Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Reddit launches image uploads, ditching alliance with Imgur

techcrunch.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 414 posts

Re: Reddit launches image uploads, ditching alliance with Imgur

#71

Post by debaserab2 »

tdiggity wrote: post #45

Here's a thread that led to people's hate of imgur: https://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/46cjo5/i_just_want_... It was really annoying on mobile.

In fairness to imgur, they did start off as the user friendly image upload site when compared to others such as tinypic or imageshack. At one point I remember them being the good guys.

They seem to have spent their good will in exchange for crappy auto-playing sound ads, incessant mobile-app install prompts, non-obvious URL resolving rules, and browser hijacking navigation. I don't think this was done in bad spirit, they are a growing company with investors to report to. It seems like they forgot what made them popular in the first place and makes me wonder if user experience was more of a company principle if they'd be in this predicament now.

It makes total sense that reddit would want to not only improve the image content sharing experience but also acknowledge that imgur is indeed a competitor with it's now own thriving community. It has been for a while and now reddit is treating it as such.

In retrospect this whole thing looks as inevitable as Twitter pulling the rug out from it's third party developers.

Re: Reddit launches image uploads, ditching alliance with Imgur

#72

Post by Yuioup »

vincentbarr wrote: post #68
Others wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What dark patterns are they implementing?

On mobile, Imgur has the most distracting, obstructive, and bewildering modal window I've seen. I'm not being hyperbolic; it's worse than the dark patterns on Forbes.com. It's in the form of a cat's claw, animated – sliding and extending from the top of your screen almost to the bottom – and slow, making users either click it accidentally or wait in frustration until it can be closed. Despite having seen it countless…

Slide to the left and right for the next and previous images?

Re: Reddit launches image uploads, ditching alliance with Imgur

#73

Post by 27182818284 »

zitterbewegung wrote: post #18

Having a third party host Reddit's images gave away a bunch of control to the point that imgur has its own community based upon the site . At the time Reddit didn't have the resources to make a competitor but this seems to be a good move now that imgur is doing dark patterns.

I know several people that don't know that imgur was born from Reddit, so I am also happy to see this.

Re: Reddit launches image uploads, ditching alliance with Imgur

#74

Post by beefsack »

ljk wrote: post #69
zitterbewegung wrote: post #18

Having a third party host Reddit's images gave away a bunch of control to the point that imgur has its own community based upon the site . At the time Reddit didn't have the resources to make a competitor but this seems to be a good move now that imgur is doing dark patterns.

it's funny that imgur is turning into the sites it was replacing in the first place

I get the feeling that Imgur set unrealistic expectations when it launched, and they can become very difficult to back away from when they become untenable.

Re: Reddit launches image uploads, ditching alliance with Imgur

#75

Post by riffraff »

sotojuan wrote: post #67
finnn wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, you get a link that looks like a direct link (eg https://i.imgur.com/whatever.png ) but it's not (always) a direct link. This is what people are complaining about. Sending that link to people sometimes results in them getting redirected to the ad-laden imgur page.

Like I said, that hasn't happened to me ever in the couple of years that I've used that method. The people I send links to would complain. I do believe you though—sounds like something they'd do.

probably they only do it IFF the image receives a sustained rate of visualizations? That would explain why it didn't happen to you (nor me) for "simple" usage.

Re: Reddit launches image uploads, ditching alliance with Imgur

#76

Post by finnn »

yacn wrote: post #70
finnn wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, you get a link that looks like a direct link (eg https://i.imgur.com/whatever.png ) but it's not (always) a direct link. This is what people are complaining about. Sending that link to people sometimes results in them getting redirected to the ad-laden imgur page.

The "direct links" only ever redirect to the non-direct version on mobile for me. Doesn't happen on desktop though.

I get redirected to the shitty ad page even on my desktop now.

Re: Reddit launches image uploads, ditching alliance with Imgur

#77

Post by GhotiFish »

yxlx wrote: post #43
dopamean wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Weird. I've never experienced this or heard of it.

I've seen it. It depends on the referrer. When coming from Reddit, visitors will not be redirected.

test link: http://i.imgur.com/PhY2HUP.jpg

is this happening for anyone in thread?

maybe try holding down CTRL and hammering the link to see if it's a probability thing?

I have never seen the behavior being described.

Re: Reddit launches image uploads, ditching alliance with Imgur

#78

Post by debaserab2 »

static_noise wrote: post #19
kinkdr wrote: post #3

Bad news for Imgur...

Bad news for the current shareholders of imgur. All we want is an easy and reliable image hoster. You upload an image, they host it, you can link it, fin. Perfect plan! Except for the plot hole of not generating any money this way. That's where the suits creep in. First they finance you to grow and grow quickly you must. Imgur did it. Then you experiment with some methods of generating ad views or other revenue. Peop…

Well put. This should be a script for HBO's Silicon Valley. If it isn't already.

Re: Reddit launches image uploads, ditching alliance with Imgur

#79

Post by executesorder66 »

oh_sigh wrote: post #16
kinkdr wrote: post #3

Bad news for Imgur...

Imgur has its own weird devoted community...I wouldn't worry about it yet

But 90% if not more, of the good content comes form Reddit. If Reddit stops using Imgur, then it will turn into 9GAG, and all the users will wonder why all the content is shitter than it's ever been, and many will leave.

Re: Reddit launches image uploads, ditching alliance with Imgur

#80

Post by beambot »

beedogs wrote: post #63
cloudwalking wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair, bandwidth isn't free. Imgur can't serve hotlinked content for free, forever.

Then they should never have started. Why does every 'free' service on the Internet inevitably devolve into an ad-laden, tracker-enabled shitfest?

Because they probably aren't charities, and can't afford to donat e Free resources for your perpetual enjoyment?
Post reply on HN