People still use reddit?
What was stopping them from bringing the tools first, let mods migrate and be comfortable with them and then apply the new pricing on the API? Greed and ego are having a field day it seems.
One of the worst unintended side effects of the protest is that it has changed the whole conversation into a “Reddit versus mods” thing, largely by writers that only had a cursory understanding of what was happening.
This wasn’t just about moderation tools, and it’s shitty how so many headlines have claimed it is by framing it as a mod protest.
What about us regular users? We who supported the protests because we like the 3rd party apps and didn’t want to lose them. Why is that not reason enough? Why does this have to be about accessibility or moderation tools in order for it to merit caring about?
Why do mods get concessions but not the users? How about us that don’t want to use your trash official app, huh? Where are your vapid promises to us?
Proof is in the pudding. There’s a reason we’re talking about this here instead of on Reddit.
The mods are getting concessions (if they get anything–it’s yet to be seen whether anything actually comes of any new promises) because the Reddit admins realize that they need the free labor. They don’t need users, because they believe–rightly or wrongly–that nobody else can get enough market share fast enough to actually matter. People will give up on projects like Lemmy and begrudgingly eat whatever ad-friendly shit Huffman feeds them. The users are the product Reddit has to sell to its advertises, and they think they can always make more of those. Mods, on the other hand–those are part of the infrastructure, and they don’t make money. They cost money. So Reddit really, really wants those mods to stay/come back and keep working for imaginary internet clout (and the occasional corporate bribe), and they’ll pitch whatever lies they can think of to make that happen.
The worst future for Reddit is the one in which subreddits have to be moderated by actual paid employees–employees who do things like adopt statements of end users and expose Reddit to potential liability.
For me it was also about the principle. Sure Reddit can make monkey and be a healthy business. But don’t pretend people are leeching of your data, because all the content is created by the users, not Reddit, even the mods are volunteers.
I really hate the attitude where they expect free stuff but don’t want to give anything back.
Mods are unpaid “workers” that make it possible for Reddit to be appealing to advertisers and be potentially viable to go public. Framing the story around them gives outsiders a reason to think that admins are doing something that will make their unpaid jobs harder (which is true) and gives them someone to feel bad for.
Otherwise the story is a bunch of non-paying users of Reddit are upset that a company wants to regain control over the ad revenue 3rd party app creators take instead, either through ads on their own platforms or premium memberships. Which I do think there is more nuance because Reddit is only as powerful as their user base so maybe they deserve some concessions, but the average news reader who isn’t on Reddit won’t understand that.
Just to clarify, I’m annoyed as well and not saying we shouldn’t take our contributors and lurkers elsewhere. I moved over to Lemmy as a RIF user and refuse to use the app. Just giving the likely answer to the question!
They’ve been saying they were going to add/fix things for the last 6 years while actively ignoring mods lmao, I doubt they’re gonna change that.
What was stopping them from bringing the tools first, let mods migrate and be comfortable with them and then apply the new pricing on the API? Greed and ego are having a field day it seems.
Considering that r/Blind is apparently having issues getting Reddit to listen to them when it comes to accessible tools, I’m not sure I believe Reddit on this.
I don’t care now.
