Hackers Threaten to Release Reddit Data Unless API Changes Are Rolled Back

[gavroche]

Are you serious? You’re now saying Reddit creates a free platform for people to use, that costs money to them, and you feel because you’re using this free platform for whatever you’re wanting that they owe you money for it?

How disappointed have you been waiting for that Google check in your mailbox because you decided to use their search engine? Did you buy a nice car with that apple check for using safari? Tell us of all your exotic world travels you did when Amazon paid you to shop there.

Yes, i absolutely think they owe moderators money. They do a job. A hard job. Without them doing their job, subs would have their rules broken endlessly, and would have to get shut down (ala Craigslist, etc).
You do not agree that they should get paid for doing this job? Would you like to volunteer to take over for any one of them and spend many hours every day moderating, deleting posts, dealing with hostile abusive people?

Edit: and no i don't think users should get paid (although on platforms like Youtube, where similarly a platform is provided... the content users do in fact get paid... not just get paid, but get paid obscenely well. Google how much money Youtube channels make, it might surprise you). My point was that they supply all the content, and yet Reddit treats them like pond scum, draining resources. They are literally insulting the people for whom the site exists, and without whom there would be no content.

 

[gavroche]

It doesn't matter that 100% of their content is supplied by users. Reddit provides the platform, the servers, etc. Literally every single person using reddit understands that they supply the content. That doesn't mean that you're owed anything at all, or that you have a right to tell reddit how to run their business.

You are right though, others are free to move on and find a different forum, but good luck finding a platform that other people will design and host, while making no money, so that 3rd party app developers can prosper.

I suppose you should check out Digg, and some other sites that preceded Reddit. They literally had a similar situation, pissed off all the users, and they similarly thought it would blow over. And everyone left.

 

[CarlJ]

I wish!
Forums were the best

Forums had nothing over Usenet News other tham the ability to (more easily) support images.

 

[CarlJ]

I don’t understand why so many people still use Reddit The few times I've been there it seems like the cesspool of the internet.

Two people can go to New York, and one can have a great time and one can have a terrible time. Because they went to different parts of New York. Visiting a couple of streets tells you almost nothing of a city. So, is New York a good city or a bad city? The answer is it’s a city with good and bad parts. (Note that a bunch of other city names could be substituted in for “New York”).

Reddit has something upwards of 100,000 active communities. I’m active in perhaps a dozen or so. All the ones I’m in are quite interesting, and informative (or I wouldn't be there). Many of them have a level of discourse that is better than MacRumors (as well as catering to a positively enormous quantity of niche discussion groups). If I had to pick between Reddit (before their recent sucky moves) and MacRumors, I’d pick Reddit.

 

[laptech]

Whilst the following is not true for ever subreddit it is still very relevant to a huge majority of reddit and that is having moderators in subreddits which are very informative on topics that relate to everything to do with a persons daily life, hobbies, entertainment, health, employment, finances, family, relationships, holidays, education. There is much fakeness on the internet now, more so than ever before that it now gets very difficult to know if what is bein said or written is the truth or a fake version of it. So many websites and social media sites try to push their narrative upon it's viewers it starts to clouds people judgements. Having a well run subreddit where the moderators keep the subreddit flowing as well as removing trolls and fakeness, it becomes clear very quickly when someone is trying to push their own narrative/agenda on a subject/topic because others users call them out on it very quickly with moderators taking action very quickly.

I've looked at websites on how to do home improvements or to build something or to repair something, then clicked on a reddit link that takes me to a subreddit on the exact same subject/topic only to then see people who make posts saying they have used such and such or they have done the same thing as suggested in the websites and called them out for being totally useless. Reddit is a wash of extremely very good information, real world information from people who have actual done what they've done or used what they used and it has been possible by moderators keeping a close watch and handle on the subreddit.

Being able to post a message on reddit saying 'Saw this on TV' or 'read about this in the paper' or 'Saw this on x website', 'is this true because I am not sure if they are telling the truth or giving the correct information, has anyone see it/experienced it ?' you will always find someone who lives in the area where something is supposed to have happened/occurred or bought the same thing that is being talked/written about and thus get a real response which allows a person to be able to make a better informed decision about what they want to do. Like I said, this is not the case for every subbredit but will be for a large majority of it and that is the beauty of reddit when it is properly moderated.

 

[ninethirty]

I mean, what you’re espousing isn’t the truth, just your warped opinion.

The rest is true, however, in that Reddit will never be the same, nor will it ever be able to truly recover, after the boneheaded decisions they have made as of late.

Why don't you take the time to point out what you think I said isn't true, you know, instead of my "warped opinion."

Reddit's going to be just fine.

 

[ninethirty]

I suppose you should check out Digg, and some other sites that preceded Reddit. They literally had a similar situation, pissed off all the users, and they similarly thought it would blow over. And everyone left.

Oh I was around when it happened. Reddit was ready and waiting. But now there isn't anything ready and waiting, and by the time there is, people will have forgotten that they cared.

 

[I7guy]

Yes, i absolutely think they owe moderators money. They do a job. A hard job. Without them doing their job, subs would have their rules broken endlessly, and would have to get shut down (ala Craigslist, etc).
You do not agree that they should get paid for doing this job? Would you like to volunteer to take over for any one of them and spend many hours every day moderating, deleting posts, dealing with hostile abusive people?

Edit: and no i don't think users should get paid (although on platforms like Youtube, where similarly a platform is provided... the content users do in fact get paid... not just get paid, but get paid obscenely well. Google how much money Youtube channels make, it might surprise you). My point was that they supply all the content, and yet Reddit treats them like pond scum, draining resources. They are literally insulting the people for whom the site exists, and without whom there would be no content.

There are people in all walks of life in all positions who volunteer to a job. MR mods don’t get paid either. It’s a labor of love.

As far as getting paid for content it’s the same thing. Creators in youtube can monetize their content that’s the rule of the road. Creators on Reddit or MR cannot monetize their content. It’s up to them to decide if that’s worth it.

 

[cocky jeremy]

Lol it’ll only hurt those that are so up in arms over the whole thing too. Like burning your apartment building down because the rent went up

I left the apartment, so I'll gladly watch it burn.

 

[ninethirty]

I left the apartment, so I'll gladly watch it burn.

Except it isn't going to burn. It's going to be just fine, but you on the other hand, need a new apartment.

 

[cocky jeremy]

Except it isn't going to burn. It's going to be just fine, but you on the other hand, need a new apartment.

Nah. I'm kinda digging being homeless.. lol.

 

[noraa]

Except it isn't going to burn. It's going to be just fine, but you on the other hand, need a new apartment.

Just like Digg was just fine? Just like Twitter is fine (having lost 2/3 of its value since Musk took over, and are now being actively evicted from office spaces for not paying rent)?

Reddit will most likely continue to exist, but it will be a shell of itself.

 

[noraa]

Why don't you take the time to point out what you think I said isn't true, you know, instead of my "warped opinion."

Reddit's going to be just fine.

When you claim that people are just angry that Reddit is now charging for API access - that is patently false. People (especially developers) have no problem with Reddit charging for API access, people are pissed with how Reddit has handled the whole thing - both in how much they're charging for API access, which is significantly hire than other sites, no matter what you continue to claim (as comparing it Twitter is just a terrible example), and how quickly they are expecting developers to make the change. In addition, Redditors are pissed at Steve Hoffman for straight up lying about what is going.

So, again, you are incorrect in continuing to claim that Redditors are angry about Reddit charging for API access - that is not what they (we) are upset about, full stop.

In addition, your claim that Reddit will be fine, while impossible to prove just now, is most likely false as well. A number of popular subreddits have lost their moderators, and some are even unmoderated at this point. Reddit without good mods will turn it into a cesspool.

 

[noraa]

Oh I was around when it happened. Reddit was ready and waiting. But now there isn't anything ready and waiting, and by the time there is, people will have forgotten that they cared.

There's actually quite a few other options at this point, specifically within the fediverse. Mastodon and Lemmy come to mind, but I know there are others. Squabbles also has a lot of potential. None are at the level of Reddit, but then again, Reddit wasn't at the level of Digg when all the **** went down.

I'm honestly confused at this point why you're defending Reddit so much - what stake do you have in this battle?

 

[ninethirty]

When you claim that people are just angry that Reddit is now charging for API access - that is patently false. People (especially developers) have no problem with Reddit charging for API access, people are pissed with how Reddit has handled the whole thing - both in how much they're charging for API access, which is significantly hire than other sites, no matter what you continue to claim (as comparing it Twitter is just a terrible example), and how quickly they are expecting developers to make the change. In addition, Redditors are pissed at Steve Hoffman for straight up lying about what is going.

So, again, you are incorrect in continuing to claim that Redditors are angry about Reddit charging for API access - that is not what they (we) are upset about, full stop.

In addition, your claim that Reddit will be fine, while impossible to prove just now, is most likely false as well. A number of popular subreddits have lost their moderators, and some are even unmoderated at this point. Reddit without good mods will turn it into a cesspool.

You literally just agreed with me. They're upset about charging for API access, because they don't agree with the cost. It doesn't matter if you don't like the Twitter comparison. If Reddit were literally the only company out there charging similar rates, there might be an angle to that perspective, but they aren't, and there isn't. Sure, they handled the situation poorly, but like everything else, it'll be forgotten in shorty order.

Regarding timing, developers don't need longer than a month to shut down or increase costs.

I'm betting reddit will be fine. Time will tell.

 

[ninethirty]

There's actually quite a few other options at this point, specifically within the fediverse. Mastodon and Lemmy come to mind, but I know there are others. Squabbles also has a lot of potential. None are at the level of Reddit, but then again, Reddit wasn't at the level of Digg when all the **** went down.

I'm honestly confused at this point why you're defending Reddit so much - what stake do you have in this battle?

I have literally no stake at all, but I find it personally hilarious that people are up in arms over protecting a developer from continuing to make millions from a site that doesn't make any money themselves.

People are twisting themselves into pretzels to explain away why reddit is so big, bad and evil and greedy (that's my favorite part considering that they're currently not profitable, and by charging for API access the way they are, third parties will shut down rather than pay, so reddit still doesn't get any money - ooooh sooo greedy!).

Regarding the alternatives, I didn't see potential in any of them. Again, time will tell.

 

[noraa]

You literally just agreed with me. They're upset about charging for API access, because they don't agree with the cost. It doesn't matter if you don't like the Twitter comparison. If Reddit were literally the only company out there charging similar rates, there might be an angle to that perspective, but they aren't, and there isn't. Sure, they handled the situation poorly, but like everything else, it'll be forgotten in shorty order.

Upset about charing for API access ≠ upset about the price. Your initial claim was people are upset because it is no longer free. That is not true, so you're changing the goal posts

The Twitter comparison doesn't hold water because their pricing was purposely done to drive out 3rd party apps, and no other social media-esque company charges the same insane prices as Twitter. You're constantly using Twitter to bolster your argument, while ignoring the vast majority of other companies with far more sane pricing.

People haven't forgotten about Twitter's fiasco, so why would they forget about Reddit - which arguably has a much more passionate and active user base.

Regarding timing, developers don't need longer than a month to shut down or increase costs.

Are you a developer? If not, you can't truthfully say that. Every single developer has mentioned how difficult (if not nigh impossible) it would be to make the necessary changes - both in their code and with charging customers - in 30 days.

I'm sure you'll disagree with me, but in this case you are flat out wrong.

I'm betting reddit will be fine. Time will tell.

Indeed, time will tell.

 

[noraa]

I have literally no stake at all, but I find it personally hilarious that people are up in arms over protecting a developer from continuing to make millions from a site that doesn't make any money themselves.

People are twisting themselves into pretzels to explain away why reddit is so big, bad and evil and greedy (that's my favorite part considering that they're currently not profitable, and by charging for API access the way they are, third parties will shut down rather than pay, so reddit still doesn't get any money - ooooh sooo greedy!).

Regarding the alternatives, I didn't see potential in any of them. Again, time will tell.

You really truly don't understand the issues at hand here, despite you claiming the contrary. It's super easy to educate yourself if you want to (though I rather doubt you do based on your posts), but this Reddit post is a good place to start:

https://www.reddit.com/r/apolloapp/comments/14dkqrw

Unless, or until you learn what is truly going on, I have nothing further to add to this discussion, as no amount of arguing will sway someone who is willfully ignorant.

 

[ninethirty]

Upset about charing for API access ≠ upset about the price. Your initial claim was people are upset because it is no longer free. That is not true, so you're changing the goal posts

The Twitter comparison doesn't hold water because their pricing was purposely done to drive out 3rd party apps, and no other social media-esque company charges the same insane prices as Twitter. You're constantly using Twitter to bolster your argument, while ignoring the vast majority of other companies with far more sane pricing.

People haven't forgotten about Twitter's fiasco, so why would they forget about Reddit - which arguably has a much more passionate and active user base.

Are you a developer? If not, you can't truthfully say that. Every single developer has mentioned how difficult (if not nigh impossible) it would be to make the necessary changes - both in their code and with charging customers - in 30 days.

I'm sure you'll disagree with me, but in this case you are flat out wrong.

Indeed, time will tell.

I'm not changing any goal posts.

People are pissed because the 3rd party apps they love are going away. They're going away because reddit has decided to start charging for API access, and the 3rd party apps can't afford them, so therefore, people are upset about the price reddit is charging, but as we've already established, it's not out of line with what comparable social media sites charge. Whether reddit is admitting to it or not, that's clearly also their plan here, and that's ok. When you aren't making any money, but 3rd party developers are making millions, you need to make a change.

I'm sure you'll disagree with me, but in this case you are flat out wrong.

 

[ninethirty]

You really truly don't understand the issues at hand here, despite you claiming the contrary. It's super easy to educate yourself if you want to (though I rather doubt you do based on your posts), but this Reddit post is a good place to start:

https://www.reddit.com/r/apolloapp/comments/14dkqrw

Unless, or until you learn what is truly going on, I have nothing further to add to this discussion, as no amount of arguing will sway someone who is willfully ignorant.

My god, my man. I've read that, and I specifically responded by saying there's two sides to every story. Literally the only thing I'll agree that reddit has done wrong here is communicate the changes poorly. That's it. The changes themselves are perfectly fine.

 

[noraa]

I'm not changing any goal posts.

People are pissed because the 3rd party apps they love are going away. They're going away because reddit has decided to start charging for API access, and the 3rd party apps can't afford them, so therefore, people are upset about the price reddit is charging, but as we've already established, it's not out of line with what comparable social media sites charge. Whether reddit is admitting to it or not, that's clearly also their plan here, and that's ok. When you aren't making any money, but 3rd party developers are making millions, you need to make a change.

I'm sure you'll disagree with me, but in this case you are flat out wrong.

You do you man. I get it, willful ignorance can make life a lot easier.

 

[3166792]

The irony is that this forum thread has devolved into a quintessential Reddit thread.

 

[Zest28]

All this outrage and holding a company hostage because of not giving free stuff anymore for 900.000 Apollo users.

Meanwhile, kids in Africa are dying from hunger and nobody cares.

It’s truly fascinating.

 

[Night Spring]

and by charging for API access the way they are, third parties will shut down rather than pay, so reddit still doesn't get any money - ooooh sooo greedy!

Okay, not greedy, then, but stupid. Reddit needs to get more money, and this scheme doesn't get them any more money.

Regardless of which side is right/wrong in this argument, having stupid CEO running the company doesn't bode well for Reddit's future.

 

[ninethirty]

You do you man. I get it, willful ignorance can make life a lot easier.

And I get it, truth hurts.

You're losing something you like because of a business decision that makes sense. You don't want to admit that, so you're really trying to make a play about this being upset for the poor millionaire developers who for some reason decided to build their business entirely on another business that always could have destroyed their business in seconds, if they decided to do what other social media companies do.

We're obviously talking rocket science here.