Reddit is giving people a new way to chat inside subreddits on its platform. It has announced a feature called Chat Channels which will act as a dedicated space inside a subreddit where users can connect with each other in real-time. Reddit already allows direct messages and has a feature called Live Chat, which people can use by creating a new post. However, a limitation here is that the conversations are only restricted to a particular post.
Reddit said it's taking a "mod-first approach" with Chat Channels by including various tools and options that will help moderators better manage their channels. The first prototype comes with features such as dedicated mod-only Chat Channels, in-line chat moderation of reported messages, controls to determine which members can join Chat Channels, and the ability to moderate from a specific chat queue to flag and remove content.
The company is currently running a small pilot program for Chat Channels where it's working with 25 volunteer subreddits, each having less than 100,000 members. After testing and collecting feedback, it will expand the program to more subreddits by picking names from a waitlist.
Reddit also shared the future roadmap for Chat Channels, which will allow mods to see a user's message history, pin important messages, edit their own messages, mention users, etc. Chat Channels will be available on Reddit's mobile apps first and will arrive on its website later as part of its updated web experience. You may find more details here.
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