@Reddit's** algorithm** is responsible for ranking content and determining placements within /rising and /hot. The 'time delay' component considers interactions, votes and comments, in the first twenty-five minutes of submission to be more significant than those arriving later. Data analysis shows that Reddit submissions with 25 points inside this window have a 22% higher likelihood of being upvoted, largely due to @Bandwagon Effect. Submission of content that sparks a binary response in those that see it helps to facilitate this effect. Furthermore, Reddit's algorithm has a time delay function whereby votes and comments that happen on a post within the first 25 minutes of the submissions lifecycle are weighted more heavily than those after. Growth engineers that wish to manipulate a post up or down can usually do so with as little as 2-5 votes or comments within the first 25 minutes.
References
- Reddit Is Working on an Entirely New Front Page Algorithm, motherboard.vice.com
- How Reddit Ranking Algorithms Work, medium.com
- @Submission Checklist (Reddit)