Avrahami - The Internet's Best Experiment Yet | PyData Global 2023

r/place was a large-scale social experiment on Reddit where users could place colored pixels on a shared canvas, with enforced time delays between placements

Over 10 million users participated across multiple experiments (2017, 2022, 2023), with the 2022 version being the largest featuring 160 million tile placements

Communities with stricter moderation were generally more successful at maintaining their artwork on the canvas, contrary to expectations that less restricted communities would perform better

Success factors for communities included:

• Strategic coordination between members
• Clear communication and instructions
• Appropriate community size relative to artwork complexity
• Location selection on canvas
• Ability to form alliances with other communities

The experiment demonstrated that online communities can:

• Self-organize effectively at large scales
• Form complex diplomatic relationships (alliances, treaties)
• Maintain territorial boundaries
• Coordinate complex artistic endeavors

Data analysis revealed that smaller communities with focused objectives often achieved higher success rates than larger communities attempting complex artwork

The researchers developed predictive models to forecast community participation and success rates based on various metrics like community size, moderation level, and artwork complexity

An “Atlas” project documented the location and attribution of artwork across the canvas, enabling detailed research into community behaviors and interactions

The experiment served as a microcosm of real-life social dynamics, showing how online communities mirror actual social structures and behaviors

Each iteration brought changes in canvas size, color options, and participation rules, affecting community strategies and outcomes