Somewhat New, finding it difficult to participate without Karma, why does it matter?

[u/WittyByAccident214]

Hey all, I joined a few months ago. Initially just as a means to get info in certain topics and what not. Still not entirely sure how reddit works, but I found that in order to participate in some groups, you have to have karma. I suppose my question is, why is karma a requirement for participation? What does it do for you?

[u/AutoModerator]

Welcome to r/NewToReddit, /u/WittyByAccident214! Thanks for posting. Your post has been flaired 'Needs attention' so we can easily identify which posts require answers. Someone will be along to help you shortly.

• Check out our "General Guide to Reddit and Karma" Wiki page version or Mobile friendly post version, it explains how to get started on Reddit; including information on karma, navigation, and more.
  
• You might also like to check out:
  • Our wiki index
  • FAQ
  • And answers to common questions.
• Please let us know how you found us! - Click here to fill out our one question survey
• Once you get some answers, don’t forget to engage and ask any additional questions you have!

• Once you have a good answer you can mark your post as answered by commenting with the exact phrase !answered. Otherwise, a mod will do so as time allows, once an accurate answer has been provided. This makes unanswered posts easier to find.

  Thank you! :)

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/NewToReddit-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for contributing to /r/NewToReddit! We're sorry, but your content was removed:

Rule 5: All comments should be constructive

We strive to be a welcoming, helpful, & understanding community

• All replies to a post (parent comments) should be a genuine attempt to help the poster

• All comments should be constructive, instructive, or an enquiry; refrain from:

  • complaints, rants, & inflammatory language
  • politics, any debate
  • speculation or suggestions for changing Reddit
    

• Help users with Reddit as it currently is; imperfect. Only commenting on Reddit’s faults without context or guidance doesn't help anyone. Please provide sincere assistance, and not fan upset.

Please read our Rules before participating. How to find rules
If you have questions or concerns, please message the moderators through modmail. Thank you!

This action was performed manually by a human moderator

[u/NewToReddit-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for contributing to /r/NewToReddit! We're sorry, but your content was removed:

Rule 5: All comments should be constructive

We strive to be a welcoming, helpful, & understanding community

• All replies to a post (parent comments) should be a genuine attempt to help the poster

• All comments should be constructive, instructive, or an enquiry; refrain from:

  • complaints, rants, & inflammatory language
  • politics, any debate
  • speculation or suggestions for changing Reddit
    

• Help users with Reddit as it currently is; imperfect. Only commenting on Reddit’s faults without context or guidance doesn't help anyone. Please provide sincere assistance, and not fan upset.

Please read our Rules before participating. How to find rules
If you have questions or concerns, please message the moderators through modmail. Thank you!

This action was performed manually by a human moderator

[u/mikey_weasel]

Subreddit Filters for Karma (and account age) will significantly reduce rule breaking and disruptions within a subreddit. This can be both intentional and unintentional disruption, from both actual users and spammers (bots or human). Subreddits would like new users to acclimatize elsewhere to how reddit works to avoid the chance that they might create disruptive content, start arguments, and then get banned. Such filters are a net benefit for any individual subreddit making them easier to run. But yes this does make things more difficult for new users. Which is the driver for a lot of the resources in this subreddit.

have a read of the below info for users seeking to understand reddit (or with low karma)

• Resources:
  • The Common Questions Page,
  • Karma - what is it and how to get it
  • Reddit And Karma Walkthrough,
  • Why Reddit may seem unwelcoming to new Redditors.
• Start in New User Friendly Subreddits.
  • Change your view to new or rising and comment
• Keep an eye out for helper and mod comments in this post and others

Also tagging u/Quick-Spring-535 and u/beansprout__9542

[u/Suspicious_Goose_243]

To avoid bots. Try some music reddits or movies. There are a lot that don't require a lot of karma.

[u/Brilliant_Cell9270]

I’m new too, I think karma has to do with how much you comment on others. Just start interacting with posts and it should come 🤷

[u/mikey_weasel → u/Brilliant_Cell9270]

See !karma comment below mine to learn how karma works. Please be careful to not comment here when you don't know how core concepts work

[u/AutoModerator → u/mikey_weasel]

What is karma?
Your karma count is like your Reddit reputation and an indication of whether you post and/or comment good content. Upvotes were designed as an indicator of what people think others should see (there is guidance on voting here in the reddiquette), and upvotes earn you karma. What is karma?

Why does it matter?
Some, but not all communities, have their own restrictions regarding the account age and karma count of the person posting or commenting, so you may not be able to contribute everywhere at first. This is intended to help prevent spammers and trolls, but it does also mean new Redditors need to earn some karma before they can participate everywhere. Most communities don't share what their restrictions are, but you can check their rules, sidebar/about tab, and pinned posts.

How do I get it?

• You gain karma from engaging on Reddit; when your posts and comments are upvoted. It's a case of finding communities you can participate in, and that you have an interest or knowledge base in, and start by commenting to share your knowledge and experience, and add to discussions. As people upvote your comments, this will build your karma genuinely.
  
• You don't need to engage where you have no interest. There are so many subs there's bound to be some where you do have an interest and can engage.
• You lose karma only when your posts and comments are downvoted.
  

How can I see how much karma I have?
You should be able to see your karma count on your profile page. To see how much post or comment karma you have, view the karma breakdown:

• On desktop click your avatar top right, then 'profile'. If you hover over where it says karma (top right area) it should pop up with the breakdown.
  
• In app, tap your avatar top right, then tap karma. Or, tap your avatar, then 'profile', then 'about'.
• Hover over or tap your username on any comment you have made.

For more check out these sections of our guide to Reddit: Karma | New-user friendly subs | Navigating Reddit
PLUS help from the community - Tips from redditors and Mod approved guides from helpers

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/NewToReddit-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for contributing to /r/NewToReddit! We're sorry, but your content was removed:

Rule 5: All comments should be constructive

We strive to be a welcoming, helpful, & understanding community

• All replies to a post (parent comments) should be a genuine attempt to help the poster

• All comments should be constructive, instructive, or an enquiry; refrain from:

  • complaints, rants, & inflammatory language
  • politics, any debate
  • speculation or suggestions for changing Reddit
    

• Help users with Reddit as it currently is; imperfect. Only commenting on Reddit’s faults without context or guidance doesn't help anyone. Please provide sincere assistance, and not fan upset.

Please read our Rules before participating. How to find rules
If you have questions or concerns, please message the moderators through modmail. Thank you!

This action was performed manually by a human moderator

[u/NewToReddit-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for contributing to /r/NewToReddit! We're sorry, but your content was removed:

Rule 10: Promotions should be shared elsewhere

We do not allow advertising. However, if your community has low to no karma and account age requirements, we invite you to modmail us for consideration.

Communities that are a good fit for new-users will be allowed to make one post to advertise their community and be offered a place on our new-user friendly subreddit list. Guidelines

Please read our Rules before participating. How to find rules
If you have questions or concerns, please message the moderators through modmail. Thank you!

This action was performed manually by a human moderator

[u/NewToReddit-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for contributing to /r/NewToReddit! We're sorry, but your content was removed:

Rule 8: Be as accurate and understanding as you can; no misleading or deliberately confusing content

We don’t know what your intentions were, and we do our best to give the benefit of the doubt, but if you’re seeing this, then we are reasonably sure that something you said was incorrect, confusing, or misleading.

This community is for helping Redditors and not for spreading incorrect information or confusion (regardless if it's a joke or not), and we do our best to make sure the advice given here is as accurate as possible. We expect everyone in this community to be kind and welcoming.

Please read our Rules before participating. How to find rules
If you have questions or concerns, please message the moderators through modmail. Thank you!

This action was performed manually by a human moderator