But it does shut down third party apps that do make money, and opens up the possibility for them to create something like Apollo and charge for ad free access.
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Hackers Threaten to Release Reddit Data Unless API Changes Are Rolled Back
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If that is the plan, it would be smarter to first create such an app, and have it ready to go before shutting out 3rd party apps.
Yay, someone else who doesn't know what they're talking about! A ton of people already pay for Apollo, but it's not enough to cover the nearly $20 million he'd have to pay Reddit yearly to keep the lights on. More people would probably be happy to pay to continue using Apollo, but Reddit didn't give developers nearly enough time to make the necessary changes to their apps, so Apollo really had no choice but to shutdown.
You: "enough time for necessary changes"
Selig: "Hey developer, remove Apollo Ultra, and change pro from a one time cost of $5 to a monthly $5. You can even re-use the code we previously used for the monthly Ultra charge."
Developer: "No problem, that'll take me about 5 years."
And yes, I work in software development.
Multi-millionaire Apollo could have made the changes or hired someone to do that, given he's made millions off of Reddit. Unlike Reddit which has not turned a profit,
It's hilarious watching poor people protest on behalf of a millionaire who never would have made any of his money if reddit hadn't given him everything that they did, for free. Won't someone please think of the millionaires!?
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You don't appear to have a point. I've pointed out all the possibilities for what's going on here. The greatest hits include:
• Something I like is going away because of a business decision reddit has made and I is mad.
• Reddit is killing third party apps and hurting small time developers who have made millions on the back of the platform reddit developed, for free!
• Reddit is being mean by making their API pricing too expensive, on par with other social media companies with similar goals, causing one of the two (or both) points mentioned above.
• The CEO is a mean person. That should be illegal!
All are stupid reasons to throw a temper tantrum that will have the same effect that most temper tantrums do: Only anger the adults temporarily.
Edit: OH, I forgot a huge one.
• Reddit didn't give developers enough time to announce and implement price changes, which as we all know, is a very complicated, years in the making, process. Even if 30 days wasn't enough, these poor millionaire developers can't afford to foot the bill an extra couple of weeks, or a month even, to keep their loyal users experience from being interrupted. I'm afraid that's just not possible. Better throw a temper tantrum and give up.
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Oy, I am so done with this conversation. You've made up your mind based on faulty assumptions. No amount of explaining the underlying issues will sway your opinion (even though, again, your opinion is provably wrong). As such, feel free to reply, but don't expect a response, I've got much better things in my life to worry about then a stubborn Macrumors forum user.
That's ok if you are, I mean you don't seem to want to actually prove me wrong, you just keep saying I don't understand and then tell me the things I've already said.
If you do decide to come back and try to make your point though, I'd love to continue discussing.
Cheers!
Nah, Reddit has tree-structured comments, rather than flat chronological comments, so it's easy to dip in and out of different branches. Yeah, some Reddit threads get into squabbling, but those parts frequently get lost a few layers down while useful conversation is going on elsewhere in the comments under the same original post.
Meanwhile you're posting on MacRumors while kids are dying in Africa from hunger. Why aren't you on a plane headed there to help?
If you'd actually ask around, rather than making rash assumptions, you'd find most Apollo users would be happy to pay money to Reddit every month to keep using Apollo. I prefer sites and apps that have viable funding models. I contribute to MacRumors, for instance. But Reddit decided that what they really wanted was to kill off the 3rd party apps, to make themselves look better for an IPO, rather than dealing rationally and in good faith with the 3rd party app makers. And what they got was some sort of PR nightmare instead. I've heard suggestions that the IPO is on hold now.
It’s almost as if you’re intentionally spreading mis-information about the whole situation as if you were the Reddit CEO himself. Despite having the facts explained to you in detail by many people here you keep insisting nobody has and keep spreading false info.
It’s all just very very strange.
Reddit already does charge for ad free access (i.e. Reddit Premium), and they already do have an app. What they did was effectively shut down 3rd party apps, by asking for a completely unreasonable amount, and by giving them almost no time to implement things, and then Reddit the company, and Spez in particular, lied repeatedly about the proceedings, slandering one of the developers in the process. Reddit stalled repeatedly on telling them the price until it was too late to do anything - likely wanting to minimal window for looking bad in the press (that didn't work out so well).
Selig is the developer. When you have people who have paid you in advance for a year of specified services, you can't ethically change what that service covers in a major way, mid-stream. If he keeps the app in service, he has to foot the bill from Reddit for all the API calls made by every user who has already paid their subscription for the year. That's where the $20 million comes from. After killing the app, Apple is going to automatically refund all those users with subscriptions, and take that money back from Selig. He's said he's on the hook for about $250k for that. He will likely do a thing like was done with Tweetbot and Twitterific, where they offered the option to let users ask to _not_ get a refund. I'm going to take him up on that. I work in software development too, if that's somehow important (you seem to think so).
Tell us you understand nothing of the situation without telling us that you understand nothing of the situation.
I'm not saying ACTUAL Reddit should. I'm saying it's a shame there's not a Reddit-like site that is run as a not-for-profit. It seems like it should be a user information version of Wiki.
That fact we keep hearing Twitter and Reddit being referred to as the "town square of the internet" and how the CEOs keep getting involved in that, just leads me to believe a not for profit version would make much more sense.
Alternatively, you can look at it as Reddit provide a free alternative to discussion forums with no hosting or software costs.
The moderators are moderating user created sub reddits.
Cool. Do me a favor then and clear everything up for me. What misinformation am I spreading and what facts have I had explained to me not covered in my previous post? Thanks!
The amount is not unreasonable. It's comparable to other large social media companies. I don't care about spez lying, he is of no concern to me at all. When you say "it was too late to do anything," I disagree. The developers of these third party apps have made millions from reddit. If they're unable to complete the work in the time reddit has given them, they can either hire other developers to help get the work done quickly, or they can support their users by footing the bill for an extra month or however long it takes them to make updates.
I know that he is.
Basing your business on another business that could blow everything up in an instant isn't really all that smart, or sustainable, wouldn't you agree? Still, he made millions and if he has to reimburse his users, that's on him. Any well run business should have emergency funds for things like this, legal matters, etc. You should ask for a refund. This person is not some poor mom and pop shop being steamrolled by a Starbucks. He literally made millions, for years, by creating a front end 3rd party app that would be useless without the platform that reddit built. He'll be fine, and since you haven't received what you paid for, you should ask for your money back.
I don't think it's important that either of us work in software development, it was something I was asked by another commenter. I guess he felt it was important.
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Reddit doesn't need to deal rationally, or in good faith with 3rd party app makers. Go read reddit's mission (I'll link it below). Nowhere does it say anything at all about building an environment where 3rd party app makers can thrive. It's literally got nothing to do with reddit or their mission.
Just because they haven't been charging for API access all this time does not mean anyone is entitled to it. If reddit had decided to flip a switch overnight and start charging the very next day, that's entirely up to them, and is their right. They have to do what they think is right for their business and their goals. They owe nothing to any 3rd party app developer, and there is absolutely no need or reason for them to "deal rationally and in good faith."
Sharing Our Company Values - Upvoted
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