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

[Zest28]

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

www.redditinc.com

The API was also never intended for commercial apps like Apollo.

The server costs of 900.000 users per day must have been quite significant, while Apollo earned all the money and Reddit had to pay for all the costs.

 

[ninethirty]

The API was also never intended for commercial apps like Apollo.

The server costs of 900.000 users per day must have been quite significant, while Apollo earned all the money and Reddit had to pay for all the costs.

Exactly.

 

[Crowbot]

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

www.redditinc.com

In law, there is something called Implied Easement which basically says that if I let you cross my property without complaint for years I can't suddenly stop you. I doubt it would apply in this case but it would be an interesting ploy to try.

 

[Michael Scrip]

I remember when Amazon went so many years without making any money. And in the earlier years they even used to have lots of good coupons available to boost sales. Look at them now!

It's not quite the same thing...

You're right... Amazon didn't make a profit for many years. But that's because they took any profits and spent it on expansion. They invested in themselves to become a bigger company.

Amazon went from just selling books... to selling everything. They got into web infrastructure with AWS... they got into shipping and logistics... they got into healthcare... they got into home electronics with Echo... and so on. Amazon is a monster corporation now thanks to expansion in lieu of profits. And look at them now!

On the other hand... Reddit started as basically a discussion forum... and they're still basically a discussion forum.

In other words... Amazon didn't make a profit because they chose to not make a profit and instead invest in themselves.

But Reddit never made a profit because they didn't have a very profitable business in the first place.

So the saying "they didn't make money" isn't really applicable in the same ways to Amazon and Reddit.

 

[SB1500]

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.

But then you can look at more recent examples like Twitter, where major changes happened, p*d of a lot of users (probably half) who all vowed to leave it for alternatives, but very few actually did. Isn't really that easy, in practice. And how many creators / content watchers really went to Rumble etc too? Next to none in meaningful numbers.

 

[SB1500]

In law, there is something called Implied Easement which basically says that if I let you cross my property without complaint for years I can't suddenly stop you. I doubt it would apply in this case but it would be an interesting ploy to try.

It won't apply here. Letting someone cross your land is passive and requires no effort on your part (it'd take effort to make a fence / police it to stop them).

Here, we're talking active operation of millions of dollars of server infrastructure setup around the world to keep a huge, busy website running reliably all the time.

Granted, if it was the EU, who knows what they'd step in and force, but I'm sure even in the US it'd be absurd to demand they just pay endlessly for others to use their platform against their wishes / intended outcome of making money how they want to

 

[tripsync]

The hackers weren’t at issue.

And? It's not what hackers are asking for.

sorry, rough and possibly wrong numbers from those involved are about the best we’ve got.

Which makes the argument completely pointless.