Reddit: Difference between revisions

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Since January 2022, users can block each other from commenting on their posts or comments. Before, blocking would only hide a blocked user's content from oneself and prevent a blocked user from appearing in ones notifications. Since this change, users can prevent others from commenting valid criticism and refutative arguments that would have added value to a discussion.<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/blog/comments/s71g03/announcing_blocking_updates/ht701m9/ Announcing Blocking Updates] (reddit.com/r/blog)</ref>

Shortly after this change, reports piled up of the new blocking feature being used to prevent others from counter-arguing in discussions. It was also noted that preventing unwanted participants is already the purpose of communities' moderation teams, not individual users, meaning the new blocking feature gives users almost moderator-like powers within their own submissions. To these concerns, a Reddit administrator (employee) responded with "we're working to make sure people feel safe using our site without unduly preventing others from participating".<ref>[https://archive.today/2022.01.29-193057/https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/sd7zsa/we_need_to_talk_about_people_weaponizing_the/ We need to talk about people weaponizing the block feature. : ModSupport] - Reddit</ref>

Shortly after this change, reports piled up of the new blocking feature being used to prevent others from counter-arguing in discussions. It was also noted that preventing unwanted participants is already the purpose of communities' moderation teams, not individual users, meaning the new blocking feature gives normal users almost moderator-like powers within their own submissions. To these concerns, a Reddit administrator (employee) responded with "we're working to make sure people feel safe using our site without unduly preventing others from participating".<ref>[https://archive.today/2022.01.29-193057/https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/sd7zsa/we_need_to_talk_about_people_weaponizing_the/ We need to talk about people weaponizing the block feature. : ModSupport] - Reddit</ref>

===API paywall, June 2023===

In April 2023, Reddit announced that they would be locking API features and functionality previously accessible to its users behind a paywall, citing concerns about user generated content being trained on AI. This resulted in a backlash in the community, as alternative apps utilizing Reddit's API would be rendered completely useless as a result of this decision. While some users held out hope that app developers could pay this fee to keep their user base, Apollo developer Christian Selig crushed any hope of this idea, explaining that the cost of this API fee was too high and that he would be ceasing development for the foreseeable future.

In April 2023, Reddit announced that they would be locking API features and functionality previously accessible to its users behind a paywall, citing concerns about user generated content being trained on AI. This resulted in a backlash in the community, as alternative apps utilizing Reddit's API such as Apollo would be rendered completely useless as a result of this decision. While some users held out hope that app developers could pay this fee to keep their user base, Apollo developer Christian Selig crushed any hope of this idea, explaining that the cost of this API fee was too high and that he would be ceasing development for the foreseeable future.

Users expressed concerns that this wasn't because of AI, but rather, due to greed and an attempt to monopolize information, as Reddit is often cited as many people's go to resource for almost any topic. This sentiment resulted in one of the largest internet protests known as the Reddit Blackout. The Reddit Blackout was an event in which subreddits were closed, marked as NSFW to prevent advertisements from being displayed on them, or flooded with posts shaming Reddit's CEO, Steve Huffman. Users also edited their posts, deleted them, or deleted their Reddit accounts to shame Huffman in an attempt to reduce the value of the information.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Reddit_API_controversy "2023 Reddit API controversy"] - Wikipedia </ref>

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 Since January 2022, users can block each other from commenting on their posts or comments. Before, blocking would only hide a blocked user's content from oneself and prevent a blocked user from appearing in ones notifications. Since this change, users can prevent others from commenting valid criticism and refutative arguments that would have added value to a discussion.<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/blog/comments/s71g03/announcing_blocking_updates/ht701m9/ Announcing Blocking Updates] (reddit.com/r/blog)</ref>
-Shortly after this change, reports piled up of the new blocking feature being used to prevent others from counter-arguing in discussions. It was also noted that preventing unwanted participants is already the purpose of communities' moderation teams, not individual users, meaning the new blocking feature gives users almost moderator-like powers within their own submissions. To these concerns, a Reddit administrator (employee) responded with "we're working to make sure people feel safe using our site without unduly preventing others from participating".<ref>[https://archive.today/2022.01.29-193057/https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/sd7zsa/we_need_to_talk_about_people_weaponizing_the/ We need to talk about people weaponizing the block feature. : ModSupport] - Reddit</ref>
+Shortly after this change, reports piled up of the new blocking feature being used to prevent others from counter-arguing in discussions. It was also noted that preventing unwanted participants is already the purpose of communities' moderation teams, not individual users, meaning the new blocking feature gives normal users almost moderator-like powers within their own submissions. To these concerns, a Reddit administrator (employee) responded with "we're working to make sure people feel safe using our site without unduly preventing others from participating".<ref>[https://archive.today/2022.01.29-193057/https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/sd7zsa/we_need_to_talk_about_people_weaponizing_the/ We need to talk about people weaponizing the block feature. : ModSupport] - Reddit</ref>
 ===API paywall, June 2023===
-In April 2023, Reddit announced that they would be locking API features and functionality previously accessible to its users behind a paywall, citing concerns about user generated content being trained on AI. This resulted in a backlash in the community, as alternative apps utilizing Reddit's API would be rendered completely useless as a result of this decision. While some users held out hope that app developers could pay this fee to keep their user base, Apollo developer Christian Selig crushed any hope of this idea, explaining that the cost of this API fee was too high and that he would be ceasing development for the foreseeable future.
+In April 2023, Reddit announced that they would be locking API features and functionality previously accessible to its users behind a paywall, citing concerns about user generated content being trained on AI. This resulted in a backlash in the community, as alternative apps utilizing Reddit's API such as Apollo would be rendered completely useless as a result of this decision. While some users held out hope that app developers could pay this fee to keep their user base, Apollo developer Christian Selig crushed any hope of this idea, explaining that the cost of this API fee was too high and that he would be ceasing development for the foreseeable future.
 Users expressed concerns that this wasn't because of AI, but rather, due to greed and an attempt to monopolize information, as Reddit is often cited as many people's go to resource for almost any topic. This sentiment resulted in one of the largest internet protests known as the Reddit Blackout. The Reddit Blackout was an event in which subreddits were closed, marked as NSFW to prevent advertisements from being displayed on them, or flooded with posts shaming Reddit's CEO, Steve Huffman. Users also edited their posts, deleted them, or deleted their Reddit accounts to shame Huffman in an attempt to reduce the value of the information.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Reddit_API_controversy "2023 Reddit API controversy"] - Wikipedia </ref> <!-- To be expanded with better citations -->