This term designates a specific type of online community forum, often characterized by its focus on user-generated content and a system of voting or ranking to highlight the most popular or relevant submissions. As an example, one might describe a platform where users share news articles and engage in discussions, with the most upvoted stories appearing at the top of the page.
Such platforms can foster the dissemination of information, promote diverse perspectives, and enable the formation of niche communities around shared interests. Historically, these online spaces evolved from early bulletin board systems and Usenet groups, gradually incorporating more sophisticated features for content moderation and community management. The value lies in its capacity to aggregate content from a wide range of sources, democratizing the flow of information and empowering users to influence the visibility of different viewpoints.