It is astounding! This question merits a deeper analysis but here are my thoughts: First, Reddit (up until the recent redesign) functions as a community servic

It is astounding! This question merits a deeper analysis but here are my thoughts: First, Reddit (up until the recent redesign) functions as a community service. Reddit’s unprofitable nature is akin to other public service websites like Wikipedia. If you design a system simply to cover the costs of hosting fees and maintenance to provide the public with a great service, it shouldn’t be surprising to have great reach without making money. There are probably many useful website ideas that would only work unless funded by the government or donations. Second, it provides a place for discussion, and its anonymous threaded, commenting system promotes a structured and unfiltered, often viscous view of reality that scares marketing departments.