On Wednesday, reddit added a new post format for keeping up with breaking news events, according to a blog post at the site. reddit live threads are meant for "real-time updates" that appear from posters automatically without needing a page refresh.

The format is a reaction to numerous heavily trafficked threads that have appeared surrounding news events in the last few years, including the Boston Marathon bombing and the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Many reddit posters collect in relevant subreddits to discuss current events as they unfold, but because of the threaded and nested format of the site's comments, it's difficult for new information to surface without a user having to start a new thread, ultimately fragmenting the conversation.

reddit live threads are still backed by a traditional reddit discussion thread, but the new threads have an alternative layout to arrange posts as they appear in reverse chronological order, like an ongoing liveblog. There is no curation and no way to surface relevant or correct information; all priority is given to what is new.

Even without the emphasis on new information, posts on reddit can get quickly overblown or misinterpreted, like when redditors "found" and skewered an innocent man for the Boston bombing. Live won't do anything to solve that problem, unless readers make an effort to circulate corrections as quickly as incorrect updates.