What's up with REDDIT

[ruffrecords]

I read an article today about a blackout at REDDIT. I rarely if ever go there. I find its interface and organisation very confusing an its content much like GearSlutz on steroids. So what is going on?

Cheers

Ian

 

[jabe]

They announced a month ago that they would as of July 1 charge $20 million a year for third party apps to use their API. This has caused pretty much all such apps to shut down. Most use, especially moderation, was done through third party apps precisely to make up for Reddit's widely-disliked interface (especially their own native app). Many subreddits went dark for a few days in protest, and many others went permanently private.

 

[ruffrecords]

Thanks for the update. I do not understand many of the terms. Was does 'went dark' mean and 'permanently private? I am assuming these third party apps are all free?

Cheers

Ian

 

[user 37518]

Thanks for the update. I do not understand many of the terms. Was does 'went dark' mean and 'permanently private? I am assuming these third party apps are all free?

Cheers

Ian

I am as clueless as you are....

 

[jabe]

Sorry, "going dark" means that no posts are visible. "Private" means only users who are specifically approved by the moderators can view and post, and the subreddit is not searchable on Google etc.
Third party apps were either free or had a single one-time fee (typically less than $10), or had tiers for both. The most popular app was Apollo, which had a free version, a $5 "pro" version with extra features, or an "ultra" subscription that was $1.49 per month "due to options within it having ongoing monthly costs to me [the lone developer]".
Here's what the Apollo develop had to say specifically about the sudden fees to use the API: "Apollo made 7 billion requests last month, which would put it at about 1.7 million dollars per month, or 20 million US dollars per year. Even if I only kept subscription users, the average Apollo user uses 344 requests per day, which would cost $2.50 per month, which is over double what the subscription currently costs, so I'd be in the red every month."

 

[user 37518]

They announced a month ago that they would as of July 1 charge $20 million a year for third party apps to use their API. This has caused pretty much all such apps to shut down. Most use, especially moderation, was done through third party apps precisely to make up for Reddit's widely-disliked interface (especially their own native app). Many subreddits went dark for a few days in protest, and many others went permanently private.

So what do they intended to do with that policy? it is obvious that they knew beforehand that these apps weren't able to sustain it, so, what is the hidden motive behind it?

 

[jabe]

Reddit stated that the new fees are to compensate for the lack of ad visibility in third party apps. Given the abruptness of the change and their refusal to look at other solutionw like required apps to include said ads, the general consensus is that Reddit's goal was to kill the apps outright per investor pressure in advance of their IPO later this year.

 

[user 37518]

Reddit stated that the new fees are to compensate for the lack of ad visibility in third party apps. Given the abruptness of the change and their refusal to look at other solutionw like required apps to include said ads, the general consensus is that Reddit's goal was to kill the apps outright per investor pressure in advance of their IPO later this year.

So, corporate greed, as usual.

 

[ruffrecords]

So, corporate greed, as usual.

Very much so because I think this is all in preparation for a listing on the stock market.

Cheers

Ian

 

[jabe]

Yup.