Tutorial: How to Make a Word Cloud from a Subreddit

 

Overview

Example

Here is a word cloud created from /r/videography.

Use reddit-analysis to analyze your subreddit

Requirements

I initially tried creating the word cloud in Mac, but I was running into Java problems. Then, I tried in Ubuntu Linux and ran into Java printing problems. Finally, it worked in Windows. If you don’t have windows, I suggest installing it in a virtual machine via VirtualBox (open source). Whenever I experiment with new software, I test it out in a virtual machine first with a clean installed operating system.

You can get reddit-analysis from git. I didn’t have git in my clean installed Windows 8 virtual machine, so I simply downloaded and uncompressed the zip file instead.

Once you have EDP installed and the reddit-analysis directory ready to go, do the following.

Steps

  1. Run this command in Command Prompt
    • easy_install redditanalysis
  2. Use your reddit username and the name of the subreddit you want to analyze with the word_freqs command. My command was this.
    • word_freqs phloating_man /r/videography
  3. Open the resulting .csv file in notepad. It should be located in the same directory that you ran the word_freqs command from. This was mine.
    • subreddit-videography.csv

Use the resulting raw data with Wordle to create the word cloud in PDF format

Requirements

Steps

  1. Visit http://www.wordle.net/advanced
  2. Copy and paste all the raw data from the .csv file that reddit-analysis created into the first field and click Go
  3. Customize the filters, font, layout, and colors to your liking
  4. Click Print… and print with the PDFCreator printer to create the word cloud in PDF format

Create vector and raster versions from PDF file

Requirements

  • Vector graphics editor such as Inkscape (open source) or Adobe Illustrator (torrent/buy)

Steps

  1. Open the PDF in your favorite vector graphics editor
  2. Resize and tweak to your liking
  3. Create PNG raster version
  4. Create SVG vector version

Conclusion

Creating the word cloud was a lot of fun. Besides sharing the word cloud with your subreddit, here are some other ideas on what you can use it for.

  • Desktop Background
  • Poster
  • Infographic
  • Motion Graphic

Run the word_freqs –help command to change the variables. The default time period is data from the last month.

If you’d rather have someone else create your word cloud, make a request at /r/MUWs.

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