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Ask HN: Why is Reddit on mobile so obsessed with making me use their app?

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Re: Ask HN: Why is Reddit on mobile so obsessed with making me use their app?

#631

Post by mattacular »

krn wrote: post #88
mattacular wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does that have to do with using their web site versus their app

It increases engagement metrics, which is the most important thing for an ad company looking to raise more money in the future.

"Apps increase engagement metrics" seems dubious to me. Maybe for certain companies and products it is true, but the norm is to have a website and app experience. It is not necessarily the norm to have the website aggressively drive people to the app to the extent Reddit.com does.

I imagine Reddit's website gets tons of traffic from "non users" coming in on shares and searches who will never consider installing a Reddit app no matter how many modals they put up but nevertheless driving ad impressions.

Re: Ask HN: Why is Reddit on mobile so obsessed with making me use their app?

#633

Post by Timpy »

sixo wrote: post #331

It is pretty offensive that they say "reddit works better on the app" when the only reason for that is that they broke everything on mobile (on purpose?) in a series of badly-implemented redesigns. I'm never going to install it, and I have all but stopped reading it because these prompts are so obnoxious. That's probably +$ for Reddit though. I don't understand why companies constantly do stuff that serves only _them…

> Users are able to identify when something is valuable to them.

I strongly disagree with this. Users are just responding to dopamine sensors that have triggers that they don't understand. "Value" extracted can be detrimental to a person's well-being, even if they chose it for themselves. Gambling addicts at casinos, obese people at fast food restaurants, pay-to-win whales and the newest version of Candy Crush. Reddit is just a casino where you gamble with your time and win addicting emotions like novelty and outrage.

Re: Ask HN: Why is Reddit on mobile so obsessed with making me use their app?

#634

Post by cmorgan8506 »

The following is mostly speculation. I don't really know the inner workings of the Reddit business model.

Businesses that rely on advertising revenue will always seek optimal channels for peoples attention. The mobile app gives them two very import things:

1. Push notifications. Push notifications give companies the ability to advertise to you without you even visiting their website. Also, it allows them to piggyback on the Pavlovian response that has been conditioned in your brain by smart phone companies. Essentially this allows them to "mainline" their product into your brain. Just woke up? McDonalds breakfast PN. End of a long day of work? PN from reddit to remind you to binge their content for your entire evening.

2. People can't run adblock on mobile applications. Even if that only accounts for 10% of it's users, it's still a huge increase in ad revenue.

Re: Ask HN: Why is Reddit on mobile so obsessed with making me use their app?

#635

Post by moonraker »

sixo wrote: post #331

It is pretty offensive that they say "reddit works better on the app" when the only reason for that is that they broke everything on mobile (on purpose?) in a series of badly-implemented redesigns. I'm never going to install it, and I have all but stopped reading it because these prompts are so obnoxious. That's probably +$ for Reddit though. I don't understand why companies constantly do stuff that serves only _them…

As someone who’s worked with the Marketing Dept. a lot in my prior role, the reason e-commerce sites (and possibly Reddit) do the things you mentioned is because they’re overly focused on new user/customer acquisition vs keeping current customers/users who know the the products’ value happy.

There’s almost always a bit of political drama behind the decision too: Marketing gets to say that they’re acquiring new users in short term (thereby increasing their budget and clout in the Org) while destroying customer value in the long run

Re: Ask HN: Why is Reddit on mobile so obsessed with making me use their app?

#636

Post by stimpson_j_cat »

amxn1 wrote: post #599
stimpson_j_cat wrote: post #586

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really? Communities featured on the Ruqqus front page: * EnoughTransgenderSpam: Transgender ideology makes no sense. * SimpsInAction: Simp - A man who foolishly overvalues and defers to a woman, putting ... * JustBeWhite: A place to discuss racial dynamics in the dating market. * JewishQuestion: This community is dedicated to discussing and exposing Jewish control... * SoyBoys ...looks like all the worst supremacy an…

To be honest, it's a breath of fresh air.

Fresh? Since the_donald and the other white supremacy reddits got big the air has been stagnant with that kind of hate.

Re: Ask HN: Why is Reddit on mobile so obsessed with making me use their app?

#637

Post by rsync »

Groxx wrote: post #565
b112 wrote: post #552

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It has nothing to do with first-past-the-post. You can have 10 parties, 100 parties, in fact first past the post is designed for more than two parties. If you have people in 5 parties to vote for in your riding(district?), then first past the post is the only way it works easily! Seldom will one of those 5, get 50.1% of the vote! And why would they? The most popular wins, the people have spoken.

I... think you may have some reading to do. The subject is pretty well studied. The main reason FPTP ensures at most 2 parties is that, say you have parties 1, A, and B, where A and B are relatively similar to each other. And say A and B are together more populous than 1, like a 40/30/30 split. By splitting those 60% mostly-similar votes between A and B, both lose to the less-popular 1. It becomes in A and B's best i…

"... by not voting for one of the two dominant ones, you are literally throwing your vote away ..."

That is incorrect. In your scenario, you would be figuratively throwing your vote away.

Re: Ask HN: Why is Reddit on mobile so obsessed with making me use their app?

#640

Post by peruvian »

amxn1 wrote: post #599
stimpson_j_cat wrote: post #586

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really? Communities featured on the Ruqqus front page: * EnoughTransgenderSpam: Transgender ideology makes no sense. * SimpsInAction: Simp - A man who foolishly overvalues and defers to a woman, putting ... * JustBeWhite: A place to discuss racial dynamics in the dating market. * JewishQuestion: This community is dedicated to discussing and exposing Jewish control... * SoyBoys ...looks like all the worst supremacy an…

To be honest, it's a breath of fresh air.

"JewishQuestion: This community is dedicated to discussing and exposing Jewish control.."

This is fresh air?

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