Reddit: The beginning of the end?
Thousands of subreddits became private yesterday to protest Reddit's new API price hikes that will kill off a number of popular apps.
Some subreddits (like r/iphone) even said they'll go private indefinitely. Reddit also banned any mentions of competitor platforms/APIs/etc.
I'm old enough to remember Digg (Reddit's biggest competitor) and how a single bad decision caused its downfall.
Is this the beginning of the end for Reddit?
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Reddit's not going anywhere, for three reasons:
So you are ignoring the fact that mods shut down the majority of the top 100 subreddits, and those that stayed open nearly all have explainers about it?
And that moderators run the site, not Reddit?
While I don’t expect it to vanish tomorrow, they just pissed off their most loyal champions. And that trust isn’t being earned back. As such, this will be considered the fall of Reddit be it if it takes a year or five for it to finally burn much the same way Digg did. It’s wild how similar this is.
The moderators don't run the site, though. The people who own the shares run the site. The people who write the code and operate the servers run the site.
If that sounds farfetched, imagine this whole thing truly boils over into an existential crisis for Reddit. Management can simply remove the mods, reopen the subreddits, and pick new mods from the community or hire their own mods. And who could stop them?
Nobody.
I'm not saying this is good. I'm not saying I like it. I'm just saying it's true.
Reddit will only die if the community en masse decides to leave. But do you think the average Redditor will quit because there are new moderators for some of the top-50 subreddits? I don't. I also don't think the community en masse cares enough about API pricing or third-party apps to quit over it. This isn't like Digg, where the basic UI of the site was ruined for everyone. I doubt most of Reddit even knows what an API is.
For me, it boils down to a matter of moderators and users wanting to show Reddit who is boss. Problem. Reddit owns Reddit. Everything the users and moderators are doing is because Reddit allows it.
There are plenty of mods who don't care. The mod tools have been given free API access. That was probably always going to happen. Why? Because they benefit Reddit. So the mods that did care are probably starting to care less.
If this continues the mods are going to become even more disliked. A large amount fo flak is going to the mods and not Reddit. The Redditors who don't care don't blame Reddit for asking for money for their API they understand it. However, they do think very poorly of the mods and vocal folk complaining.
Majority of people for the protest know it won't change anything, they know they won't go anywhere, they just want to have a little protest. Reddit is allowing it which will make those who were for it happy. They had their way and in a day or so it's all back to normal and they still get to enjoy Reddit.
This is nothing like forcing a user base to deal with an unenjoyable UI. This is making a select few pay for a UI they prefer. And most people think it's fair Reddit gets paid. And when they realise the API rates are literally market rates they start saying the big issue isn't the pricing and the wind is taken out of their sails.
Those subs that do go dark forever, will be either recreated or reopened by Reddit because the users want it reopened. The mods don't get to just shut down a community because they're unhappy. Reddit has already stated they will keep the site operational.
It's sad, but I agree it's not going anywhere. Reddit had a major focus to get new users a few years ago and these new users don't care that much about old.reddit.com or Apollo. It's not like Reddit is changing its platform like Digg did. The website and the official mobile app still work just like yesterday. Do the majority of Reddit users care that there are other Reddit apps? I don't think so.
I would agree with you if Reddit didn't depend on community moderators to run their platform. They've gone and pissed off their key users.
Even if the average redditor doesn't care, losing community moderation or having their top subreddits go private could cause real problems.
The vocal minority are also the ones that contribute the most to Reddit. I agree that Reddit is here to stay but I will be interested to see if the quality of the content takes in dip for the short term.
This is one of the biggest online strikes in modern (online) history, so I think there's real possibility the answer could be 'yes'.
Digg's fatal mistake was that they changed core elements of the app experience (e.g. removing downvoting and DMs, etc.), whereas Reddit's API charge is a behind-the-curtain detail for most users.
Also, when Digg dug its own grave, its massive user base had Reddit itself to flee to! Whereas today, when I ask myself, "What's a good Reddit alternative?" No answers pop into my head.
It's similar to Twitter charging for API access (and doing a lot of other stuff via Elon Musk that pisses people off). There's no real alternative around, so two things happen:
Just like we're seeing tons of new social networking apps (Instagram's being the latest), maybe we'll started seeing new Reddit-style discussion apps soon.
You know, It's sad but I think that the protests won't have an effect if they last only 2 days. The company will not change their tune until they recognize a threat to their products revenue.
I actually was working on a reddit alternative but I paused development for various reasons including not being able to get any validation.. www convo dot video.
Building a new social media is very hard because of the network effect..
I agree with "Building a new social media is very hard because of the network effect.."
But this "I actually was working on a reddit alternative but I paused development for various reasons including not being able to get any validation.."
You don't need validation when you're trying to build an alternative to something that already exists. Reddit has validated the idea, it works. Just build the alternative and make it better/with a twist. :)
What do you mean with „a twist“? A sort of Value skew or something else?
Of course that's what I mean. You can't just copy, you need a differentiator, extra added value. The 'why would people come to you and not go to existing solutions'. :)
My theory is that it's a mark of decentralization, not necessarily the end. We've seen lots of people flee Reddit for alternatives but there are also loads of people on the site today who have no idea whats going on (or they don't care). Some will stay, many will go. It might not be the go-to for online forums anymore but it probably won't die either.
Been using Reddit everyday for as long as I can remember. Still comes to me as such a shock. I really hope Reddit does something about it.
These things happen on the big platforms and noone knows how that will evolve. Time will only tell but hope Reddit does something about it to contain the impact.
Ultimately, the future of Reddit will depend on how the company navigates these challenges, listens to user feedback, and adapts its policies and practices accordingly. It's worth keeping an eye on how Reddit addresses the concerns raised and how the user community responds to any changes implemented by the platform.
IMO the moderator role is important in short term but has diminishing influence over the long run with the rise of AI. I'd say Reddit isn't going anywhere.
Undoubtedly the biggest story in tech right now.
Reddit's mishandling of API pricing has jeopardized platform control.
We're just learning that —network effects can be a powerful moat —but it also comes with a lock-in effect.
Well things could go both ways. If reddit changes their pricing for api which i doubt will happen, then everything goes back to normal like it was before. Or if they dont change their mind and choose keep the new pricing then it comes down to the subreddit moderators to choose what they want to do with the situation. Like they have gone on strike and all and some subreddits have said they have went private indefinitely.
What we have to think about is, All these subreddits are modded by users of the community itself. Like you said will something happen to reddit like what happened to digg, maybe but the chances are very low.
At the end of the day all the social media platforms today are identical in how they operate and the features that they offer.
Everything boils down to the users. It is not the platforms which are different but rather the people who use them.
The same way Twitter died when Elon jumped onboard. People will cry, threaten to leave, even leave for some time (although there is nothing to replace Reddit with atm) and then everything will settle.
Does private mean no one can use it? Or only certain people can read it?
What a shame! This change will make people hit rejection so often when they switch between subreddits and end up not coming to Reddit. I encountered this "became private" alert yesterday and already feel frustrated about it.
Ah, yes. Digg. I used to love that platform. I also used to listen to Kevin Rose’s podcast. Memories.
It really is a shame, what’s happening to Reddit. The biggest inconvenience for me is google searches that link to a post, solution or discussion on Reddit that are no longer visible. Tons of knowledge share, no longer accessible.
One pro-tip I posted yesterday to Twitter (same handle as IH) was to put ‘cache:’ (without quotes) in the address bar in front of http…. It loads the google cache version of the site. I’m new to IH so I can’t post links yet.
I think the most interesting and impactful stat to look out for is their marketing revenue changes. Advertising is still Reddit's largest source of income but companies may be weary to continue their marketing campaigns so as to not look complicit.
At the end of the day, Reddit may have a net negative gain on its top line.
It's sad to see a website go against its users and solely focus on stakeholders' wants. I've been a Reddit Premium user for over 4 years. I most likely will not renew if the API changes come into effect. I can see many leaving the platform which could be good for competition but terrible in terms of growth and traffic for the business. Reddit needs to listen to its userbase or it will quickly become a relic of the past like Digg.
Reddit is probably one of the best sites on the net in terms of quality and targeted information, it would be shame if that information just disappears... I've seen priceless information disappear with other forums and its definately something good
I predict a 20% traffic loss and at least a 50% percent growth loss.
At the bare minimum the rep destruction and deep personal insight into founder being a moderator for /r/jailbait is just one example of a trickle effect that compounds into negativities.
Reddit is definitely going somewhere, people are now unable to filter the trash and sift through the garbage for gold.
Nah, they will probably be fine. In a couple of months nobody will even remember this
I feel that the success of any platform lies in its extensibility via APIs and building apps around it. This is core in any app. Be it B2B or B2C. Because providing APIs in affordable way opens up infinite ways for it to be extended by community or build apps around it.
It is like a community that is built around main product. Hope they re-consider it and change it for better of everybody
Could be! To capitalize on it I made a browser extension that lets you delete your Reddit comments and posts before deleting your account: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/bulk-delete-reddit-posts/nbfdoajmaaohkohdnbpjakamhcaaleco?hl=en&authuser=0
Downloaded it today! Does it only use the API or did you use other 3rd party services too for access to the reddit account?
Nope
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