[twentysix]

The top ten subreddits(excluding NSFW ones), based on the number of subscribers, are chosen to be the default ones.

New accounts do not increase the default subscription count, until they subscribe or unsubscribe to any other subreddit.

You can find some good comments on the matter here http://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/1dtvwz/i_belie...

[prezjordan]

Also excluding any subreddits which specifically ask not to be included. I cannot remember specific cases of this, though.

[cli]

A while ago, r/askscience was briefly listed as a default subreddit, until the moderators (and probably users) asked for the subreddit to be delisted.

[arrrg]

Not really sure what that has to do with anything. That’s just a policy that can be changed.

But what do I care about the total shithole reddit.