12 Surprising Facts About Discord.com

Welcome to an exciting journey into the world of Discord.com, one of the most popular communication platforms in the world! Whether you're a gamer, a professional, or just someone looking for a place to connect with others, Discord has something for you. Here are 12 interesting facts about Discord.com that you might not have known: Discord was founded in 2015 by Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy. 1 Initially, it was designed as a platform for gamers to communicate with each other during gameplay, but it has since grown into a more general-purpose communication platform used by various communities. The original name for Discord was "Hammer & Chisel Inc." 2 The name was a reference to a quote from the ancient Greek poet Homer's epic poem, The Iliad: "Come, friend, you too must die. Why moan about it so? Even Patroclus died, a far, far better man than you. And look, you see how handsome and powerful I am? The son of a great man, the mother who bore me a deathless goddess. But even for me, I tell you, death and the strong force of fate are waiting. So why call me out? Zeus has done it all. From the beginning, destined to die here, far from my father and mother, in Troy. But since it is my fate, I will face it with a warrior's courage and boldness." The founders of Discord chose this name to reflect their commitment to creating great software, even in the face of daunting challenges. Eventually, they decided to rebrand the company and its flagship product as "Discord" to better reflect the platform's focus on communication and community-building. Discord was designed for gamers as a way to communicate while playing games together. 3 The founders of Discord, Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy, wanted to create a platform that would make it easier for gamers to communicate with each other in real time, no matter where they were in the world. They wanted to create a platform that would allow gamers to form communities, share information and strategies, and socialize with one another while playing their favorite games. Discord's voice and text chat features, as well as its ability to create servers and channels, have made it a popular platform for gaming communities to communicate and collaborate. However, Discord has also grown to be used by various other communities for communication and collaboration beyond gaming as well. The first version of Discord was released in May 2015. 4 The founders of Discord, Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy, worked on the platform for several months before releasing it to the public. They began by focusing on creating a high-quality voice chat feature that would work well for gamers, and then added text chat functionality as well. From the beginning, Discord was designed to be easy to use and customizable, with features such as servers and channels that allow users to create their own communities and communication channels. Since its release, Discord has undergone many changes and updates, and has become a popular platform for communication and community-building for various communities beyond gaming as well. Discord reported having over 19 million active servers on their platform. 5 It's important to note that this number can vary over time as new servers are created or inactive servers are deleted. Additionally, the number of active servers can also be influenced by various factors such as the popularity of the platform, the number of communities using Discord, and the specific needs and preferences of those communities. Nevertheless, Discord has become a popular platform for hosting online communities, and its server and channel features make it easy for users to create and manage their own communities within the platform. Discord has its own currency called "Discord Nitro,". 6 Discord Nitro is a subscription-based service offered by Discord that gives users access to additional features and perks on the platform. Nitro subscribers get access to features such as higher-quality screen sharing, custom emojis and stickers, a larger upload limit for files, and the ability to use animated avatars and server icons. Nitro subscribers also receive a badge on their profile to indicate their subscription status. Nitro can be purchased on a monthly or yearly basis and is available in two tiers: Nitro Classic and Nitro. Nitro Classic offers some of the basic perks and features, while Nitro includes all of the perks and features that Discord Nitro has to offer. Nitro can be purchased using real money, but Discord also offers the ability to earn Nitro through its "Nitro Boost" feature, which allows users to contribute to the growth and improvement of their favourite servers in exchange for Nitro perks. Discord has a large ecosystem of bots that users can add to their servers to perform various functions and automate tasks. 7 Bots can be created by third-party developers using Discord's API, and there are many pre-built bots available that can perform a wide range of functions. Some popular use cases for bots include moderation, music playback, and chat automation. For example, bots can be used to automatically ban users who violate server rules, play music in voice channels, or welcome new users to a server. There are also bots available that can perform more complex tasks, such as integrating with other applications and services, generating custom commands, and providing analytics and insights for server activity. The ability to add bots to servers is one of the key features of Discord, and has contributed to the platform's popularity among gamers and other online communities. Although Discord was initially designed for gamers, the platform has been used for many purposes beyond gaming. 8 As a flexible and customizable communication platform, Discord has been adopted by many communities and organizations for a wide range of purposes. For example, Discord has been used in the education sector to facilitate remote learning, with teachers using the platform to communicate with students, share resources, and hold virtual classes. Discord has also been used in the business world, with companies using it for team collaboration, project management, and customer support. Additionally, Discord has been used for mental health support groups, providing a safe and anonymous space for individuals to connect with others who share similar experiences and struggles. Other non-gaming communities that have used Discord include artists, musicians, writers, and fans of various TV shows, movies, and books. The versatility of Discord has contributed to its popularity and continued growth, with new use cases and communities emerging on the platform all the time. Discord has a user-friendly interface and is available on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. 9 This makes it easy for users to access Discord from their preferred devices and operating systems. Discord's interface is designed to be intuitive and customizable, with users able to personalize their experience by adjusting settings such as notifications, appearance, and hotkeys. Additionally, Discord's interface is designed to be lightweight and fast, allowing users to communicate with each other in real-time without experiencing lag or delays. The availability of Discord on multiple platforms has contributed to its popularity and wide adoption, as it makes it easy for users to stay connected with their communities no matter where they are or what device they are using. Discord has faced criticism for being used by extremist groups to organize and communicate. 10 Discord has been used by groups such as the alt-right, white nationalists, and neo-Nazis to coordinate their activities, recruit new members, and spread hate speech and extremist ideology. Discord has taken some measures to combat this problem, such as banning known hate groups and removing hate speech and other inappropriate content when it is reported. However, some critics argue that Discord has not done enough to prevent extremist groups from using its platform, and that its policies and enforcement practices are not transparent enough. Discord has also faced criticism for its moderation practices more broadly, with some users and communities accusing the platform of uneven enforcement of its rules and guidelines. Discord has acknowledged these concerns and has committed to improving its moderation practices and transparency over time. Discord has a dedicated team of moderators who monitor the platform for inappropriate content and behaviour. 11 The moderation team consists of both paid staff and volunteers, and they work around the clock to ensure that Discord remains a safe and welcoming environment for all users. Discord also provides users with tools to report inappropriate behavior or content, such as the ability to block or mute other users and channels, and to submit reports to the moderation team for review. However, some users and communities have criticized Discord's moderation practices, arguing that enforcement of the platform's rules and guidelines can be inconsistent or insufficient. Discord has acknowledged these concerns and has committed to improving its moderation practices over time, including through increased transparency and community engagement. Discord has become a popular platform for content creators to connect with their audiences and grow their communities. 12 Many content creators, including streamers, YouTubers, and podcasters, use Discord to create dedicated communities around their content, where they can interact with fans and provide exclusive content or behind-the-scenes access. Discord provides a range of tools and features that are well-suited to this use case, including voice and video chat, text channels, moderation tools, and custom roles and permissions. Additionally, Discord allows content creators to integrate their channels with other platforms, such as Twitch or YouTube, making it easy to cross-promote content and engage with audiences across multiple platforms. The ability to build dedicated communities around content has been a major driver of Discord's popularity, and the platform continues to innovate and expand its features to better serve the needs of content creators and their audiences. So there you have it, 12 interesting facts about Discord.com! Whether you're a seasoned Discord user or just getting started, there's no denying the impact this platform has had on the world of online communication.