As some subreddits continue blackouts to protest Reddit’s plans to charge high prices for its API, Reddit has informed the moderators of those subreddits that it has plans to replace resistant moderation teams to keep spaces “open and accessible to users.”
Edit, there seems to be conflicting reporting on this issue:
While the company does “respect the community’s right to protest” and pledges that it won’t force communities to reopen, Reddit also suggests there’s no need for that.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/15/23762501/reddit-ceo-steve-huffman-interview-protests-blackout
They can’t keep their story straight. First the protest is “noise” that will “blow over”. Now they’re forcing subs to re-open.
Look, even if the protest “fails”, they stick to the API pricing, and forcefully re-open subs, some things will be obvious and for everyone to see that weren’t before:
Also “97% of users doesn’t use a 3rd party app” but also “the opportunity cost” is very high. Which one is it?
They’re probably just upset that /all is a graveyard of “Reddit is killing third party apps”. That’s gotta look embarrassing for them
I’m pretty happy with how many subreddits are continuing to go dark, or the ones who are actively helping their users transition to other platforms.
It reminds me of the scene in “The Quiet Place” where the surrounding farms go dark one by one…
I’m glad that smart people not participating in the ongoing protest are using Reddit wisely, to shame Reddit.
Yeah - obviously Reddit isn’t going to go down in a fiery blaze, wiped from the internet, but it’s entering a long, slow, spiral, imo, after having made a series of terrible decisions and bad PR moves that are likely significantly reducing its value as a company and casting doubt on its longevity as the power house its historically been. As far as I’m concerned, the protests were a success because it’s forced Reddit to show its hand in a very public way (after all MSM picked up the story).
To investors it also portrays utter ineptitude and an open hostility to the adminsitration of the site by a large portion of the users, and that Reddit is utterly reliant on said users to generate its value. Lord knows I wouldn’t dare want to take any stock in this company, social media in general makes little profit and Spez has admitted, before a fucking IPO, that Reddit is not profitable. What fool would buy stock in this?
I dare to say any speculation about new Reddit stock will be to short the shit out of it.
Their handling of this situation has been piss poor. It feels like every step along the way, from the initial announcement about API pricing to his awful Reddit AMA where he replied 12 times and then fled, it’s been a terrible look.
I’m hoping more people see alternates like kbin and give them a go.
yes and only responded to questions that vaguely related to the prepared answers they had. It was more a press briefing than an AMA.
Rampart
Spez also completely contradicts what the macrumors link is referring to: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/reddit-says-it-won-t-overrule-mods-and-force-subreddits-back-open/ar-AA1cBvUP
He’s like the dictator with the secret police who “disappear” people but who outwardly makes grand statements about protecting democracy and protest. Bad vibes all around.
Me trying to figure out which Spez to trust:
https://i.imgflip.com/7pik09.jpg
Bit of a Ministry of Truth vibe right there.