Online behaviour is not just a product of personality or ideology, it is shaped by architecture. Moderation models, identity persistence, interface design, and algorithmic incentives all influence how people speak, organize, radicalize, or remain silent.
We have analyzed the users on Reddit, 4chan, and Discord to show how the platform architectures produce radically different behavioural ecosystems.
Reddit: consensus and reputation
Platform features:
- Persistent pseudonyms
- Karma and reputation systems
- Topic-segmented communities (subreddits)
- Visible moderation and rule enforcement
- Algorithmic content promotion
Reddit users tend to self-censor to preserve karma and they frame opinions in ways that aligns with subreddit norms. Under the same logic, disagreements tend to escalate through passive-aggressive discourse rather than open hostility.
Knowledge and expertise perform better with the algorithms, therefore newcomers lurk extensively before they start participating.
Typical users are:
- The Lurker-Researcher: reads for months, posts once
- The Karma Farmer: optimizes posts for visibility
- The Subreddit Purist: enforces local norms aggressively
- The Armchair Expert: authoritative tone, variable accuracy
Reddit functions as a norm-setting engine. Ideas gain legitimacy once they are heavily upvoted, regardless of accuracy. This makes Reddit a powerful narrative incubator rather than an origin point.
4chan: anonymity, schok, and ideology stress-testing
Platform features:
4chan users tend to engage in extreme irony and provocation. In their posts, they use slurs, shock imagery, and taboo humour as filters. They use exaggeration to test the ideological boundaries of other users and compete for attention via escalation. They often dismiss sincerity as a weakness.
Without identity persistence, users have nothing to lose. This encourages experimentation, cruelty, creativity, and unfiltered expression.
Typical users are:
- The Edgelord: pushes boundaries for reaction
- The Irony Maximalist: nothing is sincere, everything is layered
- The Lurker-Archivist: consumes without posting, screenshots threads
- The Ideological Seeder: introduces narratives to see what sticks
Discord: micro-communities and social bonding
Platform features:
- Persistent usernames and avatars
- Invite-based servers
- Role hierarchies and permissions
- Private or semi-private spaces
- Real-time chat and voice channels
Discord users form strong in-group identities that mirror offline social dynamics. In their micro-communities, they share personal information more freely, self-moderating through peer pressure. They also tend to engage in long-term relationship building.
Discord behaviour is relational rather than performative. Users speak differently depending on server size, leadership style, and social cohesion.
Typical users are:
- The Core Regular: always present, shapes culture
- The Mod-Guardian: enforces norms, resolves conflicts
- The Lurker-Listener: present but silent, especially in voice
- The Migrant: joins after deplatforming elsewhere
Discord is where ideas stabilize. Narratives introduced elsewhere are discussed, refined, operationalized, and sometimes coordinated into real-world action. It is central to fandoms, activist groups, and extremist cells alike.
Cross-platform migration patterns
Ideas and users rarely stay in one place. Users migrate through different social media platforms to find their crowd. A common migration flow evolves as follows:
- 4chan – Idea creation and stress-testing
- Reddit – Normalization and refinement
- Twitter/X – Amplification and conflict
- Discord/Telegram – Community consolidation and coordination
Architecture is ideology
Platforms are not neutral containers. They produce behaviour. Reddit rewards conformity and reputation. 4chan rewards provocation and extremity. Discord rewards loyalty and cohesion.
To understand online cultures, influence operations, or digital harm, the key question is not what people say, but where they are saying it.