What are the best comments or threads you've ever seen on reddit?
May 5, 2012 11:56 AM Subscribe
What is the best comment or thread you've ever seen on reddit?
I was inspired by this comment in the recent reddit Meta that pointed to a fantastic answer in a thread that reddit was able to do a lot better than AskMe could if only because of the scale of the place.
I'm not looking for reddits or sub-reddits or advice as to find good things on reddit, just examples of the kind of things that would end up on our shiny new Best Of blog if they were on MetaFilter.
I was inspired by this comment in the recent reddit Meta that pointed to a fantastic answer in a thread that reddit was able to do a lot better than AskMe could if only because of the scale of the place.
I'm not looking for reddits or sub-reddits or advice as to find good things on reddit, just examples of the kind of things that would end up on our shiny new Best Of blog if they were on MetaFilter.
But... but... Reddit has a subreddit specifically for this!
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 12:25 PM on May 5, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 12:25 PM on May 5, 2012 [1 favorite]
Well, there's the comment that's on track to becoming a big-budget movie.
Apart from that, there's some good stuff among past Reddit Comment of the Year nominees. Here are a few examples.
posted by martinrebas at 12:31 PM on May 5, 2012 [2 favorites]
Apart from that, there's some good stuff among past Reddit Comment of the Year nominees. Here are a few examples.
posted by martinrebas at 12:31 PM on May 5, 2012 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: I EAT TAPAS: "But... but... Reddit has a subreddit specifically for this!"
So that link is actually a fantastic representation of why I'm asking Metafilter and not looking through reddit. This, HalfRetardHalfAmazin gives a dissertation on pleasing your woman (NSFW), is the third thing currently in that list and is pretty terrible.
Thanks for the fantastic recommendations so far.
posted by Blasdelb at 12:57 PM on May 5, 2012 [1 favorite]
So that link is actually a fantastic representation of why I'm asking Metafilter and not looking through reddit. This, HalfRetardHalfAmazin gives a dissertation on pleasing your woman (NSFW), is the third thing currently in that list and is pretty terrible.
Thanks for the fantastic recommendations so far.
posted by Blasdelb at 12:57 PM on May 5, 2012 [1 favorite]
So that link is actually a fantastic representation of why I'm asking Metafilter and not looking through reddit.
Well, absolutely you wouldn't want to look through reddit. Too many posts/commenters. I believe I EAT TAPAS gave you that link because even though everything there isn't the best, there is a large group of people continuously collating and collecting things that are great on reddit and putting them there. Not everything in /r/bestof may be great, but almost everything great is in /r/bestof. It can make your search much easier.
In any case, since you asked for the best we've seen, my personal favorite is Deradius explaining how he taught evolution to a classroom full of extremely religious students.
posted by InsanePenguin at 1:47 PM on May 5, 2012 [5 favorites]
Well, absolutely you wouldn't want to look through reddit. Too many posts/commenters. I believe I EAT TAPAS gave you that link because even though everything there isn't the best, there is a large group of people continuously collating and collecting things that are great on reddit and putting them there. Not everything in /r/bestof may be great, but almost everything great is in /r/bestof. It can make your search much easier.
In any case, since you asked for the best we've seen, my personal favorite is Deradius explaining how he taught evolution to a classroom full of extremely religious students.
posted by InsanePenguin at 1:47 PM on May 5, 2012 [5 favorites]
Best answer: I don't pay a whole lot of attention to Reddit, but a good friend of mine is very active in the community and hipped me to this thread.
It just might be the sentimentalist in me (I am of an age where I once wanted to be Molly Ringwald when I grew up), but I think it brought out the best of a community that has a tendency (as reported to me by the same friend who sent me the link above) to be kinda racist and misogynist.
posted by feistycakes at 4:20 PM on May 5, 2012 [2 favorites]
It just might be the sentimentalist in me (I am of an age where I once wanted to be Molly Ringwald when I grew up), but I think it brought out the best of a community that has a tendency (as reported to me by the same friend who sent me the link above) to be kinda racist and misogynist.
posted by feistycakes at 4:20 PM on May 5, 2012 [2 favorites]
There is also a sub-reddit devoted to great conversations: r/DepthHub
posted by the man of twists and turns at 4:36 PM on May 5, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by the man of twists and turns at 4:36 PM on May 5, 2012 [2 favorites]
I loved this thread about sending one modern piece of technology back in time to your 10 year old self.
posted by SisterHavana at 4:46 PM on May 5, 2012
posted by SisterHavana at 4:46 PM on May 5, 2012
So that link is actually a fantastic representation of why I'm asking Metafilter and not looking through reddit. This, HalfRetardHalfAmazin gives a dissertation on pleasing your woman (NSFW), is the third thing currently in that list and is pretty terrible.
That's because the links are from today. The 'links from' option defaults to 'today.' Set that to 'all time.'
posted by trueluk at 5:05 PM on May 5, 2012 [4 favorites]
That's because the links are from today. The 'links from' option defaults to 'today.' Set that to 'all time.'
posted by trueluk at 5:05 PM on May 5, 2012 [4 favorites]
Reddit is very rich: The best way to explore it is to look for the sub-reddit (/r/) that you have an interest in, and search the 'best of all time' feature on top of the page. The category has to be populated by a (at least) few thousands active participants to yield good content. For example, here are some random locations for great links, based on the OP's profile:
Science
nature
Animation
India
Art
posted by growabrain at 7:38 PM on May 5, 2012 [3 favorites]
Science
nature
Animation
India
Art
posted by growabrain at 7:38 PM on May 5, 2012 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I have frequently referred back to this comment on how to make a mouth-wateringly delicious meal out of a dirt cheap cut of pork. It really is just as good as he says!
posted by ErikaB at 8:02 PM on May 5, 2012 [14 favorites]
posted by ErikaB at 8:02 PM on May 5, 2012 [14 favorites]
Best answer: My comment was the inspiration for this thread, so I can add a few of my favourites (apologies if some have already been linked to):
"Today you, tomorrow me" - a nice story about a redditor's encounter with a group of Mexican immigrants, and paying it forward.
"My VX Module has at least a .43 delta!!! Guys, I think I can get the record here, any advice?" - just one example of the crazy random hilarity that can happen with a community of somewhat nerdy folks.
"My car isn't working and I need you to fix it immediately, this is an emergency" - an IT professional imagines what it would be like to be a mechanic.
"geraffes are so dumb" - I'm still not sure if this was intentionally written to be hilarious, or if the guy was just clueless...
Neil Degrasse Tyson's trilogy of "Ask Me Anything" interviews.
Ken Jenning's "Ask Me Anything" - who knew he had such a wicked sense of humour?
Explaining quantum mechanics to a 4-year-old.
I hope that at this point, you don't need anymore details to know that an entirely different control system is going to need to be developed to account for a random grape. - Why developing a robot to peel grapes is so hard.
"I'm bored. What should I balance on my face?
I actually grew up with my dad's family, because my dad has all sorts of emotional issues and he bailed before I was born - Flossdaily comments on incest...it's not a disturbing comment by any means, but I don't want to say much more...
"I made a sandwich whose street value was easily over 150 dollars" - a story about a delicious sandwich.
"What happens when you die Daddy?" - not a comment, but a poignant comic about life and death.
I will cherrypick a few from this thread about people's favourite posts:
10 years from now I am a scientist working at the Large Hadron Collider. - an "Ask Me Anything" from the future.
HELP reddit turned spanish and i cannot undo it! - even the admins get into this one.
A collection of creepy stories.
I like big butts and I cannot lie, but is there some evolutionary reason as to why? - If Sir Mix-A-Lot was an evolutionary biologist...
"When I was in a pub in on Long Island, I went to use the restrooms. When I was in the stall, I saw writing on the door that said: "follow the arrows". " - Flossdaily *again* with a wonderful serial story....
"I hope this isn't too late. I was busy sharpening your axe, and polishing your armour." - probably the most inspirational thing I've ever read. I still get chills when I read it...
There's also the annual best of comments (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
For just about any very general question in AskMe, there is probably a well answered thread in r/askreddit, whether it's personal advice, or someone just asking a silly question. Most of the best stories come from these questions.
Before I started actively using Metafilter, it was just another site that I checked only if I was linked there from another site, or if Google brought me here. I remember the day that I delved a little deeper and found some wonderful, funny, inspirational comments (though some were hidden under some less than savoury comments). I had time to kill that day, and the time-wasting that day was worth it.
It's a Sunday today, so I hope I've given some of you a chance to waste some time :)
posted by marcusesses at 8:59 AM on May 6, 2012 [16 favorites]
"Today you, tomorrow me" - a nice story about a redditor's encounter with a group of Mexican immigrants, and paying it forward.
"My VX Module has at least a .43 delta!!! Guys, I think I can get the record here, any advice?" - just one example of the crazy random hilarity that can happen with a community of somewhat nerdy folks.
"My car isn't working and I need you to fix it immediately, this is an emergency" - an IT professional imagines what it would be like to be a mechanic.
"geraffes are so dumb" - I'm still not sure if this was intentionally written to be hilarious, or if the guy was just clueless...
Neil Degrasse Tyson's trilogy of "Ask Me Anything" interviews.
Ken Jenning's "Ask Me Anything" - who knew he had such a wicked sense of humour?
Explaining quantum mechanics to a 4-year-old.
I hope that at this point, you don't need anymore details to know that an entirely different control system is going to need to be developed to account for a random grape. - Why developing a robot to peel grapes is so hard.
"I'm bored. What should I balance on my face?
I actually grew up with my dad's family, because my dad has all sorts of emotional issues and he bailed before I was born - Flossdaily comments on incest...it's not a disturbing comment by any means, but I don't want to say much more...
"I made a sandwich whose street value was easily over 150 dollars" - a story about a delicious sandwich.
"What happens when you die Daddy?" - not a comment, but a poignant comic about life and death.
I will cherrypick a few from this thread about people's favourite posts:
10 years from now I am a scientist working at the Large Hadron Collider. - an "Ask Me Anything" from the future.
HELP reddit turned spanish and i cannot undo it! - even the admins get into this one.
A collection of creepy stories.
I like big butts and I cannot lie, but is there some evolutionary reason as to why? - If Sir Mix-A-Lot was an evolutionary biologist...
"When I was in a pub in on Long Island, I went to use the restrooms. When I was in the stall, I saw writing on the door that said: "follow the arrows". " - Flossdaily *again* with a wonderful serial story....
"I hope this isn't too late. I was busy sharpening your axe, and polishing your armour." - probably the most inspirational thing I've ever read. I still get chills when I read it...
There's also the annual best of comments (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
For just about any very general question in AskMe, there is probably a well answered thread in r/askreddit, whether it's personal advice, or someone just asking a silly question. Most of the best stories come from these questions.
Before I started actively using Metafilter, it was just another site that I checked only if I was linked there from another site, or if Google brought me here. I remember the day that I delved a little deeper and found some wonderful, funny, inspirational comments (though some were hidden under some less than savoury comments). I had time to kill that day, and the time-wasting that day was worth it.
It's a Sunday today, so I hope I've given some of you a chance to waste some time :)
posted by marcusesses at 8:59 AM on May 6, 2012 [16 favorites]
...from mireille's first answer above to 'What if your profession's most interesting fact or secret?':
Casino Security
If you're ever in a casino, and see a chair tipped over against a wall, or covered in a garbage bag, don't sit in it. Odds are some has either shit, pissed, or thrown up on themselves. Why didn't they get up? The next slot spin is going to be a winner!
OH!
posted by growabrain at 9:33 AM on May 6, 2012
Casino Security
If you're ever in a casino, and see a chair tipped over against a wall, or covered in a garbage bag, don't sit in it. Odds are some has either shit, pissed, or thrown up on themselves. Why didn't they get up? The next slot spin is going to be a winner!
OH!
posted by growabrain at 9:33 AM on May 6, 2012
And one more: A pediatric neuropsychologist on how to raise smarter children.
posted by marcusesses at 9:40 AM on May 6, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by marcusesses at 9:40 AM on May 6, 2012 [3 favorites]
Here is something I just discovered: The best of VillagePorn (SFW)
posted by growabrain at 10:59 PM on May 9, 2012
posted by growabrain at 10:59 PM on May 9, 2012
More!
Destruction
Adrenaline
Macro
The whole SFW-Porn network has lots of Amazing photos
You don't need to click on any comments there, ever
posted by growabrain at 11:09 PM on May 9, 2012
Destruction
Adrenaline
Macro
The whole SFW-Porn network has lots of Amazing photos
You don't need to click on any comments there, ever
posted by growabrain at 11:09 PM on May 9, 2012
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I really enjoyed this thread about the most interesting insider secrets of various professions.
This comment about a dog's perception of a car ride is so simple and obvious, but I'd never thought of it before. My mom now calls her car the "adventure box".
posted by mireille at 12:22 PM on May 5, 2012 [5 favorites]