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Published on February 3rd, 2012 | by Kim LaCapria

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Reddit Co-Founder Ohanian Acknowledges Site is a Lefty-Libertarian Wet Dream





reddit alexis ohanian

After emerging as a significant force of political action on the web and off over the past year, Reddit has gotten a bit of a reputation for not only becoming quite powerful, but also for its relatively unique political makeup in- at least among American users- what is a becoming a very polarized nation.

Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian- who, we might add, is also frequently posted to the r/ladyboners subreddit- spoke to Forbes recently about the interesting political composition of Reddit. Many believe that as the 2012 election approaches, Reddit can wield significant influence over the coveted younger and web-savvy demographic- and Redditors are known for a bit of affection for controversial candidate Ron Paul. Ohanian explained to the site where he believes the genesis of Reddit’s caucus began, saying:

“Reddit has attracted a lefty, libertarian audience since the beginning… we got all of [Y-Combinator’s] Paul Graham’s early users which were basically geeks like us. They were the perfect early adopters. They were smart and really into technology… He wrote long form, tech-related stuff that attracted a certain kind of user who had the patience to read through many, many paragraphs on the Internet. So that fertilized the community with people with good ideas who upvoted good content.”

Ohanian continues:

“Maybe libertarians especially like Reddit because it is a perfect marketplace of content. Every Redditor is created equal, whether you’re the highest karma Redditor or a brand-new Redditor with 10 karma points. No submissions or votes are more equal than others.”

It will be interesting to see how Reddit’s influence pans out as the election draws closer, but it’s also worth pointing out that many ideas that started on Reddit- like the Stewart/Colbert rally and SOPA blackouts- have been, putting it way mildly, a resounding success. You can read the full (and fascinating) three-page interview with Ohanian over on the Forbes website.

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About the Author

Kim LaCapria is a writer and editor based in New York. A longtime information junkie, she began blogging full-time at the Inquisitr in 2009. Prior to that, she worked as a marketing assistant in the cosmetics and skincare industry. In addition to her writing for fortytwotimes, she also writes for Medacity and The Inquisitr. Kim is also a contributor for SocialNewsDaily, Indyposted, and TotallyMoney. In the past, she contributed to Lipstick and Luxury and managed social media accounts and blogs for several small and mid-sized businesses.



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