‘Front page of the internet’: how social media’s biggest user protest rocked Reddit::A mass user protest six months ago over technical tweaks had big downstream effects, and now the ‘front page of the internet’ is changed for ever
I want an internet where admins don’t control the world. Where moderators don’t become megalomaniacs that get to control the way submissions and comments get banned without reason.
I want a place where someone’s passion for their unique hobby doesn’t get stripped away by corporate interests, exploitative third parties, and ad agencies.
I know it might be a pipe dream but I’ll keep trying to fight for what I believe.
As much as it’s distasteful, forums need admins. The bots and nazis habitually take over anywhere that doesn’t moderate.
It’s necessary. I agree. Admins exist for a reason and serve a purpose. But when you get into a “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” debate it becomes a topic that needs to be addressed. I don’t have enough expertise to give an answer to such an existential question so I’ll have to leave it to anyone else to hash it out from here.
I think the Fediverse is a good step towards your ideals. It’s not perfect, but it is a step.
Definitely a baby step in the correct direction.
For those in the thread who say it is hard not to go back for specific content, if you want to go back to browse but limit the ad revenue and clicks, you can still reach it with some front ends like teddit.
Here is a good link: http://farside.link/teddit.com
Or, for example, you can directly access subreddits by appending /r/yoursubreddit to the end http://farside.link/teddit.com/r/memes
Sometimes an instance will be down. If so, try it again in a few minutes or in a new browser or tab or clear the cache so another loads.
How does one simply incite viral popularity of an alternative like Lemmy? And what is reddit doing to hinder that?
I think the most important problem with how this worked out is that many of those who left Reddit by deleting their content didn’t find a place to transfer it to on Lemmy or other platforms…
I personally have been intentionally starting conversations recently…
Anyways spez will go down as one of the innumerable examples of greedy hurensohns.
I personally had no problem with them charging for API access, the rate was my bigger issue. I suspect they were basing it off of the money and hype behind the large language models that were previously training using their data for free rather than the relatively few 3rd party app users. I don’t get how there weren’t more people using them considering how bad the official Android app is, but there’s no way it was substantially impacting their bottom line.
Charging comparable rates or even 2-3x what they would get from users of the official app seeing ads also wouldn’t be an issue to me, paying to support software is generally good as it aligns user and developer interests. But with 20x higher rates than they’d get from the user using the official app that couldn’t genuinely be the case.
They have wanted to kill third party apps for a long time. Reddit’s issue is that it badly wants to market “through the API” by charging for bespoke viral marketing campaigns. Simple stuff like just giving shill accounts free gold and elevated thread positions and stuff. Or on the upper end, engineering whole features like the Thanos Snap thing. That’s why they spend so much time doing the cheesy little April fools games - these are tech demonstrators for their ad engineering team. The problem is that nobody is paying for this kind of marketing without telemetry to show that it’s working, and third party apps really threw a wrench into that equation (in addition to the more traditional ad model).
That’s a big part of where they are getting their ridiculous valuation from - their ad impression value is probably super low because their users are pseudonymous, and because the API breaks ad tracking. I suspect their equation is simply “this would be our revenue if we got Facebook rates for ad impressions.”
The changes that lead to the protest were only the preparations for an IPO. When that sale actually happens, I think things will get even worse with new corporate interests and influence. This story isn’t over.
it happens to every sacred tech company once it inevitably decides to become profitable
When it comes out how many hundreds of millions spez made of the back of unpaid mods, they’ll rightfully ask themselves why they’re doing all that free work just to make spez rich.
Second American Revolution Now
Author didn’t seem to have a clue. Many of us didn’t protest or leave because of the fact that they implemented charges for their API - nope, was totally open to that! - it was the way they started charging.
I don’t think I’m alone either here. So many were open to paying fair prices for usage. But reddit repeatedly promised it’d be fair and reasonable. For months. And then when they finally dropped pricing info it was outlandish and would be taking effect before third parties had a chance to make appropriate changes.
This amounted to a power play meant to drive mobile users back to the reddit app. Why? Money and control. Bad for mods, users, and developers, it was a selfish play I will never forgive them for.
How did the author not know this, or if they did, why was it not front and center? Feels like they were parroting company talking points.
In response to such critiques, Reddit spokesperson Rathschmidt said he did not “know of an industry benchmark for scoring content quality”
Never before has the sheer inevitability of enshittification been so aptly summarized.
What’s the saying? “You can’t control what you can’t measure.”
And the concurrent point : "‘If we stopped testing right now, we’d have very few cases, if any.’
If you dont measure your failure, no one can prove you failed. Its a win win.
I used to be a daily Reddit doomscroller, but now I just vibe on Lemmy. I only ever visit reddit now to experience my niches that don’t yet have a community here, and that’s just to watch, not contribute.
I look forward to the future, where communities aren’t corralled into one website, where different interests can be free of anything overarching.
Is 500k or 1m subreddit a niche? Because for god’s sake I cannot find any alternatives here on Lemmy.
I somehow end up doom scrolling here on Lemmy. Seems all my feed is news and technology is doom and gloom. I wish there were more discussions and jokes in the comments like ask reddit had. I participate every once in a while but I miss lurking and reading this type of content on my phone.
Doomscrolling bad news is really bad for your health. https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/what-is-doomscrolling-and-why-is-it-bad-for-us/143139/
Bad news is also literally addictive and it is important to break that habit https://www.fastcompany.com/90269566/how-to-stop-your-brains-addiction-to-bad-news
I’d suggest subscribing to some of the more positive news threads on Lemmy. I ended up blocking those ones that only seem to post negative stuff. The world is a bad enough place as it is without Lemmy ramming it down my throat to. I’d also suggest regularly visiting other positive news sites to remind yourself that there is good news happening, you just don’t hear about it from the normal places. Certainly helps put things into perspective. https://www.groovnow.com/blog/where-to-find-good-news-online
It’s important to try and stay happy, friend, now more than ever.
Thanks for reminding - that is a good point. Do you have any good mood communities here on Lemmy to recommend?
Sure! There’s [email protected], lemmybewholesome@lemmyworld, [email protected] and [email protected]. They’re all small communities, but they’re worth checking out. I’d recommend those news sites on that link I listed to. Definitely eye opening to see all the good stuff that is just ignored by the mainstream media. Stay positive out there, friend! 👍
Thank you so much! I sincerely appreciate your suggestions and have already subscribed to the communities. I actually have already noticed lemmybewholesome, but I havent known there were the other ones as well, so thank you a lot for the information :)
Doomscrolling being bad is literally implied in the name.
Just block the news and politics communities. It’s good for your sanity.
Yeah I’ve started doing that, just too depressing otherwise.
deleted by creator
Deaddit?
I think it’s like that old digg site
Digg. Lol. Yeah. Good times, like 2006 again
I was browsing reddit anonymously but have stopped since they killed 3rd party apps. Anyways all the news and posts are on Lemmy so no point of using reddit. Also fuck spez
I haven’t been allowed on Reddit since I upset the AITA mods by creating the username AITA_mods_are_all_incels and have found Lemmy to be a much healthier environment.
You created a username that insults someone else and then cried because it was your own fault? Did you stop to think that you were the unhealthy environment?
I mean I was being a shit head…but most of the time I wasn’t being a fuck face my karma was fairly high from a medium contributer… And before Idefinitely acted an asshat, I felt aita was especiallt petty…I was fine Just No Mil and lots of aita posts…but in the end I definitely shot myself…I’m just surprised at how deeply banned I am…I still used it passively until the API shit. Lemmy is pretty good…and my posting history doesn’t show trolling here
Did they ever cry or say it wasn’t their fault? It seems like an obvious easy way to get banned, I don’t see any complaints about it. I don’t think calling an asshole an asshole is an unhealthy environment, I would blame the asshole first for being the asshole.
I think most of aita is creative writing…but I definitely brought it on myself. I was super irritated and evading bans had never actually been a consequence…mind you I want rolling… probably more harsh not crass, but some bullshit is more bullshit than others.
I agree with the healthier environment, it’s kind of nice being able to make a comment and have people actually see it rather than there being 2k+ comments. It’s a small community but I don’t mind that and it’s actually good in that I don’t doom scroll as much cause there just isn’t enough content, so I don’t spend hours on it.
I used to spend hours a day on Reddit, if you add up all the little time waster breaks I take just scrolling on Baconreader.
Now i rarely visit the site.
There are DOZENS OF US!
DOZENS!
I had 3M karma over 4 accounts, and spent about 3-5h a day there. Been a daily user for 12 years, moderating some 1M+ user communities for 7+ years.
Left reddit for good, never been back. Not once.
I wasted so much time there that I took on a part time PhD to fill the gap, and I’m excelling at it.
Thanks, u/spez… I guess?
When enshittification hits so hard that it breaks your addiction and improves your life lol
I miss /SuspensionPorn
Be the change you want to suspend.
While traffic has not changed substantially,
This is a terrible thing for most social networks, which are expected to grow continually. When the IPO hits, who wants to buy stock in a stagnant social network? Especially one that has been described as stifling creativity?
