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Hackers Threaten to Release Reddit Data Unless API Changes Are Rolled Back
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Reddit CEO Steve Hoffman had this coming.
He’s immature and not ready to lead.
He’s immature and not ready to lead.
The hypocrisy of the CEO is pretty astounding. He complains about 3rd party apps making money when his entire business is predicated on the free labor of moderators.
You could describe the US as “rule of law for some” but even that is a stretch.
Yeah; separating the wheat from the chaff is just as much an effort there, as it is elsewhere.
What kept me coming back (again, and again) was just how insightful and helpful the folks were who held such a vast expertise and understanding of so many of the processes through which I have found myself working.
I tinker and re-purpose electronics as one of my hobbies, and the Q&A has been indispensable.
When u/Strew shared how he got the Certs off of his BGW-210, and used them with wpa_supplicant to allow (one of many) third-party routers to gain EAP sync with ATT fiber, I was there (and (thankfully) still successfully in the flow).
Right now, I'm in the process of (having already stripped the carpet, sanded, treated, etc.) re-finishing the '54 red oak floors in my house.
There is no blame to lay upon another in stating that--while I am currently and consciously abstaining in Solidarity--I am sorely bereft of the knowledge and support of those who could vastly enrich my life as a DIY kind of guy.
I have cumulatively spent days of my precious time scouring teh interwebs for substantial and cogent information on what I should do if [a] happens (or how I can make (b) better (or--on the gripping hand--what happens when [c] rears its ugly head)).
Retrieving appropriate results in a concerted interweb Search (outside of specialty froups, inhabited by those who have already walked my path) has been a Net Zero prop.
Not a stranger to finding that Drama interrupts my flow, but the lack of such a precious resource cuts to my core . . . I will miss such things ;(
[edited for highlighting pecularities]
lmao. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving website of filth. I hope the end result is Reddit being purged from the internet entirely.
And those people rely on Reddit to provide the servers that host the site, to pay employees to update the code, to pay the bills that all companies have to pay. The same is true for Facebook, Twitter, and, yes, the MacRumors forums. The problem is that it’s somewhat one-sided. The users get a free platform while Reddit has to create ways to make money to keep the platform alive and up-to-date (Adds, sell user info, API charges, etc.). A user can quit at any time. It’s a one-sided, contract-free relationship.
As for my YouTube comparison, that was about developers relying on Reddit’s APIs. Reddit pays for, maintains, and controls the APIs, just like YouTube pays for, maintains, and controls its content delivery service. Relying on another company’s services and APIs without an exit strategy for the day when that company changes the rules is unwise at best.
Reddit is a good idea that never lived up to its real potential. It was created and run by people who were barely adults when they made it, and now their early decisions that seemed great when drinking at a bar at 22 years old is coming back to bite them now that they want to compete with the big boys.
eh he's just greedy, but who could blame him really, I'm afraid i'd do the same if I were in his shoes
he is some special kind of a ****er though, modifying comments and forwarding hate towards trump...yeah..
yeah It's really sad. havent found any equivalent yet
quora used to be nice a long time ago, but as they became greedier and greedier, the platform just died . look where they are now
Aren't all posts public info? Why can't Apollo (or whoever) just spin up a new site, use the Internet Archive to crawl historical posts, and create a copy? Then everyone can just move over to that![]()
A ransomware group that hacked into Reddit's servers back in February is threatening to release stolen data if Reddit does not walk back its planned API changes, reports Bleeping Computer (via The Verge).
![reddit-app-icon.jpg]()
At the time of the hack, no one took credit, but ransomware group BlackCat yesterday said that it was responsible. 80GB of compressed data was stolen through a phishing attack, and BlackCat says that the data will be made public unless Reddit pays $4.5 million and withdraws the API pricing changes that will go into effect on July 1.
The group claims to have "interesting confidential data" that includes information on how Reddit tracks users and censors people. BlackCat does not anticipate Reddit cooperating, and says that it expects to leak the data.
At the time of the hack, Reddit said that no user passwords, accounts, or credit card details were impacted, but internal documentation, code, and internal dashboards and business systems were obtained.
BlackCat's demand for an API rollback comes as Reddit prepares to begin charging developers for access to its API. Reddit's fees are putting popular third-party Reddit clients like Apollo out of business, and the API changes have resulted in protests in the form of subreddit blackouts.
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman has said that Reddit has no plan to change its new API business model in light of the negative feedback, and it is unlikely that the company will change its API pricing due to the data leak threat.
Article Link: Hackers Threaten to Release Reddit Data Unless API Changes Are Rolled Back
Though I disagree, the aforementioned is a vastly harsher indictment than the latter!
It seems to have all gone pear-shaped, no-messin' :/
It may be that there is no alternative.
Interestingly-so--if we choose to adhere to the chicken:egg catch22 schema--something else will eventually come-along to fill our Spaces
Not your lawyer but I’d strongly recommend against doing that!
thanks for this new saying/notionIt may be that there is no alternative.
Interestingly-so--if we choose to adhere to the chicken:egg catch22 schema--something else will eventually come-along to fill our Spaces
That's exactly what the CEO is trying to do. And if apps like Apollo don't show ads which is what helps keep Reddit's lights on, then I can see why Huffman needs to try to bring in revenue through other means (higher API fees)
Reddit CEO slams protesters, says he'll change site rules
Steve Huffman, the Reddit CEO, told NBC News in an interview that a user protest on the site this week is led by a minority of moderators and doesn’t have wide support.
www.nbcnews.com
Huffman has said Reddit isn’t profitable, and in Thursday’s interview he said its annual revenue is less than $1 billion. Meta, the owner of Instagram and Facebook, reported revenue last year of $116.6 billion.
To boost revenue and reduce costs, Reddit plans to begin charging other businesses more money for access to its application programming interface, or API, the software that allows apps to talk to one another.
That is expected to kill off apps like Apollo or RIF, formerly Reddit Is Fun, which some people use instead of Reddit’s own app to access and post on the site. Those competing apps often are ad-free.
Huffman said he has no sympathy for the competing apps that want to use Reddit’s content while avoiding advertisements, the primary source of money used to support the site.
they won't pay and won't pay. Feds will find these hackers and be brought to justice.
The API has nothing to do with it except it gives them leverage on their so called demands. Apollo was riding the coattails of the API for years profiting off Reddit and not got caught when Reddit wants to be paid for that much API use. Granted it's a high amount at $20 million/month but if you want Apollo to be a pro-level app charge more than $2/mo for it. Get $10/mo then see who serious users are. They'll get acquired by the end of the month more than likely anyways and CEO will be brought on to keep it going. Plenty of deep pockets in the Valley.
The API has nothing to do with it except it gives them leverage on their so called demands. Apollo was riding the coattails of the API for years profiting off Reddit and not got caught when Reddit wants to be paid for that much API use. Granted it's a high amount at $20 million/month but if you want Apollo to be a pro-level app charge more than $2/mo for it. Get $10/mo then see who serious users are. They'll get acquired by the end of the month more than likely anyways and CEO will be brought on to keep it going. Plenty of deep pockets in the Valley.
I use Reddit and it is a proper cesspit, the rubbish in my feed and if you dare speak out in anything it’s an instant ban. It’s a proper joke of a site with no acceptance for differing opinions and wouldn’t know freedom if speech if it slapped the board in the face like a freight train. So I’m all for the information to be leaked, go for it.
You’ve been missing out because for quite some time, Reddit has been the go-to source when searching for anything of interest online, especially as Google search has become worthless, full of paid results and SEO-generated trash. People who know have been appending “Reddit” to their online searches for quite some time.
Is there a lots of crap on Reddit? Sure! But it isn’t hard to find what you’re looking for (provided you use a third party search engine to do so, and avoid using Reddit’s website or first party mobile app.)
Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the issue Huffman has is with 3rd party apps like Apollo not running ads. Ads is what keeps Reddit's lights on.
No ads = no revenue = no way to pay for expenses
As for the moderators, they chose to work for free. No one forced them to do anything.
This major corporation lied about an indie dev blackmailing them. When he released the (legal) recording of the conversation where it's clear that this was a misrepresentation, they played the victim saying "oh wow, how can we trust somebody who releases private conversations?"
The only reason this conversation is even happening is that Reddit has proven to be completely incompetent at developing a good way to access their platform. The website and official app are so garbage that even being free isn't enough - I still prefer paying for decent tools instead.
No sympathy for the clowns at Reddit. May they lose sleep and hopefully a lot of money over this.
The only reason this conversation is even happening is that Reddit has proven to be completely incompetent at developing a good way to access their platform. The website and official app are so garbage that even being free isn't enough - I still prefer paying for decent tools instead.
No sympathy for the clowns at Reddit. May they lose sleep and hopefully a lot of money over this.
Looks like we’ve found Huffman’s stealth account.