit choosing is subject to change at any time and contains anti-cheating controls. Those that don't adhere to the natural selection process will be banned, Reddit said in a changelog on the matter.
In the event you moderate a subreddit and wish for it to remain a close-knit community, you can opt-out of ever being included in the trending section via the subreddit's configuration panel.
As many are well aware of, subreddits are one of the most important aspects of the site. The ability to find a group of like-minded people that share the same interest as you is no doubt appealing and hey, if you don't like a particular subreddit or feel it is run poorly, you can always create your own.
It's one of the reasons the site is so popular today and will likely be for years to come. As we saw with Digg, a large community can virtually disappear overnight but a community comprised of thousands of smaller groups will be much harder to kill.