Reddit, the wildly popular online platform for discussion and content sharing, has been facing a storm of criticism lately from its users, moderators and third-party app developers. The CEO of Reddit, Steve Huffman, also known as u/spez, has pushed back in a controversial post on r/announcements.
The most controversial decision that Reddit made recently was to start charging the third-party app developers for using its API. The API, or application programming interface, is a set of tools and protocols that allows developers to access and interact with Reddit’s data and features. Many popular apps, such as Apollo, Boost and Sync, rely on Reddit’s API to provide a better user experience than the official Reddit app.
Reddit announced that it will impose a limit on the number of requests that the third-party apps can make to its API per day, and that it will charge the developers a fee for exceeding that limit. Huffman said that this move was necessary to cover the costs of maintaining and improving its API, and to ensure its stability and security.
Many developers were outraged by this announcement, saying that Reddit was trying to squeeze money out of them and force them to use the official app. They argued that they have contributed a lot to Reddit’s growth and popularity by creating innovative and user-friendly apps, and that they deserve more respect and support from Reddit. Some developers even threatened to stop updating their apps or to create alternative platforms for Reddit users.
Sticks and stones
Huffman referred to the third-party app developers as “the landed gentry of Reddit”, implying that they were a privileged and influential class of users who had a lot of power and influence over the site. He also suggested that they were exploiting Reddit’s resources and not contributing enough to its development and maintenance.
The term “landed gentry” has a historical origin in the British social class system, where it referred to the landowners who could live off their rental income and had a coat of arms, but did not have a peerage. The landed gentry were often wealthy and influential, but also distinct from and socially below the nobility. The term was also used to describe the lesser nobility who did not hold high-ranking titles or positions.
Huffman’s use of the term “landed gentry” was seen by some as a sarcastic and derogatory way of describing the third-party app developers, who he accused of being greedy and ungrateful. Others saw it as a humorous and ironic way of acknowledging their importance and popularity among the Reddit users, who often preferred their apps over the official one.
Another of the complaints from the users is the lack of transparency and communication from the Reddit administration regarding the recent changes in the site’s policies and features. For example, many users were unhappy with the introduction of a new award system that allows users to pay real money to give special awards to posts and comments. Some users argued that this system encourages low-effort content and creates a pay-to-win environment.
Another issue that sparked a lot of backlash was the banning of several subreddits that were deemed to violate the site’s rules on hate speech, harassment and misinformation. Some of these subreddits were r/The_Donald, a pro-Trump community, r/ChapoTrapHouse, a left-wing podcast fan community, and r/GenderCritical, a feminist community. Many users accused the Reddit administration of censorship and political bias, and some even organized protests and boycotts.
“Not about free speech…”?
Huffman defended the site’s actions in his post, saying that they were necessary to maintain a healthy and safe environment for everyone. He also claimed that Reddit is not a platform for free speech, but rather a platform for open discussion. He said that Reddit has always had rules and boundaries, and that they will continue to enforce them as they see fit.
Huffman did admit that Reddit has made some mistakes and that they need to improve their communication and collaboration with the moderators and the users. He said that Reddit is working on several initiatives to address these issues, such as creating a new moderator council, updating the content policy, and launching new tools and features.
Huffman also addressed the raging complaints from the third-party app developers, who have been frustrated with the lack of support and documentation from Reddit. He said that Reddit is planning to invest more resources in improving its API and providing better guidance for the developers. He also warned that Reddit will take action against any third-party app that violates its terms of service or harms its users.
Huffman’s post has received mixed reactions from the Reddit community. Some users appreciated his honesty and willingness to listen, while others were offended by his tone and attitude. Users also questioned his motives and credibility, pointing out his history of editing user comments and lying about it.
